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More strimmingRSS feed

Posted: Thursday 20 October, 2011

by Rosemary at 11:13am in Grassland management Comments closed

The life of a smallholder is certainly varied. I was strimming on Tuesday (in addition to the routine jobs). Yesterday, we trimmed the tup's feet, dagged the ewes and move the tup (and wether) into the adjacent paddock, so that  they can indulge in a little foreplay prior to Leo going in with them at the end of the month. Then I made sloe gin and a pile of sponge cakes to use up the eggs we found in the hedgerow.

Today, it's back to strimming rushes. I've now finished Top Field and chopped the few in Far Ditch paddock, then I ran out of petrol. Looks much better though. If we can eliminate the rushes by draining,cutting and grazing, we'd rather do that than spray. The drain's mad a big difference and the new fencing will help us manage the grazing better.

What really hit me (apart from grass bits and dead insects) was how much grass was wasted around the rushes. Although the stock will graze round the clumps, they don't touch the grass in them - and there was a lot. With limited grazing, we have to make the most of what we've got, so we'll be monitoring and cutting from spring next year.

Now that I've done it once, it's not so daunting - about five hours did the whole field. Shoulders are a bit sore though and my hands are stlll fuzzy laugh

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