Market Farming

["Rob Wallbridge" <rob AT songberry.ca>]

Hi Kathryn,

 

Roller-crimpers only work if they are used at the correct time in an annual crop’s lifecycle – usually just as they are heading out/setting seed – otherwise there is significant regrowth. It would not work on an old hay/pasture field.

 

I’d be concerned that your idea of repetitive shallow tillage would burn up all the organic matter (and hence soil structure) in that top layer and still not exhaust the root reserves of some of the deeper-rooted perennials (which can go down as far as 5 feet). If it’s possible, I’d plow (or till), cultivate, then sow a crop of buckwheat – that will choke out a lot of grass and weeds and really condition the soil. Cut or disc it before it sets seed, then do a short fallow in late summer if you like before planting the fall grain.

 

Just my two cents,

Rob

 

Rob Wallbridge

Songberry Organic Farm

24 Sixth Line, Bristol, QC J0X 1G0

rob AT songberry.ca

www.songberry.ca

facebook: "Songberry Organic Farm"

twitter: @songberryfarm

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From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of KAKerby AT aol.com
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 9:53 PM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] can I crimp an old hayfield to create a no-tillmulched cropping area?

 

Wacky question of the day.  I'm renting a parcel of old hayfield this year, and the plan was to manage most of it for livestock pasture, but set aside a few acres for those small grains we spoke about awhile back.  I figured I'd cut the existing vegetation, then shallow--till to bring up the grass' rhizomes, and do repetitive shallow tillage all through the hot dry summers to dry out the rhizomes and as much of the weed seedbank as possible.  Then plant in fall.  I will probably still do that on at least a portion of the parcel.

 

But I got to wondering today if I was creating work for myself.  I have been reading about crimpers being used to knock down and kill tall, rank grassy cover crops such as rye.  Then plant directly into that dying biomass, which ultimately would serve as a weed mulch.  Supposedly it's a wonderful way to keep high-value fruit crops like tomatoes and pumpkins off the soil.  All sorts of glowing reviews when used on annual cover crops.  I looked for information about how well crimping might work on perennial hayfields, but the only info relevant to hayfields was using crimpers to speed up hay curing, or used to renovate hayfields for new hay plantings.  Nothing about actually killing the perennial grass species just like it kills the annual grass species.

 

Has anyone heard of crimpers being used to kill hayfields, to convert those hayfields into cropland?  If so, I'd love to hear more about how well it worked (or didn't work).  Thanks all.......

Kathryn Kerby

frogchorusfarm.com

Snohomish, WA