A warmer week with some moderate rainfall led to what would be perceived as good growth conditions.

However, for yet another week, actual growth failed to meet the predicted growth by PastureBase.

The warmer, muggy weather has been ideal from a grass-growing point of view, but my suspicion regarding the poorer growth than predicted would be due to correction of stemmier swards.

A necessary evil

Whenever a mower hits grass, there will be a drop-off in recovery. Be it topping, pre-mowing or baling out paddocks, growth will always be affected.

However, in a year like we’ve just had from a grass growing point of view, it’s very much a necessary evil and completing this task sooner rather than later is a priority.

We are a little over a week away from the Galway Races - a critical enough point in the grazing calendar, not from a social point of view, but from a day length point of view.

The drawing in of the evenings can very much be felt after this, with shorter days leading to lower sunshine and growth.

Correcting paddocks now by topping, etc, while growth is still relatively decent will allow good-quality swards of grass to be built up going into the autumn.

Where there is a surplus of grass on farm, the option to mow out paddocks as surplus to boost fodder stocks on farm should be taken, provided that there is enough of a cover on farm to do so.

It is an expensive exercise baling out a paddock only to end up feeding it out as bales in the week or two after.