For those of you with your own places.......

Star the Fell

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Jun 14, 2015
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Do you roll / weedkill / fertilise?
It was too wet last year to roll the fields - this year the roller I used to borrow has been sold.....
There are new rules in place for the sale of "strong" weedkillers this year.....
My pony is a very good doer and is kept barefoot, so fertiliser isn't good for her, however the lady who owns the horse she is turned out with wants the fields fertilised. ( I told her I would pay if she sourced the fertiliser and helped put it down - her horse has had colic recently so I don't want her to blame any future episode on the fertiliser)

It is looking as if I will have to now pay someone to roll/ weedkill etc, whilst there are 5 acres or so they are split into 6 smallish paddocks, so it would be quite time consuming for someone to do - and costly.

Thinking of just strimming docks, digging any ragwort, maybe spot kill some weeds with domestic weedkiller, and overseeding with meadow grass mix when necessary.

So. how do you look after your fields?
 
I am a bit anti chemicals, with things being a bit of a balance with Jess I'm loathe to use anything that has the potential to have adverse effects. On that basis I have been mowing & strimming like a demon to try and thicken the grass to strangle out the weeds, pulling ragwort by hand and have used a salt/vinegar/washing up liquid mix to kill off nettles around the buildings. If I had to use a fertilizer I would probably go for seaweed, after spending hours checking it wasn't a high iodine one :D Seaweed is also long acting, I think you only need apply every 3rd year :)
 
I also have 5 acres split in to two large paddocks at the back and a small paddock in the front of my yard. I do not fertilise as my husband insisted on doing it the first couple of years and i think the grass was too rich and we also had too much so i have talked him out of doing it as its not needed. I have my girlies(sheep) they do a great job of keeping the paddocks clean and the grass short. We did harrow and roll ours all last week..
 
I never fertilise, I do rest paddocks though, I only ever overseed worth meadow mix, no Rye grass ever. Ours gets rolled and Harrowden by the yo in the spring but didn't get done this year.
I do use thrust weedkiller in a knapsack sprayer on the resting grass, we bought extra last year as knew the new legislation was on the horizon. I know it's strong but reasearch suggests even if horses were to accidentally eat it it passes out in the urine. That said she's never on it for at least 3months after I've sprayed.
I know I don't own my own land but my YO is very happy for me to take care of it.
 
Don;t bother strimming Docks, Use Doxstar and kill them by spot praying or they will just keep on coming back. Doxstar kills them properly
 
I have 13 and a half acres and have never fertilised. We used to roll them up until selling the roller and quad in view of our move. We have dock and nettles but not so much the pasture is riddled.
 
I missed the window for rolling this year but am defiantly getting it done next year as my winter paddock is rather rutted! I normally use it as a schooling field in the summer but am having to use part of my summer grazing for that this year!
 
I use a little round up in areas. I don't have a lot of grass but have tried to get some grass going in a few places
its hard with all the pine trees.

Over at the property I use round up to establish where I want trails - the understory of the woods is low blueberry and round up
kills the roots.

One thing I wont do again is try to put grass in a round pen :mad: Its much easier to work freelonging etc if there was NO grass in there.

Down the road I would like to try to make the trails grassy/clovery
 
We roll and harrow every year,fertilise about one year in three and generally dig up ragwort or cut other weeds, however we did use Headland Polo a few years back when the ragwort was overwhelming. We are next to a bypass where maintenance consists of mowing often after ragwort has seeded.We have about 35 acres and aim to grass feed abut 15 native types all year round and 10 others for summer with daily turnout year round.
 
We were over at the property yesterday evening and WOO HOO the trails I sprayed last fall are coming along GREAT.;)
The last time we were over there no leaves were on yet.
The mountain laurel was also starting to bloom.
I may not have been on horseback but it was a lovely walk thru there.
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These trails would be totally ridable now but will be better when my Husband cuts them.
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You can see why it needs to be sprayed My husband had just cut the open area and unless its sprayed It will just keep coming back.
I don't want to have perpetual "stubble" on the trails plus I want to keep adding trails new trails (for my husband to cut):rolleyes:
and have them be good to go and not needing constant re- cutting.

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This is the original cart path thru the property we fell in love with.;):D:)
And at the time the Mountain Laurel were in bloom then as well.:D
 
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