Thank you for this. I'm in coastal SC. Just subsoiled a bit in some areas I am going to plant some trees (and those obviously heavily compacted by prior owners who stocked horses). I may need to weld a chain on to the subsoiler, I think
So what does the chain do exactly? I have a very wet situation in my backyard. I can't afford to do drain tile right now and do it right anyway. Trying to find other ways. It's about 120 feet area.
The chain leaves a nicely formed hole in the soil for the water to run in. The slot from the ripper blade allows a channel for the surface water to make its way down to that cavity. This technique works exceptionally well if you're dealing with a plow pan that is usually around the 6 to 8 inches.
Hey fella. Im assuming your grid lines are towards the low spot. Starting on the high side with the ripper all the way down then rasing the ripper as you drive lower in elevation. Have you or your neighbour heard of running subsoil lines perpendicular? How it affects it? Also awesome video. Please make more subsoiling vids. Im very curious.
Answering your question is a little more complicated. I currently run parallel to the slope, but I also deal only with a 1% grade. My thinking is if you're over a 3% grade may need to come up with a different pattern using a combination of perpendicular and some parallel outlets, basically the same as if you were doing conventional tiling. Let me know your slope conditions, and maybe one of the viewers or I can give some wisdom on this also.
@@pigeonriverfarm6909 I'd guess a 2% at its steepest but some wet spots are in relatively flat areas or dips. As far as running it with/down the slope, I thought I had read somewhere that it would create channels that could drain the water and nutrients out of the soil rather than holding it and letting it saturate into the ground. Thanks for the quick reply... sorry for being slow to answer...lol.
We have a field that was wet with standing water and after subsoiling it I happened to be in the field at dusk and very quiet I could hear the water running underground, single shank I h,
No need to have a tractor with down pressure on the three-point hitch. It's just a matter of positioning the ripper into the ground, and the shoe on the bottom of the ripper bar is radiused up and produces a significant amount of down pressure again based on the angle of the ripper bar.
I been pleased with the outcome. Utilizing this method to dry up pastureland. We can compare this technique to conventional tiling. But at a fraction of the cost performance seems to be pretty good. In some areas where I had utilized technique, they wouldn't even qualify for tiling because of inadequate discharge point it worked great. This spring I will not be unable to render an opinion on performance since were gone from extreme flooding in the spring to the driest spring I've seen in my years of farming.
You need a mole plough, what you have there is a subsoiler, (it won't work, chain or no chain), at the bottom of leg should be a round torpedo with a slightly larger diameter towed round plug or slug connected by a short link , the torpedo makes the initial tunnel and the larger slug follows behind and compresses the walls of the tunnel to make a robust, perfectly round drainage tunnel which will carry water for years.
Thank you for your insightful comment. The mole plough sounds like an innovative tool, and I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. While the method I've showcased in the video has proven effective for our needs, I'm always open to learning about new tools and techniques that can benefit the farming community. If you have a link to the product or a reseller, please share it. I'm sure many in our audience, as well as local farmers, would be interested in exploring this option. Your expertise and willingness to share knowledge are truly valued. Thanks again.
That is an excellent idea using a bullet shaped expander to enlarge the hole. I'll have to try that and see what its longevity is. With just the 10-foot chain it leaves a pretty polished channel in the soil, that doesn't seem to collapse easily. Keep me posted on your findings.
Another problem with tile is that it may work too well and you get a dried-out field. Now they're starting to install caps to stop outflows when the field dries. One solution creates another problem.
wonder if you could set it up instead with over flow. you could set the level with a stand pipe. all the extra overflows. im dealing with a very similar issue. spring is a flood then summer is a full dry out on very sand heavy loam.
I target for around 5 feet on center and the overall goal is to put a slight pitch in the trench. Based on the elevation pitch you currently have like flat ground, I would start at around 1-foot penetration and slowly deepen to the full depth of the tool. One important note on the headlands. I put diagonal stripping in to hopefully get better soil absorption of the water.
Thank you for your observation. You're right that flat ground can pose drainage challenges. However, the method discussed in the video offers an alternative to traditional tiling by creating underground channels, mimicking natural processes like worm burrows. This approach not only addresses drainage issues but also aims to be environmentally conscious by minimizing nutrient runoff. We're always open to exploring and sharing innovative solutions that can benefit both the land and the environment. Appreciate your feedback!
