maintenance of grassy hillside

[AdrianB]

Hi. Over the winter I bought a house on a 2 acre site. The ground has been largely unmaintained giving me the tis of bringing it back into some sort of order. I have about an acre that is on hillside that is fairly steep on one side. It was originally used as a paddock for a horse but that was a few years back and it has been left to go wild. My intention is to wood one slope and maybe just meadow the other with wildflowers. My difficulty is getting is cut back initially as its currently in a state of grass tufts and hillocks. Then after this I need something which will allow me to maintain the ground and do a couple of cuts a year. I have a local farmer who will come in the summer and top it this year but ongoing I don't really want a large tractors driving over it. I was thinking a power scythe or wheeled trimmer but I dont know if this is unrealistic on this size of a plot or with the incline. I know these things are often self propelled but I have a self propelled mower and on the bit of the slope it cuts it doesn't feel like its self propelled at all. Anyway any help suggestions or advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Adrian

 

[gdh]

If you get someone in with a tractor and flail (not disc) topper it will do a good job of levelling it then you can use any mower on it to keep it down. Alternatively you could look at ride on brushcutters but they're not cheap 

 

You could also do it the natural way and put a few sheep there.

[gdh]

This is our AS940 that does a good job of rough grass and will do steep banks.

[spandit]

Love the smell of freshly cut bracken...

 

I bought, at great expense, a DR Power 26" brushcutter - not a lot that stops it. You can hire Billy Goat mowers or similar which will do for tree planting. For a wildflower meadow you'll need to cut and collect the grass to reduce fertility.

[Commando]

These Grillo machines will face most stuff!

[marne]

A two wheel tractor with a flail attachment is the ticket. Halfway affordable and opens a few more uses around the yard and maybe for some customer's as well. 

[Stere]

To get a a meadow to be  really sucessefully I reckon you need go through the steps below & have the  equipment to do a proper job otherwise will just be still grass dominant.....

 

Alot of goverment funding invovled in this project....

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Stere