[beeches4791]

Hi there,

We have just started renting a small quarter acre paddock opposite our house from the local landowners.  The grass had grown to around 4ft tall as it hadn't been cleared or maintained for several years so they agreed to have it topped for us.  This was done by tractor with attachment. 

In some areas the grass is starting to grow back really nicely but there are other areas where the mulch left behind by the topping has gone very woody and I think its stopping the fresh grass from coming through.  I've been out there today trying to rake the woody stuff away but I feel like I've hardly made any inroads!!

I'm wondering whether there is a type of machinery we could rent to try and clear the woody stuff and allow the grass to come through.  I'm thinking a ride on machine that tows an attachment of some sort behind but am a complete novice at this so would be really grateful for any advice that you could offer.  I have attached a couple of photos for you to see the nature of the woody stuff.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

[Dan]

You're absolutely right, you need to get that old thatch off the ground and open the soil up to air, light and moisture so the grass can re-establish itself.

We use a spring tine harrow - it does all the above and collects up the thatch into piles, which we then dispose of (usually as a mulch in margins or under hedges).

You might find this page and the whole section on grassland management useful:

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/smallholding/grassland-management/mechanical-operations/

HTH.

[beeches4791]

Many thanks for your help Dan, I really appreciate it.

Right, am off to see where I can hire a spring tine harrow from!  There's a farm machinery hire place fairly locally so fingers crossed they have one! 

Thanks again,

[BenBhoy]

Where are you located? I have a chain harrow you can use, does the job.

[Greenfields]

Hello there

We are in a similar situation to you Beeches4791. We have a couple of fields from which a local farmer has been taking hay for the last few years.  However, this year he did not do one field (~1 hectare) at the same time as the others and then a few weeks later told us that he no longer wanted the hay from it. In order to help us out he put some sheep on the field but they could not cope with the grass, which by now was easily a foot high, so he cut the grass instead but told us he could not collect it.  This leaves us with a field completely covered in a thick layer of grass which we cannot remove with just our own equipment, (a mini tractor, topper, chain harrow and  two hand rakes)!

We have not been able to find any suitable collector machinery for hire in our area.

So, Beeches4791,  have you been able to resolve your paddock predicament and, if so, how did you manage it?

Alternatively, does anyone know of a contractor in West Dorset /South Somerset who could remove this grass for us?  All those we have found on the internet in our region seem only to offer farm-scale services.

Any advice gratefully received.

[beeches4791]

Hi BenBhoy,

Thanks so much for your kind offer and apologies for the delay in replying - my other half got rushed into hospital with gallstones so the past week or so has gone to pot a bit!

We're about a mile north of Ashby de la Zouch - is that anywhere near you?

Thanks again,

[shep53]

Wow that's a mess . it looks so thick and dead that  a good man with a mini digger and a wide ditching bucket could lightly scrape it and then I think you need to throw some grass seed around as I can only see the odd weed

[bazzais]

Time is the key - it takes time to get fields back if you cant afford the machinery and equipment.

[bazzais]

I have been dragging old bed basses around on a quad for 3 years - seems to be getting it back now. - Need to stop the growth before it starts at start of season before it gets to woody point.