Paddock Topping
Regular topping (cutting or mowing) the grass in paddocks is a key part of paddock maintenance and is essential for a good quality, durable grass sward, which will both look good and stand up to the rigours of use.
Freedom from weeds and grass diseases is an essential element of quality pasture.
A good quality grass sward is THE most effective barrier to weeds - and attractive too.
GreenPaddocks uses a 'Muthing' flail mower which mulches the grass, rather than just cutting it like a conventional pasture topper. It has shredder-bars and a roller contained within it, the shredder bars helping to break down the grass cuttings even further and the roller leaves a smart finish.
Paddock topping by GreenPaddocks:
- Reduces grass cuttings to small pieces - mulch - which enables it to rot down more quickly, feeding and revitalising the soil and allowing animals to return to graze more quickly
- Is excellent at preventing ragwort and other weeds from going to seed and thus proliferating
- Maximises your grassland - horses in particular have limited ability to utilise poor quality grass
- Crushing the 'crowns' with the roller encourages fresh new grass to spread
- Reduces old, stemmy grass with little leaf - fresh 'leafy' grass not only tastes better but contains double the nutrients of the stem
- Keeps grass at the right height for grazing - particularly important for selective grazers like horses
- Animals grazing poor pasture with open, poached swards with limited grass cover may ingest too much soil with the grass which can lead to colic
