Weeding crops with a Harrow

[willy]

I have just had my neighbour in to pull out a load of cleavers in my w beans, he had a opinion grass Harrow (einbock type thingy) I was a bit sceptical as the ground was hard, but it’s done an amazingly good job 90%+. But what I was really pleased about was the black grass that it took out too.

does anyone use one of these in cereals earlier on, and if so any tips and howdo you find it performs?

 

[4course]

Im seriously considering doing some feb sown ww thats struggling through a capped surface the rolls wont do much now so if it pulls some weeds out as well as helping it tiller got to be a reasonable idea, the organic guys would be able to tell us more

 

[willy]

Yes it has broken the soil surface lovely.

 

[Brisel]

There's a video on Claydon's Facebook page showing a Swedish farmer using a Claydon straw rake. I'm not sure what he was trying to achieve but it certainly broke the surface up. The wheat crop looked ok afterwards.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10218578225860167

Hoeing beet between the rows always makes it look awful for a couple of days but within a couple of weeks the crop comes back stronger than ever. Perhaps it releases some more soil N? My only caveat is that disturbing the soil will trigger a flush of weed germination. If done at late tillering, potentially the crop could smother late weeds but I'd be careful on wide row spacing that will have exposed ground for longer. You will also break up any residual herbicide layer you've spent money laying down though if that was several months ago you won't be losing much.

 

[Brisel]

Sorry, the Facebook link doesn't work. The Claydon group is a closed one. I've taken screen shots of the aftermath

I still can't quite see what it has achieved, though a finer tine on a softer soil may look very different.

 

[tullah]

During the 50s and 60s all the wheat here was harrowed with zig zag harrows in March. It let the air in as they used to say, and pulled up all the weeds if you timed it right. The crop looked a bit beaten about for two or three days but quickly recovered.

 

[CornishTone]

There's a video on Claydon's Facebook page showing a Swedish farmer using a Claydon straw rake. I'm not sure what he was trying to achieve but it certainly broke the surface up. The wheat crop looked ok afterwards.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10218578225860167

Hoeing beet between the rows always makes it look awful for a couple of days but within a couple of weeks the crop comes back stronger than ever. Perhaps it releases some more soil N? My only caveat is that disturbing the soil will trigger a flush of weed germination. If done at late tillering, potentially the crop could smother late weeds but I'd be careful on wide row spacing that will have exposed ground for longer. You will also break up any residual herbicide layer you've spent money laying down though if that was several months ago you won't be losing much.

Yep, hoeing or raking will mineralise a bit of N and kick things on a bit, especially if its capped a little. Have known organic blokes have a couple of goes at it pre GS30-31.

 

[Will 1594]

What do the beans look like . Going to have ago tonight in ours on a weedy patch .
did 2 fields of spring barley last year. Has a patch of ryegrass. Neighbour does all his twice , he had12 m set Does all his seed crops never seems to harm the bsrley

 

[willy]

What do the beans look like . Going to have ago tonight in ours on a weedy patch .
did 2 fields of spring barley last year. Has a patch of ryegrass. Neighbour does all his twice , he had12 m set Does all his seed crops never seems to harm the bsrley

They where late drilled winter beans drilled in feb. They look fine, just slow to get going but more to do with cold dry.

 

[Villagefarmer]

Anyone tried the Opico Hoe or the Claydon Terrablade?

 

[Will7]

With an einbock type Harrow do you go with the crop rows, or on an angle to them?

 

[N.Yorks.]

I have just had my neighbour in to pull out a load of cleavers in my w beans, he had a opinion grass Harrow (einbock type thingy) I was a bit sceptical as the ground was hard, but it’s done an amazingly good job 90%+. But what I was really pleased about was the black grass that it took out too.

does anyone use one of these in cereals earlier on, and if so any tips and howdo you find it performs?

Any update on what you did and how it looks now?

 

[willy]

Any update on what you did and how it looks now?

looks good actually just done some beans today and it’s done even better with the Herrif being abit bigger.

 

[Jimbo26]

looks good actually just done some beans today and it’s done even better with the Herrif being abit bigger.

The question is have the results been good enough for you to go and part with some money for a harrow?
If so which one?
Did you come across the Einbock rotation?

 

[Western promise]

Anyone tried the Opico Hoe or the Claydon Terrablade?

Look at the Monosem strong & well built hoe.