Grassland maintenance in spring
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The starting point
Grassland is in very varied condition. This spring you will find everything from areas that were flooded for a long time and areas with extreme vole and game damage to heavily overgrown swards. At the same time, the warm temperatures have put vegetation about two weeks ahead, and growth is already well advanced.
How should you proceed now?
“This calls for a delicate touch.”
- Reduce future vole damage by putting up perches for birds of prey, using a bait applicator or harrowing the vole holes closed. The Ripperboard is recommended for levelling molehills and game damage. At the same time, the Ripperboard doubles the number of tines working the ground. This doubles the scarifying effect, so the compact GÜTTLER GreenMaster achieves the performance of a 4-row harrow.
- Prepare for overseeding: first determine the seed rate. The Aulendorf gap test is a good way to do this. Using a counting frame, you can determine the proportion of gaps very quickly. With the simple formula “proportion of gaps divided by 2 equals seed rate”, you quickly arrive at the optimum seed rate. Choose seed components suited to the site, depending on soil type and pH.
- Next, the right equipment should lay the foundation for high green forage yields. Because of the wet conditions, using a roller this spring may be counterproductive. At GÜTTLER, the GreenMaster grassland harrow and the GÜTTLER Prismenwalze® (prism roller) can be used as an ideal combination, or separately at any time. Hitching and unhitching the roller is very quick, so you can respond to the conditions in each field.
- Choosing the right overseeding system is also very important. Slot seeders are not suitable this year: they damage well-developed swards, and if the seed is placed too deep in moist soil, the sown species develop very slowly. Conventional broadcast seeding equipment will also have little success in this year’s well-developed swards, because the seed sticks together and dries out in the tall, damp grass. The solution for these conditions is patented GÜTTLER tine seeding. With tine seeding, the seed tubes end at the bottom of each harrow tine. The seed is delivered directly to the soil surface, where it can germinate and establish. GÜTTLER tine seeding makes overseeding effective.
- Another advantage of the GÜTTLER GreenMaster is that manure and slurry are not rubbed into the tall grass. Instead, the GreenMaster’s long, sturdy harrow tines distribute organic fertiliser evenly. Rain then washes it down to the soil. The result is considerably less forage contamination.
You will find a wealth of information on grassland maintenance and the right equipment in the “Grassland maintenance” handbook. If you have any further questions about grassland maintenance or about using the GÜTTLER GreenMaster and the GÜTTLER Prismenwalze®, ask your GÜTTLER dealer or the GÜTTLER sales team. We will be happy to advise you.
Practical tip from GÜTTLER · last updated 27 Mar 2024
