Paddock maintenance help

[Coblette]

Hi all, looking for some advice on paddock maintenance please as I’m still learning ??‍ Only had the land for 1 year. Last winter was very wet and I missed the window of 2days (clay soil) to roll!! So now my winter paddock for this year is still very rutty (it’s been resting since April) any advice how best to sort it and what to do going forward? Thanks in advance

 

[CPayne]

This group is very interesting for land management. They wouldn’t recommend rolling anyway as it compacts the soil. There is loads of information in the topics section about pretty much everything to do with looking after your land. There may not be much that you can do right now but if you like the philosophy then you can prepare for next year.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1890362961227996/?ref=share

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

I'm told that harrowing is better for smoothing out the ruts than rolling.
Mine is also still very rutty but better since I've had it harrowed a couple of times, I'm thinking of getting it done one more time before winter.

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

This group is very interesting for land management. They wouldn’t recommend rolling anyway as it compacts the soil. There is loads of information in the topics section about pretty much everything to do with looking after your land. There may not be much that you can do right now but if you like the philosophy then you can prepare for next year.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1890362961227996/?ref=share

Thanks for the link, I've applied to join, I've learnt so much over the last 2 years of owning my own land but there's always more to learn!

 

[Abby-Lou]

We have just had our field sub soiled it helps with compaction and helps with drainage

 

[Reacher]

I feel your pain being on clay too. If it’s your winter paddock can you not just wait until it is softening up before you turn out?

We have just had our field sub soiled it helps with compaction and helps with drainage

That’s interesting- What sort of cost does this entail?

 

[Coblette]

I'm told that harrowing is better for smoothing out the ruts than rolling.
Mine is also still very rutty but better since I've had it harrowed a couple of times, I'm thinking of getting it done one more time before winter.

Good point, what did you use to Harrow? A chain Harrow or something else?

 

[Coblette]

I feel your pain being on clay too. If it’s your winter paddock can you not just wait until it is softening up before you turn out?

I can, just didn’t know if it would make it worse!

 

[Coblette]

This group is very interesting for land management. They wouldn’t recommend rolling anyway as it compacts the soil. There is loads of information in the topics section about pretty much everything to do with looking after your land. There may not be much that you can do right now but if you like the philosophy then you can prepare for next year.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1890362961227996/?ref=share

Thanks but unfortunately I don’t have Facebook

 

[brighteyes]

Mudcontrol mats for heavily poached areas and get them off it for the winter. French drains ASAP.

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

Good point, what did you use to Harrow? A chain Harrow or something else?

Yes a chain harrow.

 

[Coblette]

Mudcontrol mats for heavily poached areas and get them off it for the winter. French drains ASAP.

Yea going to keep them off it as soon as it gets too wet this year in the concrete area and sacrifice paddock ??

 

[CPayne]

Thanks but unfortunately I don’t have Facebook

This website has some information on what should happen when.
https://mccountryservices.co.uk/resources/
I think the main things that I’ve learnt from the group are the importance of decompacting the ground, harrowing and aerating, to allow the grass to grow. Feeding the land, where you have low worm counts spreading manure back on to fields (definitely not what I was taught growing up!), importance of soil testing and correcting imbalances to allow optimum nutrient uptake/grass growth and not grazing the grass too short, a seemingly perpetual problem with small amounts of land but creating a loafing area can help to rest the fields. It’s a huge topic, after 8 years on my fields I’m still changing the way that I do things. Good luck

 

[Coblette]

And what’s best a quad / compact tractor or quad for 2-3 acres?

 

[CPayne]

If you have a 4x4 you can pretty much do everything with that. I do all of my harrowing with a 4x4 and have done spreading with it too.

 

[Abby-Lou]

I feel your pain being on clay too. If it’s your winter paddock can you not just wait until it is softening up before you turn out?


That’s interesting- What sort of cost does this entail?

4 acre field £70

 

[CPayne]

https://horselandmanagement.wixsite...B2vsl19IyoSAYOtGSryZKvyaR5Bb3cwtm99q1sXKBLbM0