The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Penninehillbilly on July 19, 2018, 11:04:41 am

Title: What is topping?
Post by: Penninehillbilly on July 19, 2018, 11:04:41 am

I always thought that topping was just that, taking the top off, maybe 6" off ground?
Tenant has topped our fields, including the fields I use, but it's down to the ground,
Esp with it being so dry, it's a mess, and no sign of recovery.
Should it be so short?

Title: Re: What is topping?
Post by: SallyintNorth on July 19, 2018, 11:21:49 am

No, it shouldn’t.  Sounds like your tenant doesn’t know what topping is. 

One would normally top to the length required for your planned use. Cattle next, top to 3-4”, sheep next, top to 2”, ponies next maybe a little closer, staying fallow and topping for weeds, I guess 1-2” (but we’ve always got livestock in queue!). Something along those lines anyway.

Title: Re: What is topping?
Post by: landroverroy on July 19, 2018, 11:58:33 am

I agree with Sally - ideally you don't want the grass scalping. However it depends what topper they are using. it is not always possible to adjust the height. We used  to have a rotary topper and I could choose the height it cut at. Now we have a flail one and it runs along the ground, not on the adjustable 3 point linkage so only cuts one height. Normally it doesn't matter as the regrowth happens in no time and you've soon  got a covering of new grass. This year is an exception and realistically however long you left the remaining grass, it's not going to grow until we get some rain. 

Title: Re: What is topping?
Post by: bazzais on July 21, 2018, 06:21:49 pm

Its so dry - nothing but stalks around at the moment here - no sward beneath.

I topped one field and it was like a desert - left the rest of the fields as a bit of shadow for the new growth.

Title: Re: What is topping?
Post by: Penninehillbilly on July 21, 2018, 06:51:38 pm

I suppose it IS a rough field, there are strips of green, and there were rushes, but a lot of earth, with the chopped vegetation laying about, pity that couldn't have been collected, might have looked a bit better.
We had a bit of rain yesterday, hopefully that will bring the grass on.
Thanks all.

Title: Re: What is topping?
Post by: valmet10 on August 07, 2018, 09:16:26 pm

hope its come back , topping grass hard some times can br good but with the weather we've had its a bad idea , I'm just out side Haworth , we mowed our hay in june  n grass hasn't grown at all , was hoping for a second cut  lol