Reviving neglected land

[deere 6600]

Hopefully indefinitely.... the owners have said they would like it to be me and my partners home and they want to see it put back to how it used to be - currently it's a rolling 10 year tenancy with the ability to buy land bit by bit starting with an owned lot of 15 acres.

This is important it’s you who will make it look better nice to see someone getting a chance

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Why are we no fun?

It’s ok, I think we have wayyy more fun than those that sit in a tractor all day…

 

[Anymulewilldo]

For those mentioning making hay this first year? Why would it be worth the diesel too make it when it’s coming from unfarmed land? I definitely wouldn’t be cutting anything this first year until the weeds have been knocked a bit!

 

[ollie989898]

He did say he didn't have massive funds.
I'd rather spend money on stock to do the work for me than contractors and sprays etc.

He could let a contractor grow a crop on it and let them do the work of clearing up the weeds. If he only has small stock numbers he can get the land sorted as his stock numbers increase.

 

[ritchiekirkland]

I took on a similar bit of ground last year . Electric fence and grazed with old ewes . When it was dry in the spring the rank stuff the ewes had left someone set fire too !
Then I harrowed it, sprayed worst bits for weeds when they came and got a neighbour to put a mob of cows on to chew it out to sheep grass .
Long term fencing it into blocks ,lime, and putting kale in to reseed it . That bit depends how long you’ve got it for though .

 

[ollie989898]

I took on a similar bit of ground last year . Electric fence and grazed with old ewes . When it was dry in the spring the rank stuff the ewes had left someone set fire too !
Then I harrowed it, sprayed worst bits for weeds when they came and got a neighbour to put a mob of cows on to chew it out to sheep grass .
Long term fencing it into blocks ,lime, and putting kale in to reseed it . That bit depends how long you’ve got it for though .

This is the danger, you get 'given' land that is in hell of a state, tidy it up and then suddenly the landlord rents it out to someone else for big money.

 

[Estate fencing.]

This is the danger, you get 'given' land that is in hell of a state, tidy it up and then suddenly the landlord rents it out to someone else for big money.

That’s why you don’t spend a load of money on reseeding and fences. Get them to pay for the spray and your onto a winner.

 

[ollie989898]

That’s why you don’t spend a load of money on reseeding and fences. Get them to pay for the spray and your onto a winner.

The spray is fudge all money, it's the contracting and seed that costs the money.

As I have written many many times you'd have to spray a field 4 times with forefront to get close to the cost of a full reseed.

 

[Estate fencing.]

The spray is fudge all money, it's the contracting and seed that costs the money.

As I have written many many times you'd have to spray a field 4 times with forefront to get close to the cost of a full reseed.

Why would you reseed? Whipping around with the bike sprayer or weed wiper every time you move the sheep out of a field doesn’t cost much at all.

 

[ritchiekirkland]

This is the danger, you get 'given' land that is in hell of a state, tidy it up and then suddenly the landlord rents it out to someone else for big money.

We were lucky we have bought that bit . But yeah if it was rented you wouldn’t want to go to far down the fencing / reseeding route I guess .

 

[ollie989898]

Why would you reseed? Whipping around with the bike sprayer or weed wiper every time you move the sheep out of a field doesn’t cost much at all.

The OP stated he wants to put in herbal leys- the seed cost of these is pretty stiff. Without doing something as a break and having a clean start you will have an uphill battle to get a herbal ley going any sense. You can't spray them, so you will start with it being diggered in all sorts.

 

[Wolds Beef]

Be careful selling hay with ragwort in. Dry and dead ragwort is toxic for animals.
WB

 

[TlymarT_028]

I was going to suggest that if the fella over the hill likes them then it might be worth offering to sell it as standing crop to him. That way he would know the contents and would also remove any need for machines.

I’d reckon on £5-£10 a bale for the crop income, with no costs for @JP_028 .

That sounds better than the last deal! The last deal was £7 per bale but I dropped it, raked it and got it baled but the baling was free luckily....and it was all delivered!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

An electronic fence is management , a pig net fence is an investment, just like reseeding

 

[Natters]

What a great opportunity! First thing i’d do is pick the closest and best connected segments for use this year. You’ve got to get something ready for those ewes and their lambs. I’d soil test these and then get the lime if needed. The grazing will do the rest for now. I’d flail a couple now for fresh spring growth and start to graze the others with electric fencing that you can move with the flock. Weed clearance and seed head removal is going to be the headache. It took me a solid week to hand dig ragwort in half an acre once, but I only find a hand full of buds each year since. Start tight, plan for rotation and work out. Outer fields can be cleared as others have suggested by someone else. Good luck.

 

[primmiemoo]

Just wondering if you can reveal your own herbal ley by grazing and hammering dominant weeds, @JP_028 ? Have you acquired management of a seed bank, there, at all?

 

[TlymarT_028]

Just wondering if you can reveal your own herbal ley by grazing and hammering dominant weeds, @JP_028 ? Have you acquired management of a seed bank, there, at all?

A seed bank as in somewhere to store seeds?
There isn't many species within the grass that you'd want to keep from what I've seen to be honest. It's absolutely loaded with clover in the late spring and summer like you wouldn't believe but apart from that there isn't much desirable

 

[primmiemoo]

A seed bank as in somewhere to store seeds?
There isn't many species within the grass that you'd want to keep from what I've seen to be honest. It's absolutely loaded with clover in the late spring and summer like you wouldn't believe but apart from that there isn't much desirable

More like seeds of sweet grasses, wild flowers, etc that have sent themselves dormant until the coarse herbage is gone. Clover is encouraging. Have you had a read of the threads in The Dark Side of TFF the Holistic Farming section of TFF?

 

[TlymarT_028]

More like seeds of sweet grasses, wild flowers, etc that have sent themselves dormant until the coarse herbage is gone. Clover is encouraging. Have you had a read of the threads in The Dark Side of TFF the Holistic Farming section of TFF?

I haven't delved massively into it no, although any nudge in good directions is always appreciated!

 

[primmiemoo]

I haven't delved massively into it no, although any nudge in good directions is always appreciated!

Have a little lookee!