FARM UPDATE 277 Mole draining, how we do it & why it works so well repairing soil after a wet year.

We’ve had such a wet winter and spring, the fields need some help to recover so 2 months ago we bought a 4 yr old, twin leg mole drainer to start the recovery process. In this update I go though how we have to study drainage plans to make sure we mole at the correct angle and direction because it’s so easy to create another problem, rather than cure an old one.
Barry also comes in with his JCB 3CX digger to find the stone which most drains have above them and to check the mole channel is the correct depth.
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[@matthewhodder3029]

An excellent explanation of more draining. I hope some colleges will use this to teach the subject. In 1979 we used to pull a single leg subsoiler with a Ford 4600 on Essex heavy land. I doubt the little Ford would have coped with a mole. Thank you Andrew. The best arable farming channel on KZbin

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Great tractors those 4600’s, I drive one all the time in the potatoes when we used to grow them.

[@kevinfox5068]

I'm an old bugger, but as a kid mole draining was always pulled by a Caterpillar D8 and the expander was the size of a canon ball and always pull up hill and come back down with the track closing up the Grove you've just made ,it's a slow process but the results are very positive very effective, the expander you are using would cause the mole to get blocked by small bits of earth, good video .

[@ianmckay1780]

That was a true education in a 30min video. Excellent description and demonstration of how and what results are. Thank you as usual Andrew.

[@Xceptionalist]

Excellent explanation and illustration of land drainage and mole ploughing

[@davidhart5284]

I think you would make an excellent college lecturer, you certainly have a gift for explaining things properly and in detail.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Up to 5 years ago I used help plan and run a young farm managers course at Riseholme and Bishop Burton Ag colleges.

[@andyhutch8262]

I used to weld old lorry truck springs on the legs, the farm I worked on had a fleet of lorry's, they never threw anything away, typical farmers, I used same welding rods that quarries used to hard face, very expensive, but worth every penny

[@peterwilson-qj2ds]

A very informative insight on mole draining & the drainage system , the RX is coping with pulling the mole drainer well . Good to see Tom explaining the figures on the out put of the RX.

[@jcdeeley1]

I hope you are rewarded for all this hard work with a wheat yielding 5 tons to the acre next year !

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Me too!

[@GrahamWP58]

In my youth I had a spell working for a drainage company and after the drains were laid I sometimes moled the groung after. A great video on how drains work and the advantages of mole ploughing. Two brazing rods bent at 90deg make good dowsing rods. See you Wednesday.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

👍😊

[@andrewtween9537]

Many years ago my grandfather would only ever mole uphill with a steel tracked crawler so the flecks of clay created would wash down hill and not impede the water flow the outcome was the mole lasted longer.. obviously made the job slower. Very informative piece Andrew

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Interesting, thanks.

[@ady3114]

Really interesting episode. I found it very surprising how quickly the soil erodes the mole blades

[@RICHIE87622]

I think barry could enter a fell run with a pace like that! Great job with the diving rods! And some first class welding! A real team effort!! Brilliant thanks Andrew.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂😂

[@jonstephens682]

Morning Andrew. Good update again mate and a very good insight into draining for those who don’t know about and you explained it very well 😊

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😊👍

[@michaellane9873]

There isn't enough moling done on fields that have been drained it tends to get forgotten great video Andrew.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Agree and after the last 9 months a lot of fields need some serious attention.

[@456Brian]

We used to do ours every 5years it will do a world of good thanks Andrew

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

👍😊

[@alancurtis6368]

Superb detailed look at mole draining. Well done to you and the lads.

[@johnhughes2113]

The way you farm your attention to detail is comendable, not forgeting of course your very able and conciencious staff, you all make up a super team.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Cheers but as you say, it’s very much a team effort.

[@andykeeble1]

Really interesting, thanks Wardy.

[@robdavis5711]

Absolutely in awe of the breadth of skills you guys have… amazing talent in the workshop knowing how everything works and how to diagnose/repair something! Tom’s great on camera, really natural. Very interesting to see basically a cross section of the soil and see how the Mole works, hope the investment in cover crop and drainage continues to pay off over the next few years. I’m amused by Mystic Barry Digger’s divining rods, I thought that was just superstition but they did prove accurate, and I recall they did when you were connecting a water supply to the new house too… not just a myth then? Speaking of superstition, I know it’s lucky to put a horseshoe back in the field when you uncover one, but aren’t you concerned about it getting into a bit of machinery? Looks like it could do a bit of damage?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Good memory Rob!