OMG…ridiculous. The whole point of deep ripping is to fracture the soil! You’re not gonna do that at 2 miles an hour. You NEED to get BELOW the hard pan. Where do you think this water is going, with all its nutrients when you rip the soil? It’s going the same place as if you had a tile…
Thank you for your comment. Well, for starters. We've had exceptionally good luck utilizing this technique and have shared it with a number of our neighbors, who in turn have had good success drying up the soil without utilizing tile. Please keep in mind this is not a long-term drainage solution and needs to be applied every couple of years. The key to this technique is not the ripping motion but the large diameter chain that's auguring a passage down around 36 inches or one meter. On my farm, there is no plowing hardpan to contend with. Since we have been grazing these areas for going on 20 years plus. I have an old saying I use often. "Test don't guess," and the soil is dry now to Grazer earlier in the season. One last point we do not terminate field drainage openings anywhere near the river. Hence, leaving all the nutrients for our deeper-rooted plants to absorb.
It would be nice if instead of a chain you left some kind of perforated pipe in the ground to act as a waterway inside the soil. Has anyone thought of that before???
@@gomertube It's an inferior solution. Looks like there is sufficient fall to install tile. Maybe it's the wrong kind of clay but throw a sock and a foot of 1-3 limestone on top and it will drain like a sink.
I applaud you for being thoughtful in your approach
Here in the UK we don't use a chain they usually come with a short solid piece of round steel rod attached to the ripper to do the job.
Thank you for this. I'm in coastal SC. Just subsoiled a bit in some areas I am going to plant some trees (and those obviously heavily compacted by prior owners who stocked horses). I may need to weld a chain on to the subsoiler, I think
There is a ripping plow designed specifically to create that same cavity when it rips. It is called a Yeoman plow.
How did it turn out?
Omg what a good idea.Nutrient loss is a concern of mine.Thanks
Thanks brother. Going through the same issue at our horse rescue. Sure beats digging
the chain is genius!
This is a great concept. Thanks!
Is there any update you would like to share to this I find myself in a very similar situation and I am new into farming
how'd it go?
I use a small 1-14 hitch tube to pull as my mole. Easily attaches to a short chain
This is what I was thinking 🤔 I think your idea will help me to save over 5000$ in tile.
You did create an American mole plow
How did this end up working out for you?
So what does the chain do exactly? I have a very wet situation in my backyard. I can't afford to do drain tile right now and do it right anyway. Trying to find other ways. It's about 120 feet area.
The chain leaves a nicely formed hole in the soil for the water to run in. The slot from the ripper blade allows a channel for the surface water to make its way down to that cavity. This technique works exceptionally well if you're dealing with a plow pan that is usually around the 6 to 8 inches.
Great video. I'm confused about the chain. You're not leaving the chain in the ground, are you? You're just using it to help make a better channel?
How do you know where to pitch it? I have a flat field with piled stone all around edges. I wouldn't know where to drain it
Hey fella. Im assuming your grid lines are towards the low spot. Starting on the high side with the ripper all the way down then rasing the ripper as you drive lower in elevation. Have you or your neighbour heard of running subsoil lines perpendicular? How it affects it? Also awesome video. Please make more subsoiling vids. Im very curious.
Drag a chain through... Good idea... Like leaving a wormhole underground.. Because I can imagine with a ripper alone, some of that caves in.
Hello.. just a quick question... is it best to run the ripper parallel to the slope of the land or perpendicular? Thanks.
Answering your question is a little more complicated. I currently run parallel to the slope, but I also deal only with a 1% grade. My thinking is if you're over a 3% grade may need to come up with a different pattern using a combination of perpendicular and some parallel outlets, basically the same as if you were doing conventional tiling. Let me know your slope conditions, and maybe one of the viewers or I can give some wisdom on this also.
@@pigeonriverfarm6909 I'd guess a 2% at its steepest but some wet spots are in relatively flat areas or dips. As far as running it with/down the slope, I thought I had read somewhere that it would create channels that could drain the water and nutrients out of the soil rather than holding it and letting it saturate into the ground. Thanks for the quick reply... sorry for being slow to answer...lol.
Plant Australian Mountain Beech on the River boundary, they will “pump” that end of the field AND yield cabinet quality timber
We have a field that was wet with standing water and after subsoiling it I happened to be in the field at dusk and very quiet I could hear the water running underground, single shank I h,
Do you need a 3 point hitch with down pressure, or is the weight of the hitch enough to force it into the ground?
No need to have a tractor with down pressure on the three-point hitch. It's just a matter of positioning the ripper into the ground, and the shoe on the bottom of the ripper bar is radiused up and produces a significant amount of down pressure again based on the angle of the ripper bar.
Did it work?
