The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: Moleskins on May 23, 2011, 10:43:02 pm
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Hi all, how do I improve grazing, it's a bit hilly and had a lot of moss after lots of rainfall. I've had a whizz round with a harrow as much as poss on the back of the quad, but as I say it's hilly.
Would topping help and if so why?
Thanks.
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Hi. What is wrong with your grass apart from the moss? Is it long term pasture or re-seeded? Is it full of nettles and thistles? Is it undergrazed? If so, then topping will help, or cropping part of it as hay if it's that long. We usually top a bit later when the grass seed heads are trying to form; the purpose is to enable plenty of fresh growth and to prevent the plants from seeding (the new growth is more nutritious). Also by topping, stronger growing grasses are held back to let some of the tastier ones compete. We harrow when the grass is short to get out moss although it's not that effective. You could also roll it to smooth out lumps and bumps and mole hills, and to tiller the grass (bend it to make it produce more stems). Other things would depend on just what is wrong with it.
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If it is hilly and you are struggling with the harrow, I would say you will have problems with a topper? It is heavier and needs a tractor?
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The first thing i would do is take soil samples and send away for analysis PH , P , K are maybe all low :farmer: :wave:
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Thanks for the advice, the land is mostly hilly so hard to top, fertilise etc, some of it is more useable and could be cut for hay but getting a bailer through the gate would be a bu**er.
Why aren't things ever straightforward.
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I have the same problem and the top steep bits I just have to get at it with a scythe.
Next year we might get some grazing pigs to deal with the top part.
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Hi all, how do I improve grazing, it's a bit hilly and had a lot of moss after lots of rainfall.
Rain, what's that? We had an inch yesterday but only half an inch in the previous three months. We have two re-seeded paddocks without a blade of grass. Just ordered £900 of haylage cos there ain't going to be any hay around here.
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We have very steep fields too. We top using a Quad-X self-powered mower towed behind our quad bike. Similarly we have a small harrow we tow behind the bike too, and a ground-driven spinner that spreads lime/grass seed.
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I too have alot of buttercups, over about 6 acres on a damp field. I don't have a tractor to spread lime but is there any options by using a quad, hand spread or any other means? What would a neighbour farmer likely to charge to spread lime?
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ground driven spreader (http://www.quad-x.com/ATV-spreader-6_bag)
This is the sort of thing we use - ours was very second-hand :D We sew seed with it and also spread lime. This is the company from whom we bought the mower/topper we tow behind the quad too.