PADDOCK MAINTENANCE

Here at SMV we now offer a hedge cutting service behind one of our compact tractors. We have the versatility to go where larger machines simply can’t, giving us the advantage in smaller paddocks, confined areas and places where hedges may obstruct public footpaths or fencing. Large agricultural tractors leave quite the footprint, so we run our small compact tractors on turf tyres which keeps compaction to a minimum, and helps us tread lighter over grass compared to traditional agricultural tyres.

Rolling is great for levelling a field that has become poached, uneven and rutted. Timing is important as rolling on wet ground will contribute to compaction.

Ideally your paddock should be topped throughout the year. It encourages the grass to establish a thick turf and new leaf growth, whilst decreasing the opportunity to weeds to grow. Topped grass should be left to dry out before it is grazed again.

“Sam flail mowed my 6 acre field today, and I must say, he’s done a fantastic job on a field that hadn’t been grazed for over two years! I would definitely recommend SMV Contract Services to anyone that requires professional and courteous service. Well done SMV ” 

Harrowing will help repair winter poaching damage, removing dead material and shallow weeds, leaving the remaining grass to flourish. Harrowing contributes to aerating the soil, and can level out light lumps and bumps.

“Sam flail mowed my 6 acre field today, and I must say, he’s done a fantastic job on a field that hadn’t been grazed for over two years! I would definitely recommend SMV Contract Services to anyone that requires professional and courteous service. Well done SMV “

Our spring tine harrow does a fantastic job of levelling out an arena or ménage. The leading tines drag heaped material ahead, levelling any divets and holes, whilst the following tines push and level the remaining surface.

Many of our customers request us to bring the roller, which firms up the area afterwards. The roller is water ballasted, so we can empty some of the contents to make it nice and light when rolling an arena to avoid too much compaction.

We can apply a variety of seed to existing paddocks and pastures or simply over seed into an established sward.

At SMV we use two methods of applying seed depending on the land.

Seed can either be sewn with our specialist grass drill which presses the seed directly into the ground without the need to roll after or broadcasted on to the land.

Flail collecting is an efficient way of collecting cut grass straight after mowing.

Our flail mower effectively cuts through long or short grass and collects cuttings into the spacious hopper behind – all in one pass.

This method is most commonly used on sites without the time for traditionally sweeping cuttings or for clients that do not wish to bale the crop.

“Highly recommend SMV! Sam came out and did a brilliant , professional job topping my overgrown paddocks. He also removed all the grass clippings for me. Perfect job,I’ll definitely be using SMV again “

Fertiliser spreading is a vital part of maintaining your paddocks. Its important to give the grass the nutrients it needs to give you a thriving crop throughout the year. Nitrogen promotes rapid, leafy green growth and builds plant material. Phosphorous helps the plant produce seeds and boosts root growth. Potassium improves the quality of the grass and helps it to resist disease.

We offer a general granular paddock feed, and in extreme cases we can carry out soil analysis upon request, which enables us to find out exactly what your paddock is missing and why it isn’t growing as it should.

A healthy paddock can be achieved by fertilising twice a year, once in the spring before spraying, and once in the autumn before spraying. The fertiliser will encourage any smaller or dormant weeds to grow, enabling the chemical from the sprayer to hit 99% of weeds in the paddock.

A rotavator is used to prepare paddocks and other areas of land ahead of seeding.

Our rotavator breaks up soil and incorporates any trash soil in to the ground which allows fresh and nutritious soil to rise to the surface. This creates a tilth that can be easily worked with when drilling seed.

Rotovating is also great method of smashing up large clods of soil which in turn helps to level out poached areas of land. After rotovating, we follow by further levelling with a spring tine harrow and finally apply seed using our specialist seed drill.

Our Clever Pasture Slitter is a drainage and sub-soil cultivator designed specifically with grassland in mind. The machine is suited for horse paddocks, golf courses and amenity areas.

The front disc slices through the grass root structure allowing the leg to follow and cut a clean slot through the ground up to 300mm deep. The bullet point of the drainage leg leaves an underground tunnel for water to flow through, preventing and removing standing water in the pasture.

If the land is compacted, we use a winged sub-soiler leg to lift and break any compaction layers within the soil structure.

The rear packer allows for depth adjustment and it ensures a tidy, level finish.