Anyone else's grass not growing?

asmp

asmp

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 March 2010
Messages
4,831
Visit site
We haven't seen any decent rain here for a long time and I keep looking at the field I want to move the horses to and it just isn't growing! It was fertilised by the farmer some time ago but the ground here is rock hard. On the plus side, the winter field was nowhere near as trashed as it was last year.

I'm going to regret writing this when it is pouring down when we're at camp next week!
 
Mine is growing but it has also been very dry in Scotland. Crops will suffer if we don't have rain soon. Typical, we get these dry Springs and then it pees down all Summer when we need it dry!
 
Very dry here too, I actually like it when my grass doesn't grow, but I realise we could do with some decent rain for the crops.
 
V dry & hard here, only had 2 light showers since end of Feb. The rains keep missing our 'patch'.
I'm not too bothered as its suiting my dieting trio & TF has been able to live without her grazing muzzle for much longer.
My top paddocks have a good 'green' on them but I've not used them since end January, and the long rested middle left paddock (18 months) has plenty for strip grazing later if I need it.
Neighbours who are 'maximum' stocked are still feeding full hay rations.

What is concerning round here, is that the silaging is going to run into trouble if we dont get enough rain soon, then the hay crop too :(
 
We have had probably 2 short lived downpours since end of Feb and grass growth is non existent. Got fertiliser on just before one rain shower to wash it in but nothing since. It's great the fields have dried up so they have gone out 24/7 earlier this year but I'm putting an awful lot of hay out. I usually move them beggining of may but with such little growth may keep them where they are longer with hay this year
 
Our lawns are growing really well, but the fields are not. I guess the field grass was under ore stress with being scalped by horses, whereas lawns are stronger to start with.
 
Snap, Home Counties and about 2 light showers since February. The ground is cracking badly (clay). I have been able to get mine onto the summer fields for half a day so not feeding hay then, but to try and save that, am putting back up at night and feeding hay then.
No sign of any of the wet stuff in the forecast either.
 
Dare I say I am very pleased it is not growing, I have less than normal on my land, they are all rather too well after winter and ideally could drop a bit so having to move about more than usual at this time of year to graze is at least keeping their weight stable otherwise they will all be on serious diets before long, when it does rain it will push through and grow, wish the lawn would slow down though.
 
I'm the same, bone dry and ground cracking although these has been a slight flush of green growth over the last couple of days but nowhere near enough, WE NEED RAIN!!

I'm feeding ad lib hay in a very shortly cropped winter paddock and I'm sticking to my guns and they arent going on summer grazing until at least end of May but will be seeing how it goes!
 
Ours aren't looking as good as two years ago, but much better than last year when we had so much rain it was all drowned.

But as its dry we've been able to turn them around (turn out at night rather than by day) earlier, the grass will come - our hay field is looking really lush.

We were just saying yesterday that we needed some rain, we had about 1/2 and hour last night but will need a little bit more to make a real difference.
 
Sounds awful but I'm happy with no rain. I have a fatso who has just had his shoes off for his holidays after hunting has finished and I'd rather he had no grass for both his weight and laminitis risk. I've also got 4 rams out with him and they are helping keep whatever is growing down.

I got told by a farmer the other day that I'd overstocked my 2 acres with the sheep and horse and wouldn't have any grass. He was somewhat surprised when I said good!! It's nice to not have to muzzle my horse and that he comes in with no noticeable digital pulse.
 
Red-1 said:
Our lawns are growing really well, but the fields are not. I guess the field grass was under ore stress with being scalped by horses, whereas lawns are stronger to start with.
Click to expand...

This exactly! I'm mowing the lawn every week and it still looks like a jungle but the girls field isn't growing at all!
 
Well, I was going to say, no and we had snow yesterday (!) - fer crying out loud, it's bloody April!

But today, I noticed a good sloppy green poo from one of the horses so something is obviously out there!
 
yep another who is finding it quite convenient to have just tiny growth in my paddocks. There's obviously a bit as they go off quite happily in the morning to pick over the grass but it's nice not having to think about muzzles. mine are still in at night so they can have a decent amount of hay and as Kira looks good rather than too fat, she's still getting her oats. Makes it all so much easier.

Plenty of hay supplies left in my area from last year so not worrying about winter forage yet...
 
It's been dry here too but the grass is still growing as I think there's still quite a bit in the soil from a pretty wet March - mixed feelings as M needs it (for a couple of weeks anyway, until regains the usual winter loss) but A doesn't. Neither will need it by the middle of May and I guarantee that's when it'll pour down and grow like mad!
 
Our summer fields where fertilized a little while ago but they seem to be taking ages to grow. The ground is still solid but on the plus side the winter fields aren't any where near as bad as last year. Yet my garden seems to be growing like a weed the grass just won't stop growing typical i suppose.
 
I will most likely regret saying this! However being able to remember it ! the summer of 76 had a very similar weather pattern across europe and we are due a dry one. On the farm we are already working with that in mind.
 
I can't believe how dry it is here! I'm near Brighton but am from the Peak District and I can't get my head round how little rain we've had over the past eight weeks. We had sheep on our summer fields last month to graze them down and there has barely been any growth since, which admittedly is good for my two fatties, though I would still prefer it if we had a good down pour or two and the grass started growing!
 
Our fields are like rock already, grass was coming through with the sun so the fields though short looked green but if we don't get any rain soon and they munch it all down it won't be so good. I wanted a bit of grass in the old fields to adjust his stomach and get him used to a bit more grass before he hits the summer fields!
 
Last edited:
Our ground is rock hard. My two are already in their starvation paddock and the grass just isn't growing. I mean it's not lush outside, but given the gelding's field is 15 acres between 7 horses that's a lot of grass I don't want them on. So I am now playing 'juggle the strip fencing' and debating quietly watering my paddock when they're in for the days.
 
Our ground is rock hard, thankfully YO got the harrowing and rolling done before it all got too solid.
We moved ours onto the rested field so I muzzled mine and in doing so aggravated her ulcers, it hadn't grown as much as I'd thought. However, the length of grass might not be there but it's very green and we have some smelly droppings and spring fever so I'm not under estimating it, mines back on the bald patch with ad lib hay/winter hay rations again for now. I do hope we don't get a hay shortage but I would be very happy if we have a hot summer and it burns off all the grass so mine doesn't have to be muzzled etc.
 
I can't see any grass - the fields look bald. The horses, however, don't want to come in, are ignoring their hay feeder and making grass poos ... so I guess it MUST be growing, in its own subtle ways that only the grass and the horses seem to understand. I do have one field, that is slightly more shaded, that has shot up in the last few weeks. A little rain and we'll all be complaining the grass is too lush.
 
It's growing just fine! I'm also in the south and it's been very dry, but the grass is growing anyway, as evidenced by expanding waistlines even though on restricted grazing, and by grass being obviously longer on the other side of the fence!

The reason the fields look empty is because all the grass is in the horses! Don't be fooled.
 
Ours is growing well too, but then I'm in Manchester it's always raining here :lol:, we're getting twitchy as we have a couple of weeks before we can move fields due to them being sprayed and the grass is starting to look high :eek:...
 
I tend to go on auto pilot in that "it's Spring, we need grass" but in fact those pointing out that the conditions are great for good doers have made me have a rethink. Of my 4, this is ideal for 3, the stressy, fussy Connie needs his grass though. More worried about hay costs later and dreary hacking as ground is so hard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top