[@user-ob3yi8gs1l]

Really interesting Andrew hopefully it will work well and stop the ground getting waterlogged looking forward to the next update

[@stephenclark2058]

Hi Andrew , I drained every field I could I the seventies / eighties when there was quite a substantial grant available , I don’t know , but I assume there are no grants available anymore . I retired 26 years ago from Northamptonshire and moved to the west coast of Ireland Strandhill near Sligo , where the Ray Mcsharry family live nearby , Ray did an enormous amount of good for farming in the U. K. when he was in Brussels ,nice people .

[@elmton.john.1961.]

Sligo is a really nice part of Ireland Stephen, I shall be attending a wedding there late September, can't wait!

[@timgalley4391]

Excellent video as usual and you're gradually turning Tom to be being a KZbin movie star lol. Also had to laugh watching PX farms video today with James and Michael chatting and a mention of a "Mr Waffle" lol

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂😂🤦‍♂️ Michael is married to my daughter and we were at their house and James rang so we had a ‘chat’!!

[@laytonphillips6667]

Fantastic video andrew , great detail of mole draining. Interesting to see how the solo handkes that cover crop.

[@petergarthwaite6805]

That was really interesting video I had no idea you did moling 😊

[@RosieW35x]

A great explanation of how the mole works and why you are using this opportunity to get it done.

[@rastang233]

As a detectorist im always finding horseshoes of various sizes, a fair amount of history contained in them 👍 And its nice to find out why farmers leave them there and dont remove them.

[@kevinmcdonnell2298]

Excellent description of draining and mole ploughing great video as always I've seen in Australia a mole ploughing to stop salt spots it had a hopper and putting down a little of pebble rock to keep it open

[@justfromthewoodshed7199]

excellent explanation of how drainage works. Wonder how many farmers have accurate records of field drains. Some of the old boys would have it in their heads and sadly it will all have been lost.

[@user-uq6hm7di6k]

Brilliant Andrew, enjoyed that video thank you 🚜🚜🇬🇧

[@user-xt4tf3my8x]

Great explanation of mole draining Andrew. Farmers on light free draining brash land don’t know how lucky they are. We find a ceramic expander lasts longer than steel.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Couldn’t get any locally so had to settle for steel

[@MartinDowney-p1i]

Great video andrew very interesting . Dont seem to do much mole ploughing hear in ireland.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We’ve not done it for many years.

[@trevorsidley7697]

Laid a water main and armoured cable to our Stables using a £30 (Auction) single mole plough with a gently bent scaffold tube welded to the leg on the back of a DB780. Needed at least a couple of passes at a very slow ground speed. Never occurred to me to plough across the clay pipe drains. I guess they are silted up now and didn't know about 22yd separation. Great video,

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

👍😊

[@gareth2673]

I think I'm watching too many of your videos Andrew. I was at Clarkson's Didly Squat Farm this morning and found myself looking at wheat fields and seeing how much blackgrass was in them ! And I don't farm !!!😂😂😂

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂😂🤦‍♂️

[@irwinmorrow1267]

Good afternoon Andrew. A interested insight into mole drainage in your part of the country. How we go about drainage work at home in Cornwall is so different than how your doing it. Because we have hills here, that’s where the water is, as it freely makes it’s way through the ground towards the rivers it then hits the clay in the bottom of the valleys and pops up to the surface. I remember an old fella telling me years ago as we stood in boggy ground, he said you’ll never drain a field in wet ground, he looked over to where it was dry and said that’s where you need to put your drains. He was right! 😂 It looks like that mole will do a really good job for you, in the grand scheme of things you won’t need too many tons of wheat over the area you’ve done to pay for the time, fuel and machinery costs. This growing season has hi lighted the need to make sure your ground is in the best state possible! Fingers crossed for better weather next year. I see some people are using a ceramic expander over a metal one, less wear apparently, I don’t know? Cheers 👍

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I couldn’t find ceramic expanders locally

[@Gearoid35]

Great explanation of how to mole drain when we're the gravel drains done in the first place.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

In the 50’s 60’s and 70’s

[@Gearoid35]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard thank you

[@SimonHH1975]

Brilliant explanation of mole draining Andrew 👍

[@johnfurnival4133]

Excellent explanation of mole ploughing and drainage. Done a fair bit when on summer job in Wiltshire, single leg Browns mole plough with a Ford 6410 on the front. Did a fair bit as I wore away the expander but the farmer I worked for didn’t replace it .

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Great little tractors!

[@johnfurnival4133]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard I think she’s still on the farm now and I was there 94/95

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

@johnfurnival4133 😊👍

[@markyoull6744]

great update well explained andrew well done sir

[@johnwarwick4105]

Looks ideal conditions for mole. Dry on top and soft underneath. Some of those moles last for years in some good clay, amazed by the wear on the expander

[@Shaunalexander.99]

Good luck incorporating that cover crop Andrew. Was chatting with James Richardson at Heckington show who sold you you're Manitou. We have purchased a new jcb loadall 😂

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😦😦 Good luck, you might need it as I will incorporating that cover crop! Think we might top it.

