Mole ploughing creates drainage channels through subsoil without disturbing the surface. A bullet-shaped mole is pulled at depth — typically 18 to 22 inches — and forms a continuous slit drain that lasts several years in clay-heavy soils. It's a cheap, fast way to dry out a wet paddock that holds water through winter.
Best done when the topsoil is firm and dry but the subsoil still has moisture — late spring through summer is the window. We use a Deleks mole plough behind the John Deere 4066M, working in parallel runs at four-to-six metre spacing.
If your paddock pugs badly in winter or holds standing water for more than a day or two after rain, this is usually the first thing to try before considering full piped drainage — it's an order of magnitude cheaper.
