Managing clay soil and field gateways any advice?

[Beatrice5]

Hello,

We are lucky enough to be on yellow clay !!

So my paddock is so tender and poaches really badly and water just sits on top of it despite having dug a ditch. I have read up on yellow clay but for gardeners and they suggested adding organic matter such as cow poo. Will that really help and would I need a really large dressing and will it sour the grass for the horses? Also surely the ground needs large sand particles adding to help drainage which I don't suppose it practicle but I would be interested to see what anyone else with this problem would advise.

Secondly the other paddock I use belonging to my neighbour has become really boggy in the entrance to the stables from the field. Like welly sucking off deep! Would rubber mats work the mesh ones and if so what brand has anyone used and how do they not sink down to the bottom? Is there anything else I could use? I did think hardcore may be a solution but I would need a lot as the mud is so deep plus it's costly.

Any advice appreciate, thank you.

 

[Fairynuff]

I havent got a clue what the dif is between red clay and yellow but presume that the solution may well be the same. Can you chat up a local farmer and ask him if he would very kindly 'mole' drain your land? Mole draining is where a mole plough (funnily enough

) is dragged under the surface of your field leaving tunnels where the water will collect and be channelled away to the headland and into a ditch. It works well on clay soil and the field doesnt need resting after its been done. As for your gateway, ask a nice builder if he would like to dump his building refuse..hard core, for free or for a small fee, paid by you of course!

My first stop would be the local farmer who is bound to have the same clay problems as you and knowing farmers, they are chuffed to have their experience sought and rightly so. Hope you find a solution soon. Mairi.

 

[Beatrice5]

Hello,

How deep does a mole plough go as we have a Well in the top of the paddock that has a water pipe running off it that supplies the water trough in the bottom of the paddock? Also the ground hasn't hardened up at all this year I think we have had a few weeks where it was firm and that was it

I will try my charms on the local farmers

but they are a tad grumpy and rather old!! The love their sheep and don't like horses!!

 

[Fairynuff]

Dont take this as gospel but, if I remember correctly, mole ploughs usually go to 24 to 36 inches in depth and are regulated by the operator. Things may have changed as Im still part of the stone age

. My uncle is one of those 'crabbit old sods who loves his sheep and hates horses' so I know what you are up against

. M.

 

[Lollii]

We are on red clay, we have tried everything (except mole drilling!) the only thing that works is to dig it out, put hardcore down and then plainings on top, and it still gets a bit muddy!

We just have to put up with it now, there is nothing else we can do, it is horrible, welly sucking mud in the winter and it's like concrete in the summer ... our next house move will not be anywhere near clay soil!

 

[kick_On]

i've been covered to wood clipping, for years i've stuggled through deep muddy gateways. And this year a friend suggested this and also she does have contact for 'wood' man and i been working brilliantly - does need refreshing every couples of week with heavy rain etc...

just to add we get chipping free, just got to collect them

 

[skye_and_i]

spikeing the ground with a piker/airater would help alot, will brake up the surface compaction and help the grass roots breath. the mole ploughing would be great too and can be done as deep or as shallow as you want! spreading much on the field will haelp long term but would really want to be done atleast every other year and yes it will sower the grass abit!

 

[JamesEarwaker]

As for the gateways, dig all that mud/slop out and put hardcore down, no point just chucking mats or bark on top because it will soon end up like it was.
Mole draining is ok if you have drains!! pointless if you havnt. if its grass that goes into hay in the summer, then it wants rolling down after the mole drainer or it will rip the mower to bits, if its just a paddock for grazeing and you havnt got drains, try a sub-soiler, works more or less the same way but does wonder for grass, lifts all compaction and with a roll after improves grass quailty and growth.

 

[Mike007]

[ QUOTE ]
As for the gateways, dig all that mud/slop out and put hardcore down, no point just chucking mats or bark on top because it will soon end up like it was.
Mole draining is ok if you have drains!! pointless if you havnt. if its grass that goes into hay in the summer, then it wants rolling down after the mole drainer or it will rip the mower to bits, if its just a paddock for grazeing and you havnt got drains, try a sub-soiler, works more or less the same way but does wonder for grass, lifts all compaction and with a roll after improves grass quailty and growth.

[/ QUOTE ]Well thats handy. we now have a new HHO who knows what he is talking about on field management.

 

[Beatrice5]

Wow Thank you so much for the info. Now I just need to find a man with a sub soiler. Are they common or will I have to search widely for one. We are in west Somerset on the Devon border. Does the paddock have to be firm to get a machine in and what time of year is best? I guess I just have to squidge it out for the winter

 

[JamesEarwaker]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow Thank you so much for the info. Now I just need to find a man with a sub soiler. Are they common or will I have to search widely for one. We are in west Somerset on the Devon border. Does the paddock have to be firm to get a machine in and what time of year is best? I guess I just have to squidge it out for the winter

[/ QUOTE ]

Sub-soilers are very common in the farming area, great tool for lifting out compaction, im affraid you are right, no point doing it while its in the mess its in now as a big-ish tractor will churn it up even more, leave it till march time (ish) until its dried out, make sure you have another field for the horses and sub-soil it out and then roll down, leave for a good month for it to green up and take affect, no point chucking horses back onto it within a week or 2 as it would mess up the exercise.

 

[Worried1]

James_Earwaker you are my new hero! I will be booking Mr Field contractor in for March

 

[JamesEarwaker]

I would also suggest if you are wanting to get your paddocks/pastures back to great health is to sub-soil out and then before rolling, you want to mix some grass seed and some nitregeon (fertilizer) together and spread that on and then roll down. With a decent amount of rain, within a month you should see a noticeable diffrence.

Thanks guys for the comments

 

[Pebble101]

[ QUOTE ]
our next house move will not be anywhere near clay soil!

[/ QUOTE ]

My feelings entirely!

I am following this thread with interest.

 

[SuzySue]

Don't waste your money on field mats; they just sink below the surface never to be seen again!!!

 

[JamesEarwaker]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't waste your money on field mats; they just sink below the surface never to be seen again!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Same goes with bark, will get all mixed in with the mud in the end, get it all dug out and put some hardcore down!!!! Job done

 

[Tharg]

Very interesting thread, duly toggled for when I win the Lotto!

 

[SuzySue]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
get it all dug out and put some hardcore down!!!! Job done

[/ QUOTE ]

Ours were dug out in the summer, hardcore put down and pilings on top, but already the horses are sinking through into the clay in places. They don't stand at this gateway, it's just used to get to the field but is muddy already (and they're still living out so not even being used twice a day yet).

I was going to fill the holes in with more pilings at the weekend - any other ideas? Oh, and it's on a slight slope which probably doesn't help!

 

[_HP_]

I have put a couple of rubbermats on top of the hardcore in my gateway. It helps pack it down and the horses hooves don't sink in. So far so good.

 

[JamesEarwaker]

Theres a trick to it, dont just dig the slop of the top, you have got to dig deep to get some/most of the clay out and fill it with proper hardcore and a layer of gravel chippings.
Yes i admit that clay is a bit more of a pain than our light soils but if its done right you shouldnt have any trouble.