land quality

westlander

Hello,
I've seen a few acres that are for sale that I am interested in. But I dont know if it would be any good for farming.

Basically i see theres horses in it and the ground is a brown colour...no green grass here. But it could have been neglected.

My question is how do you know if it has potential. Do i not go near it or would a soil test give me a better picture?

Would ploughing it do any good or am I flogging a dead horse?

Thanks,
westlander

cjpm

Are there rushes etc in it?

Is it flat, gently sloping or steep? Very important if some drainage might need to be installed.

What aspect? south facing land will get slightly more sun light and hence a slightly longer growing season.

Will it ever flood if near a river?

Could you borrow a yoke for taking soil samples. No point getting them tested as there will be little nutrients etc, however you could see if there is a lot of clay in the samples. Will also give you an idea of how much top soil is on the ground.

Make sure there is no way leaves etc though it. Might be worth getting the folio from the registry office to make sure of this.

westlander

cjpm wrote: »

Are there rushes etc in it?

Is it flat, gently sloping or steep? Very important if some drainage might need to be installed.

What aspect? south facing land will get slightly more sun light and hence a slightly longer growing season.

Will it ever flood if near a river?

Could you borrow a yoke for taking soil samples. No point getting them tested as there will be little nutrients etc, however you could see if there is a lot of clay in the samples. Will also give you an idea of how much top soil is on the ground.

Make sure there is no way leaves etc though it. Might be worth getting the folio from the registry office to make sure of this.

Thanks for the reply.

Well its flat land. There are trees planted to one side of it so maybe this indicates its a no brainer.

Doesnt look like it will flood either but I didnt actually walk it yet.

funny man

westlander wrote: »

Hello,
I've seen a few acres that are for sale that I am interested in. But I dont know if it would be any good for farming.

Basically i see theres horses in it and the ground is a brown colour...no green grass here. But it could have been neglected.

My question is how do you know if it has potential. Do i not go near it or would a soil test give me a better picture?

Would ploughing it do any good or am I flogging a dead horse?

Thanks,
westlander

A good indicator of land quality can be found by looking across the ditches into the neighbours ground. Ploughing will do a world of good but all depends on what you intend to use it for.

westlander

funny man wrote: »

A good indicator of land quality can be found by looking across the ditches into the neighbours ground. Ploughing will do a world of good but all depends on what you intend to use it for.

Well it will be used for grazing mostly. Not much else really. Just afraid that if I bought it and then I found out that ploughing it would make no difference

funny man

westlander wrote: »

Well it will be used for grazing mostly. Not much else really. Just afraid that if I bought it and then I found out that ploughing it would make no difference

What does the land around it look like?

leg wax

as i sit at the computer looking out the back door at my neighbours field 20 meters away, that we had rented for 20 odd years and it was sold to this man about 9 years ago i often wounder is it the same field now that its all yellow and full of thistles and nettles later on.it was a powerfull field back then but it still is ,its not looked after maybe its the same.

westlander

funny man wrote: »

What does the land around it look like?

Well forestry one side of it, and a main road the other side. As for the other 2 sides there is actually good land the other 2 sides. I better give it a good examination.

Thanks for all replies.
Westlander

cjpm

leg wax wrote: »

as i sit at the computer looking out the back door at my neighbours field 20 meters away, that we had rented for 20 odd years and it was sold to this man about 9 years ago i often wounder is it the same field now that its all yellow and full of thistles and nettles later on.it was a powerfull field back then but it still is ,its not looked after maybe its the same.

I get the feeling that you're sorry to have seen it go. Land has a strange effect on a farmer, it feels like a bit of your soul.

leg wax

cjpm wrote: »

I get the feeling that you're sorry to have seen it go. Land has a strange effect on a farmer, it feels like a bit of your soul.

no land does not bother me at all, when my father died my older sister brought a accountant from dublin for a chat and he and i came to the same plan, i was 19 years old the farm was small,either leave straight away and go and make my own future or stay on the farm and sell it for my retirement so i can then have money.i have stuck with the plan so far i am now 40 years old and it will not bother me when i sell up its only land.

just do it

leg wax wrote: »

no land does not bother me at all, when my father died my older sister brought a accountant from dublin for a chat and he and i came to the same plan, i was 19 years old the farm was small,either leave straight away and go and make my own future or stay on the farm and sell it for my retirement so i can then have money.i have stuck with the plan so far i am now 40 years old and it will not bother me when i sell up its only land.

Well at least property prices should have rebounded by then;)

keep going

if you want to know land get out your shovel and dig a few holes. i always do it

Bodacious

leg wax wrote: »

as i sit at the computer looking out the back door at my neighbours field 20 meters away, that we had rented for 20 odd years and it was sold to this man about 9 years ago i often wounder is it the same field now that its all yellow and full of thistles and nettles later on.it was a powerfull field back then but it still is ,its not looked after maybe its the same.

did you not get an opportunity to buy it or was it bought as a potential site? Hard that to see a field so close to you that you kept in good shape for all those years go to sh*t

leg wax

Bodacious wrote: »

did you not get an opportunity to buy it or was it bought as a potential site? Hard that to see a field so close to you that you kept in good shape for all those years go to sh*t

yes we got a chance at auction but failed, it was owned by the ida and was zoned industrial so out of our league.