Sinkholes in cleared Forest plot

[DavidHunter2001]

I had 10 acres of forest cleared last summer and they used an excavator to remove the stumps. Some stumps were pretty big and they tried to pack soil back in the holes as best as they could. I tilled the ground and got the ruts out and planted Cereal rye last fall. This weekend I tried to spray the plot and ran into some of the stump holes and about got the tractor stuck. The tire would hit the hole and sink. The plot is on a slope and if the down hill tire hits the hole it feels like the tractor will roll. We did get 2" of rain 3-4 days ago but the top of the ground was fairly dry and the guy who cleared it said the holes are just holding more water. Do I need to let this plot sit for another year? I am looking for ideas as I really want to start using it.

 

[ruskbucks]

Do you have a loader bucket on your tractor? You could put some more topsoil in the holes and then carry a full bucket of dirt and wheel roll the holes to pack the soil in. The problem is the loose soil will hold water it needs to be compacted good and flat so the water doesn't pool. This needs to be done when it's dry or they need to be dug out and start over with dry soil. Adding good dry dirt to crappy wet dirt will just make more crappy dirt and you will just keep having issues in these spots.

 

[John-W-WI]

I wonder if you could use a sub-soiler to break up the ground between the "holes" and get some water out of them?

I have one like this and have gotten wet areas to go away with it:


-John

 

[DavidHunter2001]

Do you have a loader bucket on your tractor? You could put some more topsoil in the holes and then carry a full bucket of dirt and wheel roll the holes to pack the soil in. The problem is the loose soil will hold water it needs to be compacted good and flat so the water doesn't pool. This needs to be done when it's dry or they need to be dug out and start over with dry soil. Adding good dry dirt to crappy wet dirt will just make more crappy dirt and you will just keep having issues in these spots.

The problem is it all looks flat until you drive over it. Then you all of the sudden sink one wheel. It's kind of like driving thru a minefield, you don't know where they are until you hit one.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Locate them with an ATV?

 

[yoderjac]

I had 10 acres of forest cleared last summer and they used an excavator to remove the stumps. Some stumps were pretty big and they tried to pack soil back in the holes as best as they could. I tilled the ground and got the ruts out and planted Cereal rye last fall. This weekend I tried to spray the plot and ran into some of the stump holes and about got the tractor stuck. The tire would hit the hole and sink. The plot is on a slope and if the down hill tire hits the hole it feels like the tractor will roll. We did get 2" of rain 3-4 days ago but the top of the ground was fairly dry and the guy who cleared it said the holes are just holding more water. Do I need to let this plot sit for another year? I am looking for ideas as I really want to start using it.

Some places are simply not good choices for plots. If the slope is enough that a low side sink puts the tractor in jeopardy of tipping, I've got concerns about erosion type issues. Given the plot is there now, you've got to deal with the situation. It sounds to me as if the stump holes were filled with topsoil rather than sub soil. If you subsoil is clay, the difference infiltration will cause problems, especially after a little settling.

I think the remedy is painful, but I'd consider renting a mini excavator. I'd dig a hole, perhaps a watering hole off the plot to get subsoil. I'd then dig out the stump holes and fill them with subsoil to about 6" or so of grade. I'd then put topsoil in to fill them but I'd overfill them a bit to keep ground water from getting in. I'd go to T&M only on the plot and probably convert it to perennial clover and let it go for 5 to 10 years, just mowing once or twice a year becoming weed tolerant.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[DavidHunter2001]

Some places are simply not good choices for plots. If the slope is enough that a low side sink puts the tractor in jeopardy of tipping, I've got concerns about erosion type issues. Given the plot is there now, you've got to deal with the situation. It sounds to me as if the stump holes were filled with topsoil rather than sub soil. If you subsoil is clay, the difference infiltration will cause problems, especially after a little settling.

I think the remedy is painful, but I'd consider renting a mini excavator. I'd dig a hole, perhaps a watering hole off the plot to get subsoil. I'd then dig out the stump holes and fill them with subsoil to about 6" or so of grade. I'd then put topsoil in to fill them but I'd overfill them a bit to keep ground water from getting in. I'd go to T&M only on the plot and probably convert it to perennial clover and let it go for 5 to 10 years, just mowing once or twice a year becoming weed tolerant.

Thanks,

Jack

I think I am going to leave it and plant a 12 species blend with some deep root verities and let them work on it. I don't plan to ever have the soil bare again, so erosion will not be that big of a problem. It will be in no till from now on. Just need to get the first planting to work. I will probably plant that area last after it dries out a bunch. Hopefully that will keep me from sinking in. I will also plant going up and down the hill rather than side hill. That will not be as good for erosion control but it just cant be helped right now. Worst case I will broadcast plant it this spring.

 

[yoderjac]

I think I am going to leave it and plant a 12 species blend with some deep root verities and let them work on it. I don't plan to ever have the soil bare again, so erosion will not be that big of a problem. It will be in no till from now on. Just need to get the first planting to work. I will probably plant that area last after it dries out a bunch. Hopefully that will keep me from sinking in. I will also plant going up and down the hill rather than side hill. That will not be as good for erosion control but it just cant be helped right now. Worst case I will broadcast plant it this spring.

I've got heavy clay soils and one of the worst things I can do is to get on them with a tractor when they are wet. They compact easily. If the rest of the field is dry enough to put a tractor on it and only the sink holes are wet, that indicates ponding from differential infiltration.

 

[jsasker007]

Drive up or down on hills. Get those soft spots packed in and firmed up. Do you have any equipment to maybe take some slope out of the hill where you want to plant? When it's wet ground stay off of it until it dries(sometimes one day of waiting is enough).