Tileing question

The weather here in western PA has been really nice. Most of the plowing allready done have been puting in some field tile. Using a 555 ford backhoe, does a pretty good job. We have been putting topsoil and sod on top of the pipe. The Old guys think that this encourages earthworms to live around the pipe and dig holes through the clay. Does this make any sense?

I've heard that tile gets it's water from below, not above. Seems like a freshly dug tile ditch will start filling with water that comes up from the bottom so it might make some sense. There's nothing wrong with earthworm tunnels helping the water get down there, but I doubt if a few more worm holes just above the tile will help much. Jim

If I remember right, earth worms live in a certain layer where everything is right for them, I doubt burying them a few feet deeper will go over well unless they were already down there.

Agree with Ken. Around here tile is usually down 3 feet or so. 10-14 inches of top soil. You normally don't find worms that deep around here.

Rick

that is the way I was taught

My grandfather tiled for a living, that is how he did it.

I have seen previous comments on this board relative to putting in field tile. I am not familiar with this practice. Could someone please explain?

With a tiling machine, whether it is a chain machine or wheel machine the dig gets all stirred together and pushed back into the trench.

That's the way it has been done around here for 50 years and the tile seem to work just fine.

If I had a choice I would want my top soil on top where it can still grow a good crop.

Gary

4 to 8 inch black plastic pipe installed under ground to drain excess water from farm fields. Prevents crop damage from standing water from big rains and helps the farmer get into the field sooner in the spring. Installed using a giant trencher that places the pipe at the bottom of the trench. Some places use tile plows that are pulled through the field but accomplish the same thing. Depth is controlled by lasers or GPS equipment. Very expensive to have done but payoff is relized and adds value to land. : )

Pipe is flexible and comes on giant rolls like hay bales. Early tile was made of clay and placed by hand...one 18 inch piece at a time. Still working today.

Instead of top soil throw some course gravel over the tile

(quoted from post at 16:06:42 04/04/12) I have seen previous comments on this board relative to putting in field tile. I am not familiar with this practice. Could someone please explain?

Click to expand...

Attached is a picture of a tile I dug up by hand last spring to repair. The tile is clay, 4" diameter by 18" long and in this case approximately 18" deep. Since the tile was so close to the surface I suspect it was damaged by a subsoiler. The picture shows the trench after the broken tile were removed and the new tile are in place. The trench is ready to be covered.

in 2 deep, are you located in Iowa?

No.

--->Paul

It is the opposite of irrigation, which is something I'm not familar with!

My soil the water table and the soil surface are nearly the same most of spring. I need the tile to pull the water table down 2-3 feet lower so I can use my soil ealry enough to get a crop in. Too much water _most_ years.

--->Paul

Grew up in IL. Now living in NW MN. Northeast of Fargo.

I gotchya on the water table thing. Last spring we had water pouring out of the top of a well casing in a well house. The top of the casing is 4 ft above grade. Kinda hard to grasp if you don't live it. Meanwhile...my sump pump hasn't ran since last August : D

I know, I promised I"d post pix of plowing in tile back in Dec- just haven"t gotten a roundtoit! We did 8300 feet in 10 hours, tile plow with GPS depth and grade control in Dec. Previously, installer had laser control, which is fine, but more time consuming, setup, layout, etc. Two years ago he did 6xxx feet in two days with laser. Now, GPS...he drives over the land, GPS measures elevation, he goes back to start, son drives alongside tile plow with three tile stringer trailers....one has 4 inch, one has 5 inch, one has 6 inch. I decide what size to use on each run, he sticks it in the plow, and we drive down the field, about walking speed. Get to the end of the run, cut the tile, snap in an end cap....and watch it disappear!

Usually takes about a year for tiles to work well- water needs time to develop pathways into the tile. And no, tile does not suck up water from underneath. Tile draws from each side in a V pattern, just taking excess water. Years ago, farmers typically tiled into the center of a pothole. Now we do laterals as well. Some do pattern tiling.....lines about 50 feet apart across a field. I wasn"t raised here, but Mom was....she talked about local guys that did tiling about the 1920s......their full time job was digging in tile....by HAND! Just shovels and tile spades.

Like everything else, tiling costs have increased, especially last few years, since plastic tile is made out of oil. Second farm we bought, in "82, we did maybe 6-8000 feet in 8 inch mains and smaller laterals. Best thing ever, since feds shut down any new tiling projects on Dec 23, 1983. Interesting that for decades, USDA had cost-share programs for tiling. now, it"s taboo, and fed programs pay to break up tiles to re-create wetlands.

That's the way it's done here.(Mich) When using a digger. Was told by the old boys it was to make a layer so the water could get to the tile easier.