Drying up field ... does subsoiling really work?

[boostmg]

Ok so quick backstory. We bought property. Was basically abandoned for 100 years. Over that time the state put culverts under the road nearby and diverted stormwater onto the field. So right now the field receives stormwater runoff, but also a constant trickle of water diversion from 2-3+ spring fed ponds throughout the area. Luckily the way the field is pitched eventually takes all that water and drains it into a creek. My job for the past few years has been digging trenches first by hand, now i have my branson with backhoe doing bigger better trenching. My goal is to get all the stormwater runoff diverted properly which i'm close to completing.

The fields used to be cow pasture by the next door farmer for a long time. Probably 80 years. When digging my trenches and in general i know the field could drain better. When i dig with the hoe there is usually a layer of clay anywhere from 8-12" down. I have been trying to figure out what to do about that "hard pan" layer and it seems like subsoiling is my best bet.

I wanted to see if others have done subsoiling on wetter fields and if you have actually noticed a difference after subsoiling?

For example i've noticed when trenching that if there was standing water .. it was likely b/c there was clay underneath or rock.

The other "options" i have considered was something like tillage radishes, i thought about digging up wet spots then putting them back mixed with hay, and even though of using haybal spears to "aerate" poke holes in the ground. But the subsoiler method seems like its the most common and straightforward and time efficient.

Thank you!

 

[5030]

Sounds to me like you need it professionally tiled with perforated plastic drainage pipe installed with a laser guided tile plow. Lots of outfits out there that do that. They will plot the field, determine the best collection point to drain to and install the plastic pipe.

 

[boostmg]

Sounds to me like you need it professionally tiled with perforated plastic drainage pipe installed with a laser guided tile plow. Lots of outfits out there that do that. They will plot the field, determine the best collection point to drain to and install the plastic pipe.

possibly .. i'm just trying to try the most cost effective stuff first.

i'm also not a serious operation .. just trying to have a nice field

 

[5030]

Without ascertaining water flow to a collection point for drainage all you are doing is wasting your time. Sometimes, it's better to pay for the experience and have it done right the first time.

 

[boostmg]

Without ascertaining water flow to a collection point for drainage all you are doing is wasting your time. Sometimes, it's better to pay for the experience and have it done right the first time.

Well to be clear all the storm water will be diverted properly into a body of water.

i am mainly referring to any standing water. Wondering if “subsoiling” actually helps with drainage. I know they say it does but was looking for real experience.

im not opposed to tiling at all

i also don’t have lots of “standing” water, but i just know it certain parts could drain better

 

[Rockbadchild]

its hard to picture but if you have ditch that flow to the creek and use the subsoiler from the high ground of the field to the ditch that should work that is what a subsoiler is made for and have been used for so yes ...

 

[bcp]

"Mole plow" leaves tunnels to improve water flow.:

https://search.brave.com/images?q=mole%20plow

Bruce

 

[chris.benjamin1]

It can get tricky when messing with water management. State could get involved and make your life a mess. Around here certain runoff can’t drain into creek may need a holding pond Big $$. Storm water management consultant

 

[kevin37b]

How many s-f , any grade ?

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I'd make a crawfish pond or grow rice.

 

[oldnslo]

what type of soil is under the clay? What is the water table like is that area? Where I live when rally wet from heavy rain water table can be 2 - 2 1/2 ft so nothing drains until the water table drops.

Subsoiling can help if soil type and conditions are right. Typically well draining soil under hard pan and subsoiled when dry. You might need a sub boiler shank that goes down 18" or more to ensure under hard pan all the time which takes some power to pull.

 

[boostmg]

what type of soil is under the clay? What is the water table like is that area? Where I live when rally wet from heavy rain water table can be 2 - 2 1/2 ft so nothing drains until the water table drops.

Subsoiling can help if soil type and conditions are right. Typically well draining soil under hard pan and subsoiled when dry. You might need a sub boiler shank that goes down 18" or more to ensure under hard pan all the time which takes some power to pull.

Not sure haven’t ever dig deeper than the clay. Not sure about water table. Is there a way to figure that out?

 

[PuffyC]

Tried subsoiling as part of a many-year quest to fix a drainage problem. All it got me was a lot of wasted time and money.

 

[Sonny580]

I sub soil 3 feet deep here every year and have never had water problems since, so in answer to your question--- YES it works!

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Note when you subsoil that pasture, it's over for a while. Your tractor will sink to the hilt for a few years. Not only does water drain into the cuts, water soaks both sides of the cuts. If it's a sizable field you'll have go gather up all the chains in the county just to reach you. We stuck once, took 300' to reach us. 20' chains, lucky we had enough. Putting it all back up was the worst part.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

You have free water available and wanting to get rid of it? Stream fed ponds draining there?

 

[CalG]

Try an area planted to dakon radish this season. Say four rows of 100 feet or so. See what happens, It can't hurt, and costs nearly nothing.

Don't pick the very WORST /wet/ area, pick a spot they will grow. They certainly WILL IMPROVE THE SOIL , just might get through that clay too.

 

[boostmg]

Try an area planted to dakon radish this season. Say four rows of 100 feet or so. See what happens, It can't hurt, and costs nearly nothing.

Don't pick the very WORST /wet/ area, pick a spot they will grow. They certainly WILL IMPROVE THE SOIL , just might get through that clay too.

Thought about this. Maybe i will i have to figure out how to prepare the ground first

 

[Raul-02]

if others have done subsoiling on wetter fields

Not yet.
I have a slope to my property, so nature already has that covered.
I have a heavy dense hard pan clay layer. but I also have many springs.
The conflict I have is: Will subsoling make it worse or better.
Once, decades ago I hand dug a trench the length of my mowed back lawn about 50 yards. I dug about 10" wide by about hip deep. I laid crushed stone and perf-pipe and more stone and it worked great for a while and then (because I didn't know to use drainage cloth) it silted up. I may do it all over again and use connecting pipe out to where the wet spots are. But I'd love to see if subsoiling will do it.
So far the one spot I tried hasn't shown much improvement.

 

[erikjohn67]

Can you post some pictures of the property? I can help but would like to see what your dealing with.