25 acres of grass needs cut but lot of weeds

bold_defender

I'm working full time but have about 25 acres of ground that some one else was farming. I've now taken it back this year to graze some stock as I was to build a house on site this year. I've moved closer but building house will be next year now. I never got any stock on before grass got up. I've no machinery and no intention to winter stock for couple of years.

Now I've 25 acres of grass that got no fertilizer but good crop of grass and could be cut but has a lot of weeds in it. A mix of docken/dock, nettles, rushes and thistles. Now have advertised to see will anyone take it. No takers so far.
What impact will these have in silage or hay? Docks will be OK I think, most of the rushes can be avoided. Nettles and thistles though? I'd say maybe a third of the grass has plenty of weeds in it.
Also hasn't been grazed since Christmas.

ganmo

there's nothing bad about them only that animals won't eat them.

There is a duty on you to control the weeds to prevent them going to seed so you may have to pay someone to cut it and let it rot back into the ground.

Future Farmer

bold_defender wrote: »

I'm working full time but have about 25 acres of ground that some one else was farming. I've now taken it back this year to graze some stock as I was to build a house on site this year. I've moved closer but building house will be next year now. I never got any stock on before grass got up. I've no machinery and no intention to winter stock for couple of years.

Now I've 25 acres of grass that got no fertilizer but good crop of grass and could be cut but has a lot of weeds in it. A mix of docken/dock, nettles, rushes and thistles. Now have advertised to see will anyone take it. No takers so far.
What impact will these have in silage or hay? Docks will be OK I think, most of the rushes can be avoided. Nettles and thistles though? I'd say maybe a third of the grass has plenty of weeds in it.
Also hasn't been grazed since Christmas.

Look at it as an investment.

You want to maximise production in the future, reduce weeds now.

Get on to local contractor, get it cut and baled, guys round here charging €12 a bale - for cutting. Then sit it in a corner, fence it off and you'll sell it eventually.

Are there any dairy farmers near you? Where are you based?

Planning on stocking it?

Farrell

bold_defender wrote: »

I'm working full time but have about 25 acres of ground that some one else was farming. I've now taken it back this year to graze some stock as I was to build a house on site this year. I've moved closer but building house will be next year now. I never got any stock on before grass got up. I've no machinery and no intention to winter stock for couple of years.

Now I've 25 acres of grass that got no fertilizer but good crop of grass and could be cut but has a lot of weeds in it. A mix of docken/dock, nettles, rushes and thistles. Now have advertised to see will anyone take it. No takers so far.
What impact will these have in silage or hay? Docks will be OK I think, most of the rushes can be avoided. Nettles and thistles though? I'd say maybe a third of the grass has plenty of weeds in it.
Also hasn't been grazed since Christmas.

You could leave it & let it out as winterage, it's ideal & you would get a few offers

Capercaillie

If land has thistles/nettles growing the fertility is good. Nettles will only really go if P levels very high.

Username John

Capercaillie wrote: »

If land has thistles/nettles growing the fertility is good. Nettles will only really go if P levels very high.

Nope - I have nettles in fields with a low P index

Capercaillie

Username John wrote: »

Nope - I have nettles in fields with a low P index

Probably not dense nettle bed though, only weak nettles intermixed with grass? Photo is of nettles with high P levels

Username John

Capercaillie wrote: »

Probably not dense nettle bed though, only weak nettles intermixed with grass? Photo is of nettles with high P levels

Dense enough that I wont be uploading pics of em

Patches would be dense enough tho - but we would be in a low P area. Most of my fields are low in P, but yet some have fine dense clumps of nettles in spots... Been meaning to spray for ages, havent gotten around to it yet...

Capercaillie

Username John wrote: »

Dense enough that I wont be uploading pics of em

Patches would be dense enough tho - but we would be in a low P area. Most of my fields are low in P, but yet some have fine dense clumps of nettles in spots... Been meaning to spray for ages, havent gotten around to it yet...

Have you sheep? Where sheep tend to lie down in fields you will get dense clumps of nettles, eventhough P levels might be low in field.

Username John

Capercaillie wrote: »

Have you sheep? Where sheep tend to lie down in fields you will get dense clumps of nettles, eventhough P levels might be low in field.

Only sheep, no cattle. And only few at that

pedigree 6

Capercaillie wrote: »

Probably not dense nettle bed though, only weak nettles intermixed with grass? Photo is of nettles with high P levels

Here you go capercaille. If you want to start harvesting them.:D
Pick up a fingerbar mower on DD and away you go.
http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1344-15.html

Capercaillie

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Here you go capercaille. If you want to start harvesting them.:D
Pick up a fingerbar mower on DD and away you go.
http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about1344-15.html

I don't mow the nettles till October, but after seeing the link might make some nettle tae!:D

pedigree 6

Capercaillie wrote: »

I don't mow the nettles till October, but after seeing the link might make some nettle tae!:D

Made some tea for drinking once. Omg was it strong.
I suppose could water down though. But if you were run down before you won't be after.
Didn't do what they did. Just boiled them and drank the water.
Some kick off it.