Perfect Paddocks

It’s that time of year again when we need to start thinking about our paddocks. After the mud laden winter, there are a few ways we can help our paddocks to recover.

HARROWING

Harrowing is a fantastic way to remove shallow rooted weeds & dead material. It also helps to aerate the soil to promote growth. Harrowing should also be done in preparation for seeding or fertilising to get the maximum benefit.

SEEDING

Seeding should be done between the months of April & September, or when the ground temperature is consistently above 8 degrees celcius. If you seed too early or too late, the seedlings will be easily killed off by cooler temperatures. Seed should be spread where neccesary and then rolled into the ground. When the seed makes contact with the soil, this then triggers germination and stimulates growth.

Can you seed with horses on the paddock?

The short answer is no! Before allowing grazing, the grass needs to be established enough to withstand it. This means the grass should have a solid root base, this usually takes a good 2-3 months depending on the season. The best way to manage it if you have limited grazing would be to seed the field a section at a time.

Fertilising your paddock is a fantastic way to help it recover after a hard winter. As with seeding, you should first harrow the field to remove dead material and shallow rooted weeds. Harrowing will also help to level out any ruts caused by deep mud, this is why it’s important not to harrow when the ground is too wet.

To get the most out of fertilising you can send off a soil sample to be tested. The results will then tell you what your paddock is lacking in, making sure you get the correct fertiliser for the job.

The fertiliser should then be used as per the manufaturer’s instructions, making sure that you are covering the areas that need it the most.

Good quality grazing will reduce the amount that you need to feed your horses, so investing in paddock maintenance is certainly worth it in the long run!

Suregrow Paddock Fertiliser 20kg

Contains the major nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulphur) needed for grazing grass growth. Slow nutrient release ingredients avoids lush grass growth. Sustained grass growth.

Stimulates root development and strength giving a denser sward. Helps to suppress weeds by promoting a thicker grass sward. No need to remove horses during application providing there is 50mm (2ins) of grass. Can be spread by hand. Spread as evenly as possible. Rainfall after spreading is ideal as it will gently dissolve the pellets, ensuring nutrients are washed into the ground.

Equipaddock Original 10kg

Equipaddock Original is a flexible grazing or cutting ley, designed specifically for use by horses and ponies.This mixture forms a very dense, rhizomatous sward suited to hard grazing. It can also produce good yields of high quality horse hay.

Mixture Formulation

45%     Mid-season Perennial Ryegrass

25%     Late Perennial Ryegrass

10%     Timothy

2.5%    Smooth Stalked Meadowgrass

17.5%  Creeping Red Fescue