rushy land

6nationschamps

Hi, I am a young farmer also in college at the minute and keep a few cattle on the side to help my mother out as my father has now passed on.

we have one field which is very bad with rushes and i am not quite sure what to do with it, i have let my cattle into graze it now at the minute as parts of it is ok but in some other parts it is 3/4 foot high of rushes. it is 5 acres and has drainage but would not have been cleaned out in roughly 10/11 years.

Silage was cut off it 4 years ago but this stilll didnt clear it up.

I was thinking about getting a contactor with a mulcher in to try and see would that work has anybody any opinions on the matter?

I would have a budget of about 4/500 euro to try clean it up a bit as it is horrible to look at.

Thanks lads

Parishlad

Mulching, cutting etc. on it's own will be a short term solution. The more knowledgeable posters here will probably advise sorting out the drainage as that is the likely cause. The ground may then need lime but also may be a good idea to get a soil sample done first to check both lime and fertiliser requirements.
So if it was me i would probably spray the rushes first leave for a couple of weeks and then either cut or mulch them (mulching probably best option). next would be get the drainage sorted, do a soil test and see what the lime and P & K requirements are.
You would need to do your sums first though and weigh up the benefit of what it might cost versus the return you would get.

djmc

Spray with mcpa would be the fastest temporary solution after that lime and drainage if you can afford it.
You don't need to mulch them but if you do make sure they are dead of first

jimmy G M

Sounds like rushes have come on due mainly to neglect ? Cut or mulch now. cutting cheaper option if you have a mower. You may have to cut a second time esp if large clumps of rush/dead rush are left. Spray re-growth in 6-8 weeks. Spray is best absorbed by the green rush that is growing not the dead brown mature growth. That will knock them well back. Then lime /drain if you have the money

6nationschamps

Yah to be honest it mostly is due to neglect as I was only a young lad when he passed,

The cattle are grazing it now but the rushes are quare high!

I may try the cutting/mulching twice then spraying method.

The way the mulcher lads on done deal are talking they are as good as slurry afterwards!! I'm no fool all the same!

We have an agricultural advisor so I think I will ask him to come down for some soil samples and get to the bottom of it all,

my uncle always tells me the land was like a football pitch 20 years ago not a rush in sight and was there best field so would really like to do something with it just for peace of mind it is lovely flat land right beside a road so hoping in a few years time I may build a house on it.