The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: waterhouse on September 26, 2010, 07:23:25 pm

Title: Rolling, rolling, rolling
Post by: waterhouse on September 26, 2010, 07:23:25 pm
Why do I need to roll my pasture?  And when and how often do I do it.
Title: Re: Rolling, rolling, rolling
Post by: daddymatty82 on September 26, 2010, 08:25:36 pm
i heard you roll it to get compact grass  = more grass
Title: Re: Rolling, rolling, rolling
Post by: Rosemary on September 26, 2010, 08:34:24 pm
In spring after harrowing and not when the soil is too wet or too dry. Rolling pushes any stones into the soil, so stops them fouling other machinery like mowers. It also helps the grass to gro by ensuring that the soil is compact around the roots.
Title: Re: Rolling, rolling, rolling
Post by: Norfolk Newby on September 27, 2010, 10:27:45 am
It's worth remembering that a cold Winter, like the last one, will lift stones onto the surface.

Frost causes water under the stones to expand and lift them. If the frost is hard, stones will gradually rise to the surface from a few inches down as the land is repeatedly frozen and thaws.

Hence the advice to roll the meadow in the Spring to push them down. This helps protect your mower blades!

NN