# My soil stays wet too long



## nhbaler282 (Oct 5, 2009)

I got a hay meadow that stays too wet too long it is not bottom land although it isnt high ground,is there something I can do about it putting tile wouldnt work because there is no place to drain it. Does a low ph cause any of this the ph is at the low 6 or some of this soil conditioner like montys has would that help it? If I subsoil it that will just trap more water and make the ground more soft. I grow tifton 44 on this part and it is about 20 acres so it wouldnt break the bank to spend a little money on it any help will be appreciated.


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

I am currently looking into Gypsum for the sulfur aspect but from my research it is supposed to loosen the soil and help with water infiltration thus less water ponding. Maybe something to look into for you.


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## nhbaler282 (Oct 5, 2009)

That is interesting I am going to check into it. Thanks


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

nhbaler, not necessary true on subsoiling. Depends on your soil very much. Had area in a field it would hold water and be boggy when rest was dry. Water was running to it and it had hard pan that was like rock holding the water. Subsoiler is suppose to allow water to seep down and allow roots to pull it.

NOW no doubt that is not 100% the same in all grades, soil types and so forth. But if you have a true hardpan, and water packs dirty very well by itself, say one foot down or three feet down there is a good size difference.

My suggestion, talk to OLD local farmers who did subsoil on their thoughts but also you take a shovel and did down and first see if there is a hardpan and what depth. You also can do as old tobacco farmer told me, try an area. He is who convinced me I needed to and it really helped my land. Was able to fill in a shallow ditch running through the lowest area of a field. Now on tree line subsoiling provided little help other than cutting tree roots.

Last thought, if is has no place to drain to, meaning lower ground than it and it has hard pan you have a big ceral bowl. Now ask what I had for breakfast. lol If you have much of a grade not sure you want to subsoil on and down hill, think that could lead to erosion. Also understand straighter up shanks disturb the surface less than the curved ones. Mine are straight and work fine. Can run through grass and it will settle back.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

There is an adage around here "Drain for Grain"

For us, tile is the answer to drainage issues. Like Palmettokat said, subsoiling helps rip up hard pan. For us, that is what helps water percolate to our drainage tile. If it's lower than the outlet, maybe think about a lift station. For 20 acres, it's probably worth it.


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## nhbaler282 (Oct 5, 2009)

I appreciate the response,not any subsoiling around here,I may find one and do part of it and see if it helps,glad to know about the straight shank vs the curved shank


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## reede (May 17, 2010)

Gypsum does floculate soil, and is pretty mobile in the soil profile. The Calcium does a nice job floculating, and the sulfate will precipitate out free Aluminum, which burns roots, and keeps them from going deep to where the water may be. Also, gypsum is one of very few sulfate sources that doesn't lower pH.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

nhbaler, subsoiling I think was really studied with flu tobacco raised here. Very much our money crop and lot went into making it the best possible. The older farmer who convinced me to try subsoiling told me he could tell a row was missed easy during the growing season.

I know it used to some degree with some row planters with minium top surface distrubance. You can find a few different style of shanks, I have only used simple straight shank ones. Biggest reason what I had.

You can take a small diamter rod with handle pushing it into the ground and see if you "hit" a hard pan. It is recommended to dig into the ground to see if there is hard pan and if so the depth of it as it is said you only need to plow just enough to get under it and no deeper. Depending on tractor to plow hp and hardpan I have been able at reasonable slow speed can tell when my subsoiler lowers to the top of hardpan as can feel it riding on it and if there is a hard pan can really tell when it begins plowing the hard pan. I used a M6800 Kubota with two shanks and at times could not pull the two shanks due to how massive the hard pan was. Last year used my JD5525 with same subsoiler in some of my brothers land and it was all the JD could do in four wheel drive could pull.

No idea the ag show now but recently there was a special on some company in Califorina who uses large Cat crawlers pulling look like about six foot shank,single shank in farm land there think before Almond trees were to be planted. If you want to see hugh subsoilers look to the US South West. We have a small field not far from other land have never found any hard pan in it. Soil varies.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Around here, tile is about our only effective option.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

stack em up said:


> Around here, tile is about our only effective option.


You guys and your feet of topsoil just make me jealous, HERE we measure topsoil in inches (and it's not that dark).

Larry


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

stack em up said:


> Around here, tile is about our only effective option.


Is there water that close to the surface most years? Or just this year since SW MN had like a gagillion inches of rain this spring?


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

IHCman said:


> Is there water that close to the surface most years? Or just this year since SW MN had like a gagillion inches of rain this spring?


That pic is from 2 years ago, lol

This is the reason we would prefer a drought to a flood. We generally always have enough water to make a decent corn crop. Hay on the other hand is a different story


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

stack em up said:


> That pic is from 2 years ago, lol
> 
> This is the reason we would prefer a drought to a flood. We generally always have enough water to make a decent corn crop. Hay on the other hand is a different story


Yep, agree whole heartedly on that one. This spring even tile on 20' centers wouldn't have dried anything out when the ditches were running clear full weeks at a time.


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