Help, Linseed Drilling

Simon C

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Essex Coast
Some of you may not believe it, but we are now in desert like conditions in the East. I have linseed to drill where the chopped straw has laid all winter without breaking down at all, it looks the same as when it came out of the combine in August. I knew a few weeks ago that there was no way linseed would grow with two inches of straw over the top of it, especially if it did come wet; so to try and get it to start decomposing, I sprayed with nitrogen, molasses and some bugs, (Bio-Mulch) and then did a very shallow cultivation with my old Sampo out of the stinging nettles, and rolled. Well of course it still hasn't rained so I now have a totally dry layer of moved soil with straw mixed with it. There is no chance of seed germinating in this without at least half an inch of rain but there is a little moisture below. From past experience, it is no good drilling linseed too deep but I have just been out with my new (to me) Tandem Moore Un-Drill for a dry run. Although it is 17 years old, it is identical to a new Sky thing, anyway, anyone who has seen these drills going will know that they leave the surface quite ridged with the seed row in the bottom. I usually harrow and/or roll to get rid of the ridges and cover the seed properly, but if I was to go deep enough to reach the moisture and leave it unrolled, the seed would only have about half to three quarters of an inch to grow to the surface.

Trouble is this is C1 seed on a contract which adds to the risk, if I was using seed out of my own bin, it wouldn't matter so much, and I am not 100% sure if there is enough moisture bellow to get it all up and away anyway, although it is often surprising how little is needed sometimes.

Help, need a bit of moral support!

Anyone else got experience with max depth for linseed drilling?
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
I'm waiting for rain forecast before we drill, no point sticking into a totally dry seedbed

I think simply patience will pay here and if it never rains between now and harvest it will make no odds if you drill it or not ! (other that you wont have wasted any money / time doing so)
 

Crabtree

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Oxfordshire
Wait for rain, too risky with the expense of a seed crop, you must be able to get out of the contract if it doesn't rain all April ? If it can't grow quickly away, won't you lose it to flea beetle anyway?
Last time I grew Linseed for seed was 2012 -I should have left it in the bag....
Re Max depth of drilling, it can definitely be too deep- maybe over 1.5" - I remember my Father burying it out of sight with an old cultivator drill in the 90s !
 

Simon C

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Essex Coast
I'm waiting for rain forecast before we drill, no point sticking into a totally dry seedbed

I think simply patience will pay here and if it never rains between now and harvest it will make no odds if you drill it or not ! (other that you wont have wasted any money / time doing so)

Thanks Clive, I am sure you are right. It just gets very frustrating when cultivating neighbour's linseed is up in rows and no-till is supposed to a more moisture retentive system. I have to remind myself that spring cropping was always impossible on my land before I went no-till and that if I did a cultivation now to bring up some moisture, all I would get is a load of brick rubble rather than a fine seed bed.
 

Simon Chiles

DD Moderator
Some of you may not believe it, but we are now in desert like conditions in the East. I have linseed to drill where the chopped straw has laid all winter without breaking down at all, it looks the same as when it came out of the combine in August. I knew a few weeks ago that there was no way linseed would grow with two inches of straw over the top of it, especially if it did come wet; so to try and get it to start decomposing, I sprayed with nitrogen, molasses and some bugs, (Bio-Mulch) and then did a very shallow cultivation with my old Sampo out of the stinging nettles, and rolled. Well of course it still hasn't rained so I now have a totally dry layer of moved soil with straw mixed with it. There is no chance of seed germinating in this without at least half an inch of rain but there is a little moisture below. From past experience, it is no good drilling linseed too deep but I have just been out with my new (to me) Tandem Moore Un-Drill for a dry run. Although it is 17 years old, it is identical to a new Sky thing, anyway, anyone who has seen these drills going will know that they leave the surface quite ridged with the seed row in the bottom. I usually harrow and/or roll to get rid of the ridges and cover the seed properly, but if I was to go deep enough to reach the moisture and leave it unrolled, the seed would only have about half to three quarters of an inch to grow to the surface.

Trouble is this is C1 seed on a contract which adds to the risk, if I was using seed out of my own bin, it wouldn't matter so much, and I am not 100% sure if there is enough moisture bellow to get it all up and away anyway, although it is often surprising how little is needed sometimes.

Help, need a bit of moral support!

Anyone else got experience with max depth for linseed drilling?

I've drilled linseed at an inch and a half on numerous occasions to get it down to the moisture, the only time it didn't do well was when the heavens opened the next day and it rained for a good month. That was the only time, all the others were ok.
 

britt

Member
BASE UK Member
I've put it in at an inch and a half before on a headland when setting up the drill, It was up before the stuff drilled shallower after I readjusted the drill.
I think that was quite a dry time.
 

Bumble Bee

Member
Arable Farmer
A few years ago I drilled our linseed in dry conditions. Half the seed germinated soon after drilling, the other half germinated 3 weeks later after it rained. There were still some plants in flower when we harvested it.

This year I am waiting for rain before drilling.
 
Wait until you are certain rain is coming and drill before. When it starts to dry you could light roll if conditions right and the seed will be covered in moist soil. My drill leaves a corrugated finish and although higher disturbance it helps keep the moisture in better than flat as it forms mini wind breaks.
 

tw15

Member
Location
DORSET
Waiting until a good bit of rain is forecast then going to drill no point putting it in and it just sits there doing nothing other than drying the seed out more.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Waiting until a good bit of rain is forecast then going to drill no point putting it in and it just sits there doing nothing other than drying the seed out more.

Have you sown yours yet? Mine is just emerging, sown 10 days ago. Variable establishment so far - most seeds were sat on top of undisturbed moist soil after the cover crop/turnips and have germinated but many are still sat in fine dry soil doing nothing. The field after vetch/rye sprayed off a while ago has the most moisture - the turnips stripped most of it out plus where the sheep paddled the surface into a crust it has broken up into bigger platy lumps which have dried out quicker despite double rolling. The headlands where the shepherds drove around where cultivated & have really dried out even though the rolls were following the tines.
 

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