From drainage and hedge cutting to storm clearance, wood chipping and repairing flooded tracks, here's how to prepare your smallholding, farm or estate before bad weather arrives, and recover when it does. Autumn weather can change the way you manage land remarkably quickly. A track that is perfectly usable today can become waterlogged after several days of rain. A gateway can go from firm to badly rutted. Ditches that appeared insignificant during summer suddenly determine where thousands of...

Rising straw and hay prices have made many smallholders, equestrian yards and rural property owners ask a practical question: could I make my own bales instead of buying them in every year? For some people, the answer is yes. A compact tractor matched with suitable haymaking equipment and a small baler can help reduce reliance on contractors, merchants and large-scale farms. But it is not the right answer for everyone. Making your own bales depends on your land, crop, weather window, storage,...

Winter is when football and rugby pitches suffer the most damage, not because of poor maintenance, but because of wet ground, repeated use, and the wrong kind of intervention . Understanding why damage happens in winter is the first step to preventing it. This article explains the most common causes of winter pitch damage and what clubs can realistically do to limit long-term problems. Why do football and rugby pitches get damaged more in winter? Winter pitch damage occurs because saturated...