800yds near Cardiff! Need gardening tips.

[blue up]

The day approaches when I might sign the ticket for 800 yds x 20 yds of grassy field in the Vale of Glamorgan. Making a nice friendly deal with one of our cabin crew who can't afford to buy the whole field but wants to farm just one half of it.

Question is, how should I go about draining it and cultivating grass over the winter in preparation for the flying season next year. Also how expensive are (Ahem!) farm buildings for the storage of (Ahem!) farm vehicles?

Shortstripper. Where are you?

[Mariner9]

Cant help with the gardening, but suggest you give Ken Bowen at Upfield Farm a call regarding your "Farm" buildings (He's constructed several).

Once built, I know of numerous "Farmers" who might be interested in basing their Farm Machinery there ;)

[Lister Noble]

Check to see of the field is already drained and what it is like after heavy rain,best speak to the previous landowner.
Start drainage work now if required,use a local agricultural drainage contractor.
Sow grass seed anytime up to late September,probably use a semi-vigourous rye grass mixture.A local farmer will probably drill it for you.
You have got to move fast to have a useable strip for next year.
Good luck.
Lister

[airborne_artist]

Start looking around for a gang mower! If your co-buyer is really going to farm it, then co-build your storage.

A great base for this kind of building is road-planings over good crushed concrete with perhaps a membrane in between. Use a contractor's roller carefully and you can get the planings really flat/even. Way cheaper than concrete. I buy planings for £175/20 tons (about 12 m3), delivered.

[stiknruda]

Agree with Lister. I used a slow growing amenity mix (lots of red fescue) and you can easily see that it grows more slowly than the lawn! As for cutting it, I eventually traded my ancient Green gang mowers in for an Italian Sitrex "finishing mower". It gives an absolutely superb 8' cut if towed at a suitable pace behind a tractor.

I drilled mine on Oct 20th (a week after Michealmas!) and was happily using it next June. I roll mine about 4 times a year with a 7 ton flat roll - if I could find a retiree locally who would work for the minimum wage, it would be cut and rolled more frequently.

Any volunteers? Lister? :ok:

[Lister Noble]

Stik,
I think we could come to some arrangement!
Lister

[rotorboater]

For an 'agricultural' building, try Farmers Guardian

Farmers Guardian (http://www.farmersguardian.com/classified_details.asp?adcode=386505)