Nothing grows in this spot

[High Plainsman]

This is kind of opposite of the title topic, but I have a strip of ground that is about 20 feet wide and runs the length of a row of cedar trees that nothing will grow on. Early on after planting the trees, I had good success growing cover/forage crops. When I first noticed it, the bare strip was only about 2 feet wide. I attributed it to the sheep walking the fence line and making a path. But each year it gets wider. I had the soil tested and there was no chemical toxicity found. Last fall I applied several inches of manure and bedding on it in hopes of getting some organic matter back in the soil. The soil looks dead. Rain runs off without any significant amount soaking in. Most research says that cedar trees do not produce a toxic, but many ranchers I think would disagree.

Does anyone have some advice or suggestions of how to mitigate this situation?

 

[Linda Poole]

That's a puzzler, High Plainsman. A few questions:

• Is the bare place uphill, downhill, or level with the areas where vegetation grows successfully? Just looking at the soil surface in the picture it looks like maybe ponded water stands there at times? Do you suppose maybe it's gone anaerobic? Have you sniffed the soil in the live versus dead places? Dr. Allen Williams has inspired me to use my nose way more than I used to when examining soil. I've got a two small patches where this is the problem in my fields. My eye can't see that these spots are lower, but they are always the last little bit with standing water after a flood irrigation. The soil about 6 inches down in those places smells kind of sour instead of fresh like the rest of the field.
• Have you tried digging some holes in the dead versus live places? Is there maybe a pan layer, or a visible change in soil structure and aggregation?
• What is the species of grass growing under the junipers? What species are growing elsewhere in the paddock? What did you plant in the bare strip that didn't take?
• I wonder what soil biology tests would say? Because you're a Soil for Water network member, you are eligible for a 10% discount on soil tests at Regen Ag Labs. Maybe contact them (308.440.1681) with your conundrum?

I'll do some more checking around but hope there's someone else in our community who might have a solution for you.

 

[High Plainsman]

This bare strip is on a generally level plane with the rest of the field. It does slope down some from the top of the field to the bottom, but not exceedingly so. The water does not pool on this strip, but the snow does drift on there next to the trees. The soil is absolutely dry as the water does not infiltrate but runs down what slope there is. It actually has no smell to it. I have dug (attempted to is more accurate) a hole and other than early spring, could not get a shovel into the soil. Further out into the field, I was able to dig a hole with a shovel and could get down almost ten inches before hitting a hard pan.

I have planted millet, forage sorghum, wheat, oats and a multi-species cover crop that also included sunflowers, radishes and turnips. But to avail. I am sure I am dealing with left over hard pan from previous tillage. But I have not used any tillage on there except my drill for at least five years. ( an old noble hoe drill that I modified with eagle beak tips so I could some what plant as no-till)

I really think it is due to the cedar and juniper tree roots. If not toxic, then getting all the moisture and nutrients before the planted crop could get established. I am considering pulling a deep ripper there to see if cutting of the tree roots on that side would help.

 

[Linda Poole]

High Plainsman said:

I really think it is due to the cedar and juniper tree roots. If not toxic, then getting all the moisture and nutrients before the planted crop could get established. I am considering pulling a deep ripper there to see if cutting of the tree roots on that side would help.

Yes! That makes a lot of sense! The tree roots would be densest nearby the trees, and that's where the grass and forbs are most impacted.

I wondered about the very healthy looking grass right next to the trees, where the roots are probably most dense. But that grass maybe benefits from snow catch by the trees, shading, wind break? Plus it looks like maybe there is no grazing in the tree rows? Have you dug holes on the tree side of the fence? That might be interesting too.

Hard to see a down side of dragging a deepset Yeoman plow through the area. At least for a while it would allow some infiltration. The one potential downside I wonder about is if cutting the roots of the trees in the pasture will cause some damage or die-off in the trees.

I wonder about doing some bale grazing on the bare strip? If you left a pretty good residue of hay, dung and urine in place, do you think that might help that soil accept more moisture into the soil profile? Maybe a combination of knocking back tree roots and some bale grazing? I can see a little experiment in the making. . . . One stretch where you do nothing, one where you deep rip the roots, one where you bale graze, one where you bale graze and rip. It might be fascinating!

 

[High Plainsman]

Always up for a good experiment.

 

[Linda Poole]

I'm curious what equipment you'll use to do the deep soil ripping, and how deep you'll go?

 

[High Plainsman]

I have a three-shank home built ripper that will rip down to about 18 inches. I don't particularly like the job it does as it tends to disturb the soil surface a lot. From what I have learned, a yeoman plow would be better, but they are pretty scarce to find. And I don't know if they are heavy duty enough to rip through tree roots.