[@richardbaker22]

Great video Andrew

[@julianchambers8372]

Hi Andy, brilliant video. I find this land management/drainage really interesting. I`m surprised how the tractor coped with it and the rate of fuel used, I thought it would have been severe on the J.D. As an engineer, you could get some shear bolts made and I would suggest making some spacers for the mole retaining bolts to save the threads. It will be very interesting to see the results after some heavy rain. I hope you get a good result. Brilliant mate.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

The threads behind the expander don’t get in contact with the soil but it’s a useful suggestion. 👍

[@ronaldlucas5360]

Good explanation of the moling.

[@dtvking]

Wow, so interesting. Many thanks

[@barrywalker3730]

Hope that horse shoe doesn't get get between the track and drive wheel ripping the track very unlikely bed unlooky if it does. Brilliant explanation of mole draining your Sunday vidios remind me of the bbc itv back in the day when food production was important

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

That’s the only problem with leaving them in the field but I want my grandchildren to find them just like I have done since I was a child. Thanks for the feed back. 👍😊

[@barrywalker3730]

@WardysWaffleAndrewWard in the days used chip arrows I picked up a horse brass on a arrow tooth and still have it todeay

[@Julie1964]

Super explanation of field drainage. Thanks all.

[@andrewtween9537]

In the late 70’s drainage was grant aided and comprehensive mapping was part of the compliance

[@keithandrews3824]

Very interesting blog Andrew I am thinking of having are horse paddocks mole drained you have to good lad's there Tom and Ruben.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Yea, they’re great. 👌😊 I’m thinking of doing one of our paddocks as well.

[@nickevans7265]

Great video 👍

[@johnmullaney3445]

Top job Andrew!

[@elmton.john.1961.]

Interesting update Andrew, nice to hear a bit more Tom Waffle too.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

👍🤦‍♂️

[@hughcarrigan7824]

Handy.lad on the welder

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Definitely. 👌😊

[@PK_Blinder]

Very interesting video... Always wondered can you over drain a field so it doesnt hold moisture and dries out too quickly...? You should speak to your drainage man with his 360, see if he has any old Hardox bucket edges that are worn too much for a bucket but would have a new life on the mole plough... 👍

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

With the weather we’re getting now I doubt it!

[@jonathanwhitbread7652]

Brilliant explanation …

[@davidcurry4433]

Great video as ever. However, I don't see any bees on those phacelia plants. Have you noticed a decline in bees this year.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It’s odd, we have an abundance of them at the heath, 3 miles away

[@barrywalker3730]

Reminds me of going out after tea with the chain measuring up by potatoes when if you grow over you're alloted acreage you were fined by the potato marketing bord

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤦‍♂️😊

[@casparAG]

Hi Andrew, im 16 and have had a new allotment for about 6 months. when i firsted got it, the whole plot was just grass. our soil here has quite a lot of clay and me being at the bottom of a hill, without any plants it can get quite wet. So ive decided to put in a cover crop from around septemberuntil feburary or march. my goals are to add some organic matter to my soil and give the worms something to eat, add some fertility, and outcompete weeds. as well as break up the clay soil and reduce waterlogging. please could you suggest any changes to my mix i have researched and put together. i wont give quantities as itll take a while to type. alfalfa, vetch, winter rye, crimson clover, field beans, buckwheat, phacilea and daikon radish.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I’m sorry I don’t know enough s out cover crops to give you a response. Looks at kings crops website.

[@user-lm5lw1if8o]

Great video, heard of mole draining but never really understood it until now, thanks. However it’s made me think about how water actually gets into the mole drain if it’s “perfect” i.e. holding well in clay with lovely smeared sides from the expander ? Is there a trade off between how long the mole lasts and its draining efficiency ?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I think so because the best moles are made from the stickiest clay soils and last the longest.

[@andybricky1927]

That was interesting, when Dad talked about moling a field I thought it was just to break the soil down to the drains, I had no idea about the channel in the soil. Obvious question how is it heavy tractors and harvesters don't crush the channels first time over, is it because modern wheels spread the weight better?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It’s so deep I think they last a few years.

[@philipmetcalfe6289]

Loved the soil pit and the drainage/moling explanation. Must be really satisfying. Total cost / ha ?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Not sure yet, need to put the fuel and work rate data in my costings program.

[@michaelbambed7260]

Has the cover crop had any nitrogen! It looks fantastic

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

None at all!

