Paddock Management - A Straightforward Guide

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     Hedges are generally more physically attractive than fences and attract wildlife to your land. Furthermore once the hedges are established they last for many years with minimal upkeep required and the price of hedgerows, in comparison with fencing, is generally cheaper.

Once you have selected a suitable fence or hedge fo your paddock you will need to consider the grazing requirements of your animals. What are you trying to feed? As a general rule each type of animal will have very specific, and often conflicting, grazing requirements. Reseeding or natural regeneration would be the first hurdle to climb. Manual clearance or machinery led destruction, personal intervention or expensive contractors? Soil analysis will establish the basic needs and hopefully just what level of intervention is required. Often getting it right from the start pays dividends in the long run and can minimize many fruitless hours hacking away at stubborn re-growth.

Having established your carefully and probably expensive paddock pasture constant management is required. Unless you are grazing your grassland frequently, regular topping of weeds such as nettles will certainly reduce their growth and combined with animal rotation may get them under control with little or no chemical intervention. Harrowing, rolling and aerating the soil may all carry benefits as may annual applications of fertilizers or sprays.

Of course trees and hedges will greatly enhance the wildlife and conservation levels of your land. Expensive to plant and time-consuming to care for, they will almost certainly give you the greatest pleasure over time. The enjoyment of choosing species and the potential they will afford your land is inspirational and careful advice is well worth considering. A pleasing physical appearance or wildlife regeneration may be your aim - perhaps government grants will tip your choice and are available to help with many aspects of the countryside's regeneration.

Regardless of he size of you paddock, it is important to approach the management of the land responsibly.