[Small Farmer]

Thank you.  I knew it wasn't a trivial question when I asked it.  I've seen two furrow ploughs for sale at well over £2k, and that's because people are paying it.

However, like tractors rotavators fall into Chinese or very expensive, and even the Chinese ones are the thick end of a grand too.  I'd have a bit more confidence in the Chinese product if during the time when I travelled extensively in China I'd ever seen farmers using any machinery at all.

The appeal of ploughing is to get the frost into my clay soil. 

[pgkevet]

Within my own profession i recognise the difference between professional, amateur and inexperience - and indeed differing opinions amongst professionals. I never expected to get this right first time.
The plough was bought as a result of discussion with local agri merchant familair with the property i had bought and my tractors power - and to be fair he did advise that i plough shallower - but that's where the novice tries too hard. I had dug several pilot holes about the place before investing in the land to look at soil type, measure pH's and assess depth of good soil. Equally I accept this is hobby stuff and i have no wish or need to be commercial about it.
The plough does have mouldboard tails.

When we did discuss rotorvators I figured they would really chop up the mess of roots and I would have been heavily dependant on several sprayings and repeat runs to destroy the 'weeds' and like most amatuers i was in a rush to get playing. Where I have mowed and hand rotorvated a small patch or two then small rotorvators really do clog up with turf roots.

There's a dry forcast for the next few days so the spray comes out.

When it comes to ploughing in the green manuring I'll take the extra time to assess the effects of plough adjustments and be more critical of my results. it's going to be different anyway now the soil compaction has been broken up.

I've got plenty of acreage of hay meadow here so perhaps i'll just mow off a couple of acres and practice, practice , practice somewhere..

[old ploughman]

There was no slight on your performance intended - sorry if it came over that way. I had visions of my attempts at ploughing as a youngster trying to a rough old patch covered in nettles into a perfect match plot - and the resulting disappointment and frustration. I have been turning the sod for over 35 years now and am still learning every time I go out - I hope it proves as rewarding for you 

[Small Farmer]

I think there's a skills gap which this forum is hoping to bridge.  There's a couple of farms near here of around 700 acres which are looked on as charming anachronisms by the big boys who think the limit of viability is 2000 acres and  buy correspondingly vast kit.  Perhaps the enthusiasm for ploughing contests is a reaction to the the GPS controlled 10 row monster.

There are local contractors round here with smaller kit who are used by the big farmers for awkward jobs.  But they are exceptionally busy when the work needs to be done and their priority customer is the major farmer who gets their attention first second and third.

It is so hard to get either advice on how to do it or indeed anybody else to come in to help so I'll just keep on asking stupid questions if you've got the patience to answer them!

[robert waddell]

ploughing  and competitions   it all goes back to the days of the horse  when men were proud to display there skills  both on the horses turnout and the Finnish of the ploughed land  this also overlap ed into straight drills and perfect stacks and everything else to do with there daily job
sadly that is lacking in modern farming speed is more important than perfection
anyway ploughing skills  there are farmers that have ploughed for generations and still make mistakes and these that are champions  but could that champion make a decent job with your land and your tractor and plough
these champions have home made ploughs with weights and hydraulic rams  to get the perfection required make of plough ransomes Massey Ferguson international and David brown all made ploughs along with skh hauard newlands begg sellers Cruikshank and others that have all gone to the wall
nobody has the time to spend showing a keen armature there skills in any particulate field now 

[pgkevet]

There was no slight on your performance intended - sorry if it came over that way. I had visions of my attempts at ploughing as a youngster trying to a rough old patch covered in nettles into a perfect match plot - and the resulting disappointment and frustration. I have been turning the sod for over 35 years now and am still learning every time I go out - I hope it proves as rewarding for you 

No offence taken at all. If I wasn't prepared - indeed wanted- criticism and advice i wouldn't be here

The chances of me having another 35 years is a touch optimistic..I'd be clearing a space for the royal telegram around then...

It's going to take a year or two to understand this land and the area compared to other parts of the country I've lived in. If Id wanted an easy way out then I'd have got Glynn (up the road) to zip over the field for me..a few stripes with an 8 or 10 furrow job and his experience would have sorted it  Certainly would have been cheaper than buying the kit and maintaining it.

I'm taking a trial and error approach to a lot of things here... germinating and planting repeat crop samples to see what does best when..follow-ons if the first attempt fails 'cos the ground isn't right yet etc - or the whole lots gets munched by marauders....

Next year will be better prepared and 2-4 years time will see the fruits I've planted coming in. Some of my plans are so long term that i'll be gone before they mature but if no-one tried it then future generations wouldn't have the results either.