[Taliesin]

Advice please. We have just erected a 600 metre perimeter fence around our smallholding We needed to do it before the end of the planting season otherwise we would have waited for a warm dry spell. A tractor with a hydraulic knocker was used to knock in the long and heavy posts. Unfortunately, as the rain increased the tractor tyres have left their mark churning up the access pathways. I appreciate that over time the land will recover however I'd like to help speed up that process, especially to avoid the clay soil becoming water traps and/or hardening come summer. I was hoping to plant trees for shelter belt and screening along some damaged areas. Any ideas? especially ideas which don't involve more machinery. Thanks.

[stufe35]

Fill in the ruts by hand as best you can by redistributing the disturbed ground.

Chain Harrow which will help again to knock the high bits into the low bits...this can be done even in wetish conditions using a small chain Harrow and quad, or a light tractor or tractor with wide tyres to spread load.

Then roll, timing of the rolling is the tricky bit, you need the ground to be firm enough or dry enough to afford grip, but too dry and the roller will not have enough effect.  The same guidelines for machinery apply.

[bazzais]

If your going to need work done in the field in the future in the rain and wet its best to leave the ruts there as is stops vehicles going sideways and gives extra traction from the sides of the wheels.

If its going to be just a footpath then dump all your cutting in the rutts and it will soon build up over time.

[paddy1200]

Disc harrows will do the job. Run over the ruts a few times when the land is 'pliable' and you'll fix it.