Last years un-mown grass

[Dave W]

Neighbours have asked me to help them out. They’ve a couple of paddocks they cut for hay but got let down last year and it never got cut.
So now it’s about 6-12” deep of last years crop and needs something doing with it.

1 flail it to about 4” and hope new growth comes through and the cuttings rot away.

2 mow it with mower set as high as it’ll go then bale it and dump the bales

3 leave it to carry on growing

granted it should have been flailed in that dry day over winter

 

[lloyd]

Neighbours have asked me to help them out. They’ve a couple of paddocks they cut for hay but got let down last year and it never got cut.
So now it’s about 6-12” deep of last years crop and needs something doing with it.

1 flail it to about 4” and hope new growth comes through and the cuttings rot away.

2 mow it with mower set as high as it’ll go then bale it and dump the bales

3 leave it to carry on growing

granted it should have been flailed in that dry day over winter

Get a nearby farmer with sheep for a month,remove then flail the remainder .

 

[suffolksmallholder]

I started at 6” with the flail. IMO once the grass starts growing it will be fine.
I rarely, if at all, go lower.
SS

 

[Whitewalker]

Strip graze it tight

 

[Dave W]

Livestock of any sort not really an option. Don’t want the complication of involving a third party

 

[spin cycle]

option 1

 

[e5c0rt.mk1]

If it ever stops raining, cut it, get it bone dry, bale it and sell it for bedding later in the year when straw is £150+ a ton.

 

[Nearly]

Did someone say party?

Flail

 

[Dave W]

If it ever stops raining, cut it, get it bone dry, bale it and sell it for bedding later in the year when straw is £150+ a ton.

Not really interested in making money. The sole aim is a decent crop of hay later in year

 

[Welderloon]

option 2 with add on
Mow short, bale & clear it to give most effective re-set for clean re-growth.................it will get rid of the cat & dog sh!t as well

 

[wdah/him]

I would cut and bale it. New grass will grow quicker. Cut about 3 inches high. Leaving stuff to hope grass grows through I don’t think will help and cutting to high won’t either. The mat of stuff on it will have given weeds a good chance to gain roots more than grass so I would be giving grass every chance. 4 layers of plastic and it might be ok. I have fed this sort of stuff to suck cows before not great feed but was a filler. Or else dump on much heap and allow to compost which could be cheaper than bale and wrap.

 

[wdah/him]

option 2 with add on
Mow short, bale & clear it to give most effective re-set for clean re-growth.................it will get rid of the cat & dog sh!t as well

Was uploaded as I typed

 

[DaveGrohl]

I would cut and bale it. New grass will grow quicker. Cut about 3 inches high. Leaving stuff to hope grass grows through I don’t think will help and cutting to high won’t either. The mat of stuff on it will have given weeds a good chance to gain roots more than grass so I would be giving grass every chance. 4 layers of plastic and it might be ok. I have fed this sort of stuff to suck cows before not great feed but was a filler. Or else dump on much heap and allow to compost which could be cheaper than bale and wrap.

If there’s no feed value at all in it, I’d agree with taking it off the field and do as you suggest, ie muck heap it. What is the cheapest way to get it to the muck heap is another matter…
But at least you will have a clean start.

 

[Still Farming]

Leave and cut in June.

 

[Welderloon]

Local with the exact same issue, her hay paddock never got cut, left as standing hay, never got grazed & now a thatched matted mess, plan is mow tight in the next couple of weeks, round bale without net, load grass 'bales' in trailer & dump on the midden, be a day of recreational diesel burning but the outcome should be a better re-start point - she now also understands wrapped silage is worth more than matted failed hay/grazing when it comes to the following years grazing management of her land but had to learn this the hard way.

 

[Goweresque]

Mow it and take the sh*t away, if you can't get sheep in to rip down to the bare ground. If you flail it all that dead grass is going to end up in the bottom of the swath and you'll get very poor quality hay later on.

 

[Still Farming]

If you harrow you will rake tons of stuff out and knock growing grass off.
Flat roll possibly to flatten thatch.

 

[Nearly]

Only option not mentioned so far is plough.

 

[Dave W]

Only option not mentioned so far is plough.

But what plough though?
And what tractor?
I think 12 furrows behind quadtrack would be ideal.

 

[lloyd]

Go over it twice ,a week apart with the flail and create a sales video
for the range of flails you sell.