I been pleased with the outcome. Utilizing this method to dry up pastureland. We can compare this technique to conventional tiling. But at a fraction of the cost performance seems to be pretty good. In some areas where I had utilized technique, they wouldn't even qualify for tiling because of inadequate discharge point it worked great. This spring I will not be unable to render an opinion on performance since were gone from extreme flooding in the spring to the driest spring I've seen in my years of farming.
You need a mole plough, what you have there is a subsoiler, (it won't work, chain or no chain), at the bottom of leg should be a round torpedo with a slightly larger diameter towed round plug or slug connected by a short link , the torpedo makes the initial tunnel and the larger slug follows behind and compresses the walls of the tunnel to make a robust, perfectly round drainage tunnel which will carry water for years.
Thank you for your insightful comment. The mole plough sounds like an innovative tool, and I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. While the method I've showcased in the video has proven effective for our needs, I'm always open to learning about new tools and techniques that can benefit the farming community. If you have a link to the product or a reseller, please share it. I'm sure many in our audience, as well as local farmers, would be interested in exploring this option. Your expertise and willingness to share knowledge are truly valued. Thanks again.
thank you here's a link or video of the mole plow@@pigeonriverfarm6909 th-cam.com/video/OG1ITdm_VDo/w-d-xo.html
Attach a bullet shaped piece of 3-4” steel shaft at the end. It will leave a cavity that will last quite awhile especially in clay soil.
That is an excellent idea using a bullet shaped expander to enlarge the hole. I'll have to try that and see what its longevity is. With just the 10-foot chain it leaves a pretty polished channel in the soil, that doesn't seem to collapse easily. Keep me posted on your findings.
Another problem with tile is that it may work too well and you get a dried-out field. Now they're starting to install caps to stop outflows when the field dries. One solution creates another problem.
wonder if you could set it up instead with over flow. you could set the level with a stand pipe. all the extra overflows. im dealing with a very similar issue. spring is a flood then summer is a full dry out on very sand heavy loam.
@@invictusfarmer7188 Good idea.
Hi, could you elaborate on your row widths as well as some results please. Thanks, great video
I target for around 5 feet on center and the overall goal is to put a slight pitch in the trench. Based on the elevation pitch you currently have like flat ground, I would start at around 1-foot penetration and slowly deepen to the full depth of the tool. One important note on the headlands. I put diagonal stripping in to hopefully get better soil absorption of the water.
Any updates on how it worked?
I'm happy with the outcome. Plan on doing more fields and go over the one I did last fall. th-cam.com/video/_hxvhCC7aT8/w-d-xo.html
to be honest really flat ground is not going to drain well.
Thank you for your observation. You're right that flat ground can pose drainage challenges. However, the method discussed in the video offers an alternative to traditional tiling by creating underground channels, mimicking natural processes like worm burrows. This approach not only addresses drainage issues but also aims to be environmentally conscious by minimizing nutrient runoff. We're always open to exploring and sharing innovative solutions that can benefit both the land and the environment. Appreciate your feedback!
OMG…ridiculous. The whole point of deep ripping is to fracture the soil! You’re not gonna do that at 2 miles an hour. You NEED to get BELOW the hard pan. Where do you think this water is going, with all its nutrients when you rip the soil? It’s going the same place as if you had a tile…
Thank you for your comment. Well, for starters. We've had exceptionally good luck utilizing this technique and have shared it with a number of our neighbors, who in turn have had good success drying up the soil without utilizing tile. Please keep in mind this is not a long-term drainage solution and needs to be applied every couple of years. The key to this technique is not the ripping motion but the large diameter chain that's auguring a passage down around 36 inches or one meter. On my farm, there is no plowing hardpan to contend with. Since we have been grazing these areas for going on 20 years plus. I have an old saying I use often. "Test don't guess," and the soil is dry now to Grazer earlier in the season. One last point we do not terminate field drainage openings anywhere near the river. Hence, leaving all the nutrients for our deeper-rooted plants to absorb.
Omg wj
It would be nice if instead of a chain you left some kind of perforated pipe in the ground to act as a waterway inside the soil. Has anyone thought of that before???
Yes, you get mole plough attachments that can feed pipe into the ground behingd the tractor
But the point of the chain is to not install drain tile, or "perforated pipe," where you have the bad outcomes that he discussed.
@@gomertube It's an inferior solution. Looks like there is sufficient fall to install tile. Maybe it's the wrong kind of clay but throw a sock and a foot of 1-3 limestone on top and it will drain like a sink.
@@aaronlohr8477 You still don't get it. Tile is expensive which is why this man is offering an alternative that may be "superior" for some farmers.
@@gomertube it's not a superior solution it's just cheaper in the short run.