Heavy clay stubbles cultivation options.

[DrWazzock]

i need to drill beet on some heavy clay land, presently wheat stubbles with a layer of chopped straw.

Yes I should have ploughed it in the autumn but even then it might have slumped by now.

There is a 2" layer on top that is cracking as it dries but it is still like putty. The clay below that is fairly solid wet clay. It is under drained but is solid clay all the way down.

I have a plough and power Harrow, a bomford chisel plough ( drag ) , a ransomes subsoiler and a paraplow.

Just wondering if anybody has any bright ideas.

I am inclined to rip it up with the drag and power Harrow down when it's dried and maybe repeat. I feel it's a bit late to plough it as it will bring up slabs, unless I wait till mid April and it stays dry. Bit of a gamble.

I could get my cousin to sumo it but not sure it would help. I feel that as its too wet at depth, then deeper tines will smear.

 

[Iben]

Be sensible!

Sow it in grass and you won't need to worry about such matters for at least five years.

 

[DrWazzock]

Be sensible!

Sow it in grass and you won't need to worry about such matters for at least five years.

That's the long term plan, and I'm even considering doing that this year with that heavy part of the field and growing the beet elsewhere. But it had salt on it in the autumn which also isn't helping the clay..

 

[Lincs Lass]

Growing beet on clay land ,,you been on the cooking sherry ,,
if and only if you manage to work it up and get some sort of seed bed ,
if it gets wet after drilling it will cap like concrete ,
If it does manage to grow and it drys out ,it will again set like concrete and if everything goes in your favour and by some pure chance of nature you get a good crop ,come lifting time you'll have clods the size of house bricks in the sample

 

[DRC]

Growing beet on clay land ,,you been on the cooking sherry ,,
if and only if you manage to work it up and get some sort of seed bed ,
if it gets wet after drilling it will cap like concrete ,
If it does manage to grow and it drys out ,it will again set like concrete and if everything goes in your favour and by some pure chance of nature you get a good crop ,come lifting time you'll have clods the size of house bricks in the sample

I was thinking the same, but didn't like to say.
Leave beet growing to the light land boys.

 

[franklin]

Forget it. No chance where there is no frost mould. Drag it up and think of another plan .

 

[Salopian_Will]

I was thinking the same, but didn't like to say.
Leave beet growing to the light land boys.

before mechanisation of the crop beet was successfully grown on heavy land.

 

[DRC]

before mechanisation of the crop beet was successfully grown on heavy land.

Used to be a good break crop for us, until Allscott shut. Not on the heavier fields though.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Ive seen beet on heavy land ,,its patchy,looks sick all summer and you end up with roots the size of turnips that drop through the cyclones

 

[Salopian_Will]

Used to be a good break crop for us, until Allscott shut. Not on the heavier fields though.

Not grown at all around even when allscott was going down here south in the Corve Dale. Quite a bit of fodder beet around now though.

Would love to be able to grow it, a spring break with a margin and requires a bit of technical nouse too. Those out east who complain about the price received have at least got the option. A nice problem to have.

 

[Flat 10]

I think the OP has done it before............

 

[Flat 10]

Used to be a good break crop for us, until Allscott shut. Not on the heavier fields though.

Ah the mythical 'heavy' field that we have yet to see in photos......

 

[DRC]

Ah the mythical 'heavy' field that we have yet to see in photos......

Ha ha, touche. I'm sure I've posted pics of ploughing slabs of clay. Half our place is too heavy for beet or maize.

 

[Fuzzy]

I would use the Bomford chisel plough, get over it once(twice if conditions allow) and wait for it to dry right through, then power harrow.

 

[Will 1594]

Been pulling some heavy over to day. It was ploughed in September then subsoiler through it when it had baked out to level and loosen it . It's come down like an ash hill drill it Monday . Op. Plough it well .catch it right plenty time to get it. September lift

 

[DrWazzock]

Plough it and if the weather is right it might still have time to break down, with showers but not too much rain. If it stays dry it will bake like blocks of concrete. But the plough will help if it rains a lot after drilling as it will allow a bit of drainage from the seedlings roots and avoid drowning them.

Chisel plough will not bring up such huge slabs so could be easier to work down but will leave it a bit hard underneath and won't move it all. It will leave more trash about and if it rains a lot after drilling I will end up with a layer of sludge and yellow beet with vertical leaves.

The other half of the field is blow away sand so would benefit from chisel ploughing as it will leave just enough trash to prevent a blow.

We have done both approaches before. The chisel plough is the safe option. Won't yield like a well ploughed field with good weather conditions but won't be a disaster if the weather gets windy or dry.

Or I could move my spring barley into the clay half of the field, undersow it with grass and leave it grass for ever, sowing the rest of the beet in the lighter field which was destined for spring barley. It needs ploughing as the sheep have just come off stubble turnips there, then it will need a big dose of potash but should plough half down, half on top. No salt left in store for it, and don't like big dose of potash just before drilling but might get away with it.

 

[Flat 10]

Plough it and if the weather is right it might still have time to break down, with showers but not too much rain. If it stays dry it will bake like blocks of concrete. But the plough will help if it rains a lot after drilling as it will allow a bit of drainage from the seedlings roots and avoid drowning them.

Chisel plough will not bring up such huge slabs so could be easier to work down but will leave it a bit hard underneath and won't move it all. It will leave more trash about and if it rains a lot after drilling I will end up with a layer of sludge and yellow beet with vertical leaves.

The other half of the field is blow away sand so would benefit from chisel ploughing as it will leave just enough trash to prevent a blow.

We have done both approaches before. The chisel plough is the safe option. Won't yield like a well ploughed field with good weather conditions but won't be a disaster if the weather gets windy or dry.

Or I could move my spring barley into the clay half of the field, undersow it with grass and leave it grass for ever, sowing the rest of the beet in the lighter field which was destined for spring barley. It needs ploughing as the sheep have just come off stubble turnips there, then it will need a big dose of potash but should plough half down, half on top. No salt left in store for it, and don't like big dose of potash just before drilling but might get away with it.

I think it boils down to either chisel plough x2 then or move fields.........
An old set of heavyish discs would be a useful tool to add to the armoury if you are going to continue farming the heavy land....

 

[hindmaist]

Wait til it's dry.Flat lift it.Plough it as narrow as you can and only as deep as necessary.When conditions are right,power harrow,roll and sow.Hope for showery weather to see it braird.

 

[DrWazzock]

Moving half of it to a different field. Been down there with my fork. It's just too sad and wet to cultivate.

Got the salt and potash on the other field today. It's a light field and will plough this week.

The clay area of the originally intended field has two poles in it, a curved edge and the ditch could do with cleaning out though it isn't bad so that's what we will do there then get it in with under sown spring barley later. It will make a good grass paddock and the sheep will be able to access the beet tops from it.

I think generally we need to be cutting out "non starter" crop/soil type combinations and odd shaped patches with obstacles from the arable rotation. We can no longer afford to try it and see what happens or spend a fortune establishing a crop in bad conditions without there being a very good chance of success.

There are quite a few other triangular gearings of clay near watercourses that would also make useful paddocks for the sheep and cattle, and would leave the rest of the field an exact width of tramlines nice and square, with easy working soil.

 

[Brisel]

Wait til it's dry.Flat lift it.Plough it as narrow as you can and only as deep as necessary.When conditions are right,power harrow,roll and sow.Hope for showery weather to see it braird.

Wait until it is dry? That could be May!