Chain harrowing

[Coblette]

Hey, really need to get timing right this year for harrowing (my second year on my own land)... I’m in Essex in clay so one day it’s too wet and next it’s too dry ?. Thinking it may be ok by the end of the week if it stays dry. Or do most people wait until later in March/beg of April? X

 

[Lipglosspukka]

I've never done it this early.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Do it soon if it gets dry enough, then again later on in the year if there’s another suitable window.

It‘s still too wet here.

Walk your lines, though. I got overconfident last year towing the ballast roller, then hit a wet patch... Had to empty the water out of the roller and wait a couple of days to the ground to dry up before we could extricate the 4x4, whoops. The roller stayed in situ for a while longer.

 

[Sir barnaby]

We’ve done all our paddocks today, we actually do them on a regular basis if not too wet so ground gets aerated ready for new grass coming through.

 

[canteron]

Are you chain harrowing to spread poo, or to get rid of thatch/ moss or to level the ground.
For the first anytime when it is dry enough not to compact the soil is ok - but I then leave for a few months before putting any horses back.
For the second you want to leave till quite a lot dryer and the grass actively growing.
If you are on clay and want to level poached areas then end of week is ok - but I would still leave for a while before putting horses in the land if I have disturbed the soil.

 

[Coblette]

Do it soon if it gets dry enough, then again later on in the year if there’s another suitable window.

It‘s still too wet here.

Walk your lines, though. I got overconfident last year towing the ballast roller, then hit a wet patch... Had to empty the water out of the roller and wait a couple of days to the ground to dry up before we could extricate the 4x4, whoops. The roller stayed in situ for a while longer.

View attachment 66327

Oh no!! Great thanks. Yes it tends to dry in stages. I made that mistake last year and got stuck then it was too dry ? I think most will be dry by the end of the week if it doesn’t rain but some may need a bit longer

 

[Coblette]

Are you chain harrowing to spread poo, or to get rid of thatch/ moss or to level the ground.
For the first anytime when it is dry enough not to compact the soil is ok - but I then leave for a few months before putting any horses back.
For the second you want to leave till quite a lot dryer and the grass actively growing.
If you are on clay and want to level poached areas then end of week is ok - but I would still leave for a while before putting horses in the land if I have disturbed the soil.

Yeah I want to level the ground. How long would you leave it before grazing again?

 

[TheMule]

I harrowed my winter fields last week in between the snow and the rain. That was just a poo spreading mission with the spikes upwards so they can rest, I will harrow some of the poached bits again in the Spring and use the Cambridge roller to flatten the gateways

 

[canteron]

Yeah I want to level the ground. How long would you leave it before grazing again?

Luckily I can normally let a field lie for a couple of months - the risk is in all honesty small but there is thought to be some connection between disturbing soil and grass sickness, so at the minimum until after a good rain/heavy dews.
What are you towing with - particularly with clay it is important the soil isn’t too wet as compacting the soil isn’t great for it!
Grass management is a whole new world of things to worry about ?

 

[Sir barnaby]

No no to clear poo as fields are poo picked twice a day, it is too even out some poached areas although we don’t have a great deal of poaching luckily, and loose tufts as we are on the hay fields which we will vacate very shortly then the farmer will sort it ready for hay season, As the temperature is rising we have seen some revel ant grass growing especially in the rested paddocks we go by the farmers advice and hubby liked to spend time on his new tractor ?

 

[AmyMay]

That’s a cute tractor ??

 

[Scotsbadboy]

I need that tractor in my life

How long do people keep horses off the grass for? I pretty much open up the whole of my 3 acres in winter as its clay and poaches so i want to harrow to level and poo spread when the time is right but now im worried about grazing him on it at the same time?

 

[Coblette]

Luckily I can normally let a field lie for a couple of months - the risk is in all honesty small but there is thought to be some connection between disturbing soil and grass sickness, so at the minimum until after a good rain/heavy dews.
What are you towing with - particularly with clay it is important the soil isn’t too wet as compacting the soil isn’t great for it!
Grass management is a whole new world of things to worry about ?

Hmm it is a minefield! I can move onto my summer field. Will see what it’s like, as you say don’t want it to be too wet! I’ll be using a compact tractor.