field maintenance advice please...

[L&M]

In anticipation of spring (only 7 weeks until April - yipee!), I have invested in a roller and chain harrow to put behind my quad. I have been advised that you harrow first, then roll. Is that the right way round, as I thought the reason for harrowing was to pull out dead grass and airate the soil, so doesn't rolling over after prevent this? Also, what are the best ground conditions to do this work?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[MrsMozart]

I'm new to this as well, but I understood it to be roll and then harrow! That's what we were planning on doing.

I'm wondering when to get the sheep in....

I'll be interested in what people say about topping...

 

[AmyMay]

Roll then harrow, otherwise you break your harrows........

 

[L&M]

That makes more sense to me!
Thanks

 

[Slightly Foxed]

Harrowing drags out thatch (dead grass) and weak growth, breaks up clods of earth and generally levels out any poaching. Harrowing allows air and light to get to the base of the grass, which encourages healthy, dense grass growth. Harrowing in the Spring uproots seedling weeds and creates space for healthy grass to grow. It can also be used to promote grass seed contact with the ground after over-seeding.

Rolling also helps to level the ground and repair some of the damage caused by hooves. Rolling also encourages the plan to spread so helping to promote spring growth.

Don't over do rolling especially on clay soils or the soil will become compacted and won't drain properly and you'll get increased surface run-off and reduced grass growth.

Harrowing and rolling are best carried out in March but only if the ground conditions are dry enough for a tractor to pass without causing ground damage.

 

[Slightly Foxed]

[ QUOTE ]
Roll then harrow, otherwise you break your harrows........

[/ QUOTE ]

No, no, harrow then roll. If my clay soil doesn't break my harrow, nothing will!

 

[Slightly Foxed]

[ QUOTE ]

I'm wondering when to get the sheep in....

I'll be interested in what people say about topping...

[/ QUOTE ]

If you top during the growing season, either with a topper, or grazing with sheep, it increases the leaf to stem ratio in the grass and so decreases the sugar content. You might also want to top to keep down the docs, they give up and go away eventually, but look out for young ragwort plants (although adult sheep can eat these without causing too much harm).

 

[ester]

we harrow then roll, though we normally only end up rolling the bits that really need it as the harrow does quite a good job of levelling as well.

I wouldn't top unless I had poor doers, it encourages the grass to grow more and not get long and stalky but we don't need that!

 

[MrsMozart]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I'm wondering when to get the sheep in....

I'll be interested in what people say about topping...

[/ QUOTE ]

If you top during the growing season, either with a topper, or grazing with sheep, it increases the leaf to stem ratio in the grass and so decreases the sugar content. You might also want to top to keep down the docs, they give up and go away eventually, but look out for young ragwort plants (although adult sheep can eat these without causing too much harm).

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you Miro

Will add to the list of fun things to do this Spring lol

 

[kibob]

Definitely harrow and then roll. Around March, but as Miro has said, it depends really on the weather conditions as to how dry the field is,, but be careful there is a fine line between too wet to roll and then suddenly too dry!

Sometimes we sprinkle grass seed down on the heavily poached areas and then roll this in.

We also top regularly throughout summer to keep the weeds down, but yes, watch out for any young ragwort plants.

Ooooohhh, roll on spring and nice neat fields, can't wait

 

[Slightly Foxed]

[ QUOTE ]

Ooooohhh, roll on spring and nice neat fields, can't wait

[/ QUOTE ]

You know what'll happen, it'll be a scorcher this summer with a drought and we'll have no grass at all! Except I'll have green grass as Anglian Water flatly refuses to mend a mains pipe that has been leaking onto my land for two years, it's just not a priority!

 

[L&M]

Now I am really confused.......!! We are lucky to have good draining soil and it is only the gateways/walk ways that have been poached, so maybe I will harrow all, but only roll those areas.
Also, in response to Miro - we don't get many docks and do not have a topper, so I was considering spot spraying the docks in the paddocks when they are not being grazed. Am I right in thinking that 'joe public' can't buy weedkillers such as graze-on/pastor without a licence? I was thinking of round up but I know it will kill any grass surrounding the dock.
Thanks

 

[Slightly Foxed]

You can get Graze-on, you only need a licence to use a sprayer. You officially need a licence for a back pack sprayer (not hand held) but, heck, who's to know?

Personally, I'd save a couple of bob (and the environment) and get out the strimmer. If you keep cutting docks they eventually give up and go away. Take it from one who knows, my fields were dock city when I first bought them, had been set aside for a long time, now I only have the odd few.

 

[kibob]

[ QUOTE ]


You know what'll happen, it'll be a scorcher this summer with a drought and we'll have no grass at all!

[/ QUOTE ]

lol, wouldn't that be sods' law

[ QUOTE ]

Except I'll have green grass as Anglian Water flatly refuses to mend a mains pipe that has been leaking onto my land for two years, it's just not a priority!

[/ QUOTE ]

Last summer a friend of ours had a few unexplained cattle deaths in one particular field. Upon investigation he found a leaking sewer pipe was overflowing into the river that the cattle were drinking from. This was a Friday afternoon, he contacted south West Water and was told that nobody would be out to look at it until Monday

I'm sure things would have been much different if the tables were turned

 

[L&M]

Good advice Miro - we only had a dozen or so big ones last year, but had only just moved in so topping docks was not a priority!
Thanks again

 

[horseywelsh]

harrow then roll

 

[lisak]

http://editions.pagesuite.co.uk//PageSui...rld/2009-02-05/

i hope the link works! Showing World magazine Page 57 an interessing press release from Top Paddock explains a few things.

 

[L&M]

Helpful article and fab magazine - ended up reading lots of other stuff too!
Thanks