[@grandpaandlucas7054]

one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet) = 1 Acre. i learnt to plough with a conventional plough using a yard stick every 22 yard or one chain plant a stick at the headlands. my grand father ploughed with horses thank god i did it on a fordson dexta. but ive not heard anyone mention old measurements for years. bet the deere hasn't got them in the GPS.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It would throw a wobble if we tried to put chains in the JD!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thanks for that, all those old arts are gradually getting lost. ☹️

[@abbiejones4222]

I am watching px farming . Makes your farming a window box. Andy . 😂.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

As big as that?! I know James well and his cousin Michael married my daughter a few weeks ago!

[@ryanlotgd]

linsead as a cover crop? my grandad used to swear by linsead oil on my cricket bat. only thing that i noticed in the video that i was questioning the mole draining made sence, but that could be de to growing up in the local area and living ina village with 2 farms in it and no shops 😅

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😊👍

[@geoffreymoore2204]

I finds some drainage pipes get push up through time an iron orr destroys the gravel, some soil can surely wear metal faster than others

[@andrewmaccall5871]

Very informative video - 6RX pulls ok?

[@paulsmith8282]

Wardy ceramic expanders last far longer then steel ones, also keep there shape longer

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

They will but 3 times the price and I wanted them that day and no one had any locally

[@davidlockhart9200]

Well worth the extra cost because they hold their shape to make a perfect mole that will last

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I tried but couldn’t get any

[@darrenlindup3086]

Very interesting Andrew All looks good 👍👍. Try ceramic expanders won’t wear as bad 👍

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I couldn’t get any locally. It was desperate to change and the spaldings ones were less than £50 each.

[@alistairnelson3216]

Being a wold farmer this is a complete black art to me thank you, is there any benefit to working up and down or could you work in ratches / lands with the gps.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Working in lands is fine but must be across the drains.

[@luisnunes7933]

👌

[@briantwigger9364]

Silly question I know but could you mole drain your known wettest fields after drilling as to leave slots open longer ….. 4/6 meters apart

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I think the track marks would affect the germination

[@nickdent8783]

Another very informative video,thank you.suprised to see a lack of worms,and why don’t you use ceramic expanders.find plenty of horse shoes here along with lots of bullets thrown out of planes before they landed at tibenham airfield during the war.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We bought it second hand with steel expander. I wanted ceramic but no one locally had any

[@JoannaBywater-x7n]

Did you pull some blackgrass when you started ou t of that ditch

[@girlindigo8]

Are the land drain pipes porus, so that water can soak into them? what are they made of?

[@markspeller5722]

Drains are made of plastic and perforated, probably 4 to 6 inches in diameter.

[@user-lm7xc4qx2l]

Ceramic expanders will last much longer

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Older pipes are clay, about a foot long, 3” internal diameter, they went plastic early 70’s I think. Plastic laterals are 80mm diameter, mains are 4”, 6” or bigger.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

They will but are 3 times the price of the ones I got from Spaldings. I wanted that day and no one had any ceramic locally.

[@girlindigo8]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Thanks, was a really fascinating video

[@peterrobinson4078]

I'm surprised in SFI areas where you are paid to produce wildflowers etc. not flatten a third of it?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Sorry, not sure what you mean?

[@peterrobinson4078]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard I'm surprised you can destroy the SFI crops you have been paid to grow? I understand you can graze if appropriate but flattening around a third seems wrong

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

@peterrobinson4078 They aren’t sfi. I’ve put them in at my cost and not getting a penny for them because they don’t qualify as many others don’t around the country

[@peterrobinson4078]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard ah OK. Sorry I'd assumed you were doing SFI. Apologies

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

@peterrobinson4078 No probs. There’s lots of people claimed for sfi but it won’t meet the criteria if they’re checked.

[@tomvalentine9985]

Is there any argumemt that you lose soil mousture too quickly with such a system in low rainfall periods?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I don’t think with clay and silt soils

[@user-lm7xc4qx2l]

Ceramic expanders will last much longer

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

They will and 3 times the price of the ones I got from spaldings.

[@robertrutherford9039]

I couldn't see the grade stamped on the end of the shear bolt, if it was 8.8 then it would bend before breaking, maybe it should be a 10.9 or even 12.9 which wouldn't bend. Very interesting video Andrew, many thanks.

[@7485D]

I’ve the same mole. Came from Agri Linc with the same 8.8 bolts. Not had a problem with them. As for ceramic expanders. Dear. But lasting a lot longer and keeps a better tunnel. We have extra wear plates on the front part of the skid. Wears up the front and very expensive to replace complete

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

@robertrutherford9039 the 10.9 would be too hard I think.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

@7485D I think we need a plate under the front corner