The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: tinwheeler on July 16, 2012, 03:38:33 pm
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I'm preparing to put in a land drain to take water away from our field track. Planning a 12inch wide and 12 inch deep drain with perforated pipe and 40mm drainage stone.
A neighbour has recommended that I wrap the drainage pipe in weed control fabric to stop roots getting into the pipe, but I have concerns that this might also reduce the amount of water that gets into the pipe. Does anyone have any experience of doing this and any advice? I've bought the fabric now (its the papery type that DOES let water through rather than the woven plastic that doesn't, but even so surely it won;t let as much through as if it wasn't there!!).
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The fabric is to stop the silt (fine particles) going into the drainage pipe and blocking it, it is the right way to do it.
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see
http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain03.htm (http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain03.htm)
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you can buy perforated 100 mm land drain already covered in a micro filter in 100 mrt rolls ..it makes it a doddle to lay .
A 12 " deep one will likely get flattened in no time or damaged if you are thiking of cutlivating the land .
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The material is called Terram. Personally i wouldn't bother, when your drain is deeper than 12". It is used in the construction industry as standard now, but i wouldn't use for field drains.
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various ideas and thoughts on this one you can also get perforated pipe that is covered in polystyrene this eliminates the need for gravel and the bother it can create normal clay tiles if used in peat chocked up with iron ochre to prolong the life expectancy of the system they used to wrap the drains in coconut fibre this was also used with wavincoil plastic drains as once the slots were sealed with ochre the drain was as much use as a fart in a thunder storm
there are various types of geotechnical materials all are a bugger to work with unless you have a squad of workers that have an idea of what is required :farmer:
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Drainage! Ah, I know it well. I have land that hasn't been drained for 40 years and we could lose bodies in it.
We are draining field by field, but deep draining. Our problem isn't surface water going down, but spring water coming up and then not being able to get back down. Which have you got?
Deep drainage is the following - dig down until you hit the spring line (at least 5 feet) and lay your pipe north-south (all springs go east to west - don't ask me why) with outfall to ditches, tanks or streams. Rod your pipes every month for the first year, knock back the piles of earth over the pipes and then mole plough.
It's working for us. We are getting 2500 litres a day minimum from 3 1/2 acres and now have stock on those fields.