Another great video John. Keep them coming. Yes the quadtrac is a little oversized but like you said that tractor has a very light footprint compared to a wheeled tractor
An ideal time of year for this job as well as the soil will fissure and fracture as it dries out this summer which in turn will improve soil drainage and crop growth. Do you have any thoughts how long these moles drains might last in your soil with your farming system - 3-5 yrs?
Dan Whiteford I believe that in our soil that they can last for 8-10 years. Sounds incredible but we have found them working after that length pf time.
William Robinson A good point, but the mole draining is specifically to direct water to our land drains which are a network of underground pipes which take excess water away from our clay soils.
It's not really the same job although in some conditions the mole drainer does do some lifting. The mole drainer is dragged through the stone placed on top of the finger drains (plastic or tile depending on age) diverting the excess water into those drains which then lead into the main drains which are the ones that take water into the ditches. Flat lifting or subsoiling do have a draining effect but it is not necessarily linked to the drainage system. Sorry for the long winded reply but I hope it makes sense.
Mole draining ties all the drains in by moiling across the fingers (into the stone on top of the fingers) of the main drain which is why we don't have to mole into the ditch. I hope that makes sense?
Your mole drains should last about 3 years before they start to silt up , & yes , the guy below is right in that it would be better to drop the mole in into the ditchbank so that the water has an outfall directly into the ditch , this is ideal soil for moling , being underlaid with what looks like heavy clay , this will hold the mole shape the longest , but beware of droughts , these can open up the mole channel big enough to get a pushbike wheel jammed down at the top of the drought . I have moled here repeatedly with an old Brown's mole plough down to 14 inches , pulling it with just our old Leyland 272 with ballasted 14 inch tyres on , simply bags of power , 1200 engine rpm is plenty , but diff lock in always during straight line moling , to stop the back tyres skidding a small amount & smearing the subsoil , as this adds to the problem . This process greatly improves the health of livestock , as it cuts down the unwanted groundwater wash in winter which is usually full of liver fluke , toxoplasmosis & possibly enzootic abortion . Point made I think guys ! , happy moling . ( This land floods from a boundary brook , yours might not , therefore , less diseased groundwater ! If you have problems with the aforementioned animal diseases , get your vet to blood test the stock , & vaccinate the stock also accordingly following your vet,s advice . )
Interesting process to see. A Quadtrac looks like the perfect tractor for this type of work.
Another great video John. Keep them coming. Yes the quadtrac is a little oversized but like you said that tractor has a very light footprint compared to a wheeled tractor
***** Thanks Chris. 1.5mm of rain here this morning but carrying on moleing until the next shower!
An ideal time of year for this job as well as the soil will fissure and fracture as it dries out this summer which in turn will improve soil drainage and crop growth. Do you have any thoughts how long these moles drains might last in your soil with your farming system - 3-5 yrs?
Dan Whiteford I believe that in our soil that they can last for 8-10 years. Sounds incredible but we have found them working after that length pf time.
Well that certainly helps off setting the cost!
Why do you not drop the plow into the ditch so the water has somewhere to go?.
William Robinson A good point, but the mole draining is specifically to direct water to our land drains which are a network of underground pipes which take excess water away from our clay soils.
John Pawsey Gotya,like your channel,thanks for the reply.
My pleasure. Thank you for you kind comments.
whould not flat lifting after harvest have the same affect john?
It's not really the same job although in some conditions the mole drainer does do some lifting. The mole drainer is dragged through the stone placed on top of the finger drains (plastic or tile depending on age) diverting the excess water into those drains which then lead into the main drains which are the ones that take water into the ditches. Flat lifting or subsoiling do have a draining effect but it is not necessarily linked to the drainage system. Sorry for the long winded reply but I hope it makes sense.
is combine out yet mate
paul freeman Yes Paul, done the winter and spring barley, some winter wheat, winter and spring oats and are moving onto the spelt today!
hope you got sum vids to load up when you get half a hour
why not start at the ditch instead of in the middle of the field
Mole draining ties all the drains in by moiling across the fingers (into the stone on top of the fingers) of the main drain which is why we don't have to mole into the ditch. I hope that makes sense?
how are the sheep doing?
MsTokies The last time I looked (this morning) they were alive!
Your mole drains should last about 3 years before they start to silt up , & yes , the guy below is right in that it would be better to drop the mole in into the ditchbank so that the water has an outfall directly into the ditch , this is ideal soil for moling , being underlaid with what looks like heavy clay , this will hold the mole shape the longest , but beware of droughts , these can open up the mole channel big enough to get a pushbike wheel jammed down at the top of the drought .
I have moled here repeatedly with an old Brown's mole plough down to 14 inches , pulling it with just our old Leyland 272 with ballasted 14 inch tyres on , simply bags of power , 1200 engine rpm is plenty , but diff lock in always during straight line moling , to stop the back tyres skidding a small amount & smearing the subsoil , as this adds to the problem .
This process greatly improves the health of livestock , as it cuts down the unwanted groundwater wash in winter which is usually full of liver fluke , toxoplasmosis & possibly enzootic abortion . Point made I think guys ! , happy moling . ( This land floods from a boundary brook , yours might not , therefore , less diseased groundwater ! If you have problems with the aforementioned animal diseases , get your vet to blood test the stock , & vaccinate the stock also accordingly following your vet,s advice . )
Really good comment and thank you for the advice.
It's a pleasure , anytime , I,m glad to share what knowledge & experience I have , that,s why I go on youtube . Best Regards .
Could not hear a word in part of the video because of the wind
Death Train Yes, sorry, it's all a bit amateurish....
ok thanks for the reply it would have been nice to hear what you had to say
perhaps if you could fit some sort of wind gaurd toy the mike it may help
Death Train I agree. The last couple of of clips I've done have been spoilt by wind. I'll look into it. Thank for your comment though!