[mklanch]

hi all, im new here

we have just purchased a property with a 1.5 acre paddock. its the perfect property for us to continue/expand our smallholding.

the land hasn't been touched in many years and is like a sponge under feet. i thought someone in with flail mower would help sort it out but today the person that came refused to as he said its to much of a mess and could destroy his flail mower. his suggestion was i needed to put a bunch of sheep or goats in the field. i would do this however i have no experience, am not yet registered as a smallholding and also its not completely secure.

any suggestions on how i sort this out so i can start creating my smallholding?

[landroverroy]

Let someone else put some sheep or goats on while you decide on what you're doing.

[Fleecewife]

@mklanch  I suggest you dig a few holes around the field to find out why it's spongy.  Is it a build up of moss, is it very wet and undrained?  You need to know what's under there before you try to put any grazers on.  Of course it also needs to be securely fenced and checked for toxic plants.
What do you do on the rest of your smallholding and what are your hopes to do with this new piece?
I often suggest that a new landowner waits for a year to see just what the land is like through the seasons.  There's no point intending to grow veg crops for sale as a green box scheme, for example, if the ground is waterlogged all year, or is very heavy clay.  In a year you will learn where the cold spots are, which bits are too shaded, where the wind whistles through, if there are any poisonous plants and so much more. I appreciate that a year is a long time when you're raring to get started, but at least don't make any unchangeable decisions until you know what's what.

[arobwk]

Not sure I'm really understanding what your acreage is like.  Are we talking "bog" here ??
Also not sure why contractor's flail would end up being destroyed unless he/she set it so low that it was effectively operating like a rotavator in soft mud !
At face value, not sounding like the perfect property after-all without some major drainage installations - sorry to say!  Wishing you very good look with it though:  just needs a good bit of land management I guess!

 

[Kiran]

Not sure what needs cutting down in this paddock, but 1.5 acres could be strimmed or brush cut. If its thick brambles then a mulching blade will take it down so you can at least see what you're working with.

[Backinwellies]

Mulching blades are great for brambly stuff

[thescot82]

the land hasn't been touched in many years and is like a sponge under feet. i thought someone in with flail mower would help sort it out but today the person that came refused to as he said its to much of a mess and could destroy his flail mower. his suggestion was i needed to put a bunch of sheep or goats in the field. i would do this however i have no experience, am not yet registered as a smallholding and also its not completely secure.

Like yourself, I've just come to own some land that is heavily overgrown. I'm talking waist high grass, nettles, brambles etc. We've just had a local farmer come in and 'top' the field as best possible. It didn't cut the grass so much as to flatten and break the growth. I guess it comes down to how much growth you have.

Thereafter the farmers suggestion was to have sheep graze the field for a good month or two to get it right back to the ground. Definitely don't need to be registered as a smallholding but what I've found is that you need that for whoever owns the animals that they hold a CPH number (county parish holding) - it's a legal requirement.

From my point of view, it's about ensuring you have an appropriate agreement (in writing) that outlines the farmers responsibilities and ensuring they have adequate insurance etc to cover them. The couple of farmers I've spoken to however seem to do most business on a handshake.