Best time of year to mow Stewardship areas

[Neddy flanders]

Hi, i see alot of Cross-Compliance margins, ditches, stewardship plots and margins flailed this time of year to nothing.

massive conflict between a "tidy" farm and an "environmentally sympathetic" farm.

would it not be better leaving these areas uncut right the way through the winter to say late Feb??

 

[Goweresque]

In an ideal world, maybe. In the real world we live in, where it rains a lot in the autumn and winter, no. You try cutting margins and hedges etc when the ground is like soup and tractor wheels leave massive ruts.......thats why farmers cut stuff now, it does less damage than trying to do it later on.

 

[NewFarm]

I leave as much as possible, often until end of Feb. Its always tempting to flail it off to tidy things up, but I've found the barn owls love the longer/un-cut areas, so leave it for them.

 

[Bury the Trash]

I leave as much as possible, often until end of Feb. Its always tempting to flail it off to tidy things up, but I've found the barn owls love the longer/un-cut areas, so leave it for them.

They do indeed good comment, we have seen proof of that with the Barn owls around here but just to add .....i think im right in saying they do actually like the odd bare patch for reason i forget, maybe a mouse or rat ventures out from the long vegetation to be seen better ? whatever the reason and if its correct a few 'rides' cut through the field or even around the headland / next to the hedge for a width of the mower might be perfect .

 

[Princess Pooper]

Depends on the options, but some are only supposed to be mowed once or twice every 5 years anyway.