[DandG]

Hi Cooper956
Thanks for your reply, I think it would be better to do as you suggest, I have worked with the land drainage guys so have seen how the big tracked machine installs the land drains, but think I would be better off and cheaper with the hire of a mini digger, I can drive them myself so that would help on the cost front, but may see if any of the local farmers are geared up to do the work at a good price, while on the subject until we get a new tractor and implements bought, what would be a rough ball figure price to get a farmer in to top the 3 acres for us?

[Blonde]

Hi all,
We have just viewed the small holding we intend to buy. It's 3 acres but they have not been looked after and loads of reeds have grown, the grass coming through looks fine, so it seems a bit over the top to plough and re seed it, but I know very little, so my question is, what would be the best way to get rid of these reeds and bring the land up to scratch?

Put a rotorary  hoe over it and leave it for 21 days and then do it again.   Clean ground every time.

[cooper956]

Prices for toping will vary on area and how local the person doing it is i work buy the hour and for topping id probly charge £20 hour but probly have a min charge of 2hrs and depending on distance travleing one way  but some will be on the acre and more or less in cost.
as for doing the drainage your self if you do make sure you do it right i have a old digger i bought and do my own but i have done dranage with others before and had a good workmate whos shown me the right way do do things
its one thing digging a trench and another digging dranage trenchs iv seen some very badly drained feilds before due to bad digging work or bad  layout haveing said that take your time  draw a plan and read the ground and you should be fine sorry if you alrady know this and are a pro on a 360 


[/quote] Put a rotorary  hoe over it and leave it for 21 days and then do it again.   Clean ground every time.
[/quote]

also a good quick way or reseeding but i would spray off with roundup ect first as even when drained the rushs and other weeds will probly come back

[jaykay]

Our land, which is high and wet, hadn't been farmed for years. And was full of seaves (rushes).

We are beginning to win.....

We've mended the old field drains, we cut the seaves regularly - unlike grass they don't stand cutting or grazing close. We have spread some lime, cos they like it acidic. Clearly this was an old-fashioned remedy for all sorts of pasture ills here as there are old lime kilns all over the place. Gradually they are thinning out and being replaced by grass. We do leave some clumps by the walls, for birds and lambs.

The other thing is that I noticed the seaves are disappearing fast in the goat paddock. They eat them! (Old English goats, certainly in North Lincs they are buying some of our goats to conservation graze their nature reserves, cos the OEGs eat the seaves  )

[robert waddell]

would the lime kilns not be used to make lime for the old houses (lime and sand morter)
the rushes are edible as haylage

[DandG]

Thanks for all the great input guys and gals, looks like we will order up some lime and some land drains and get stuck in. One paddock we have earmarked for pigs, will see how they sort the rushes out, I have heard they are good at getting the root out ?

[jaykay]

would the lime kilns not be used to make lime for the old houses (lime and sand mortar)

this and for the land I think, it's pretty acidic and reducing that improves the pasture 

[ambriel]

Your vid looks a lot like our place used to. We put three Kunes on it and they've gone through them like a bulldozer.

They're not fond of the rushes themselves but they love digging up the roots.

[horsemadmummy]

we had a problem when we bought outr land - got a contarctor to mole plough it which sorted drainiage out a treat and for the rushes a strimmer and selective herbicide (as soon as you have strimmed so that it will get down to the roots).  18 months on - much better - probably will have to do the strimming etc one more time.

[DandG]

Thanks for the replies, the pigs sound like the way to go, and we are planning on rearing some so may as well let them have a crack, most people would probably not buy the property but it's the usual, we have fallen in love with this place, we did view another property it was the same price had an extra acre with the option of buying another 7 acres, the land was far better, but once you fall in love you don't make the best decisions 

Thanks all for the great replies

[SallyintNorth]

we have fallen in love with this place, we did view another property it was the same price had an extra acre with the option of buying another 7 acres, the land was far better, but once you fall in love you don't make the best decisions 

My dad always said, "Choose with your heart, buy with your head." 

[cooper956]

My dad always said, "Choose with your heart, buy with your head

i would say that is true with most things with land if you can aford the bit next door buy it while you can it may never come up again and you always need more very rearly less lol

[DandG]

Yes, your father sounds like a sensible man to me

We have not sold our home in Wales yet, so the decision may get made for us if one of them sells before us, just trying to find out what to do in advance so we can hit the ground running, this is a great site with very helpful members, take a bow.
Cheers
Geoff and Dee