Aerating and Seeding the Horse Paddocks
Here in Bedford, New York, we’re expecting rain throughout most of today with temperatures in the 50s - good weather for the recent overseeding we did in my pastures.
I am very fortunate to have several paddocks where my horses and donkeys can graze. Late winter to early spring is the best time to overseed these areas. Yesterday, my outdoor grounds crew tackled two enclosures. These tasks can be done with a variety of tools depending on the size of the space. In the larger paddock, we used a 60-inch tow behind lawn aerator and then a commercial sized rotary-spin broadcast spreader. In the other, a Ryan walk-behind core aerator and manual seed spreader. All the equipment got the jobs done quickly and efficiently.
Enjoy these photos.
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- The best day to overseed is when there is little to no wind, so the application can be done as evenly as possible. This day was perfect – no wind, mild temperatures, and a beautiful blue sky.
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- Early in the morning, Helen and Juan remove all the mangers from the two paddocks scheduled to be aerated and seeded.
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- Meanwhile, Chhiring attaches the tow-behind Pro-Aerator to our tractor. I am glad to be able to have all the farm equipment we need, but pieces like these can also be rented for a small fee.
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- Tow behind units tend to be at least twice as wide with twice as many spoons or tines as a residential walk behind aerator. Here is a close look at the tines that will aerate the soil. The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction. Compacted soils have too many solid particles in a certain volume or space, which prevents proper circulation of air, water, and nutrients.
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- Chhiring starts by going around the paddock clockwise from the outer edge working inward. He also overlaps his passes, so he doesn’t miss any areas.
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- As the Pro-Aerator runs over the field, the finger-like tines push into the soil making the holes.
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- After the winter, some areas are wetter than others. Fortunately, the large tire tread pattern allows the tractor to stay above the soil without getting stuck, especially in moist patches.
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- Here is one of the holes left by the aerator.
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- And here is one of the soil plugs. This paddock took about 20-minutes to complete.
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- After Chhiring is done aerating the paddock, he rinses off the equipment, so it is ready to use the next time. I always instruct the crew to take good care of our tools, so they can last many, many years.
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- This is a 3-point spreader, which can be attached to a variety of tractors to spread fertilizer or seed. This is great for spreading seed in our paddocks and in the hayfields.
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- Chhiring hooks it up to the center rear of the tractor.
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- We’re using a specialized pasture mixture formulated for horses.
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- This seed contains Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Timothy, Birdsfoot Trefoil, and Ladino Clover.
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- Once the spreader is attached and filled with enough seed, Chhiring heads out to the paddock again to begin overseeding – a process where grass seed is added to an already existing area which after germination serves to increase the density of the grass plants. This process reduces the aging process or natural decline of the turf.
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- Here, one can see the seed coming out of the spreader and onto the ground below. These seeds will get a good watering with the expected rain.
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- Meanwhile, Fernando is in the donkey paddock with our Ryan Lawnaire IV walk-behind aerator. This core aerator is self-propelled, which makes pushing and turning much easier. Fernando guides the aerator up and down the entire lawn, making sure he passes through every section.
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- These gas-powered walk-behind units are great for residential yards or smaller lawn spaces.
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- This aerator has 30 steel tines, which also remove small cores of soil from the ground.
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- Here is a section where the core aerator passed. The aerator removes soil plugs approximately two to three inches deep and about three inches apart.
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- All the excavated plugs are left alone to dry in the sun and crumble. The plugs can also be raked up after aerating.
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- The same equine pasture mix is used for the donkey field.
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- Pete works from the other side of the paddock, overseeding with a smaller, manual spreader. This will help to fill in any spots, and blend the new grass with the existing grass.
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- These paddocks will remain empty for a couple of weeks until the seeds germinate and grow – and then they’ll be beautiful, lush, and ready for grazing once again. What early outdoor spring chores are keeping you busy? Let me know in the comments section below.
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