The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: JackandJill on April 13, 2015, 09:52:37 pm

Title: Very Wet Field, Clumps of rushes or wire like grass taken over
Post by: JackandJill on April 13, 2015, 09:52:37 pm

Hello Everyone,

We are just in the process of buying a smallholding and one of the fields is very wet all over, as you stand on it the land gives up a lot of water over the boot, and rushes or wire like grass has over taken the whole field with almost nothing else growing!

Now the land has not been managed for at least 3 years, but the view from google earth shows a good field being managed (I can see the tractor working it).

I'm guessing the drains are blocked, so much more investigation needed,

but how do I get rid of the dense clumps of rushes, if it was drier Flail mower? dig them out by hand (its 5 acres or so)?  Do the rushes hold the water in the ground?

Thanks for your help, definitely on a steep learning curve .... 

Title: Re: Very Wet Field, Clumps of rushes or wire like grass taken over
Post by: doganjo on April 13, 2015, 09:55:33 pm

I'm no expert but I've always understood that if you see rushes the ground is permanently wet. So if the land was drained and allowed to dry off I suspect so would the rushes, but it might take  a while, so killing them off may well be the answer.  Good luck. :excited:

Title: Re: Very Wet Field, Clumps of rushes or wire like grass taken over
Post by: devonlad on April 14, 2015, 07:35:16 am

Definitely need to sort out the drainage issue before spending time and money attacking the rushes. Drying it out will give you a far better chance of successfully tackling rushes.

Title: Re: Very Wet Field, Clumps of rushes or wire like grass taken over
Post by: Imafluffybunny on April 17, 2015, 12:08:37 am

One of our fields is very wet and has rushes, I top the rushes ever few years which allows the grass to come through but the ground is so wet that the land is only usable for 6 months a year.

Title: Re: Very Wet Field, Clumps of rushes or wire like grass taken over
Post by: SallyintNorth on April 17, 2015, 12:14:30 am

As I wrote on another thread today :

Quote from: SallyintNorth on April 16, 2015, 05:31:22 pm

Rushes make great shelter for lambs.  So if you are planning on keeping breeding sheep, do not remove all your rushes. 

Rushes also help bind the surface together, and use a lot of water, so if the ground is wet and the climate also, rushes could be more of a friend than a foe.  Just top them in the summer, twice if you can, to stop them getting out of hand.

Title: Re: Very Wet Field, Clumps of rushes or wire like grass taken over
Post by: JackandJill on April 17, 2015, 06:32:28 pm

thanks everyone, all really helpful, and thats some great advice Sallyintnorth, hadn't considered that!