Mowing willows?

[shtferbrains]

That's pretty much it exactly. Before I started using a plow I tried the first few areas to trench it in with an excavator. Bad idea btw, it's very hard to smoothly bed the tile. What was really eye opening was watching the trench sides go from 2 feet of black topsoil up to 2 inches of black dirt and the rest yellow clay and back again as I was trenching through the field. Real A-ha moment when you realize why that stupid wet area looks like it should drain but never does. If you could strip the topsoil off a field and see the underlying clay it would be a totally different landscape. Water won't migrate out of those clay bowls under the flat black topsoil. Not until you put a pipe through them at least. Harvesting canola through those areas now watching the yield monitor hit 80's and 90's makes it all worth it. I don't have saline trouble spots in my area but I've heard that reversing the water flow from up and evaporating leaving the salts to water dissolving the salts taking them down and into tile is another amazing benefit of tiling.

So you have your own plow?
How do you get elevations?
I assume it has to have some downslope all the way?

[Tucker]

So you have your own plow?
How do you get elevations?
I assume it has to have some downslope all the way?

I built a plow for my excavator. Works great. I have RTK maps from fieldwork but they are more pretty pictures than useful. They give a general idea of the water flows in the field. I don't pattern tile anything. My land has enough fall between trouble areas and water flows downhill. I do use an RTK gps on my sc****r and sometimes have to survey a run I'm planning by closing the gate and running the blade on the ground just to make sure everything is going downhill. After that it's just a matter of putting the tile evenly 2' under the surface.

[Tucker]

I built a plow for my excavator. Works great. I have RTK maps from fieldwork but they are more pretty pictures than useful. They give a general idea of the water flows in the field. I don't pattern tile anything. My land has enough fall between trouble areas and water flows downhill. I do use an RTK gps on my sc****r and sometimes have to survey a run I'm planning by closing the gate and running the blade on the ground just to make sure everything is going downhill. After that it's just a matter of putting the tile evenly 2' under the surface.

Agriville finally censored an actual dirty word in a lot of areas. LOL

[WiltonRanch]

Bloody cattails are a pain. I made a mistake and disked them. Should’ve baled them off but hay equipment is put away. Run over with heavy offset and have followed some with tandem disk. Dad figures a dump hay rake and pile and burn. I’d like to seed it next year but not looking like it.

[Robertbarlage]

Fire works best for cattails.

[Maver]

Fire works best for cattails.

I agree, unless there standing in peat moss.

[Rosco7]

Bloody cattails are a pain. I made a mistake and disked them. Should’ve baled them off but hay equipment is put away. Run over with heavy offset and have followed some with tandem disk. Dad figures a dump hay rake and pile and burn. I’d like to seed it next year but not looking like it.

Thick, dead cattails burn like the gates of hell. Thin ones don't burn very well unless there is a strong wind to move the fire through, which is obviously dangerous. Swath the cattails, let dry a couple of days, then burn the windrows. Works awesome. Then disc, protill, etc the slough.
Rosco

[WiltonRanch]

I disked a fair bit twice. Pulling the heavy harrow through it right now. Seems to be shaking dirt out of root balls not bad. Figure if it’s harrowed twice at least it’s breaking the stuff up. Going to try disking again. I’d love to burn but I’m afraid to do it. I wonder what guys in corn country do with monstrous amounts of stover?