Services available

For horse owners and smallholders alike, it is vital to look after your grassland in order to offer a healthy and pleasant environment for horses, and other grazing livestock and wildlife. Well maintained weed free grassland is also more visually attractive.

The services offered by Fresh Pastures will help you to keep your grassland in top condition, and correct management of grassland will help reduce feed costs.

We can offer a yearly management plan or alternatively one off visits to suit your own requirements.
Please contact us for a quote.

Chain Harrowing

Chain harrowing is usually carried out in spring and/or autumn. Harrowing removes dead grass and shallow rooted weeds, as well as aerating the soil refreshing the ground for the new season’s growth. Harrowing also levels uneven ground.

Rolling

Rolling is usually done at the same time as Chain Harrowing and helps to flatten out areas that have been poached during wet periods, improving the visual impact of grassland. Rolling is especially important for meadow ground where the grass is going to be cut later in the season for hay. Rolling will also offer horses an improved grazing area.

Spraying

Spraying should be done whilst weeds are actively growing. Control of weeds is essential to allow grass to grow more productively with less competition for the vital nutrients available in the soil. Spraying will kill unsightly weeds such as Docks, Thistles, Nettles and Buttercups, and keep paddocks looking fresh and healthy. Operators are fully certificated in pesticide application, holding PA1 PA2A and PA6A.

Pasture topping

Pasture topping should be done throughout the growing season keeping the sward between 5-7cm, also reducing the spread of weeds and keeping the sward fresh and stopping the grass from growing stalky and going to seed. Keeping grass short keeps it fresh and nutritious.

I am always keen to expand the services on offer and welcome enquiries for other work required in order to offer a fuller service meeting your demands and helping you to get the maximum benefit from your grassland. Fencing, hedge laying and general field boundary maintenance work can also be done, please contact me for further details.