New grass meadow HELP!
- Thread starter CluelessAndCrofting
- Start date
I don't think I'm a proper crofter yet but don't want to be a lawnmower one either! ? I don't want or need neat and tidy monoculture, I really enjoy the biodiversity I'm getting and want to encourage the birds too... but toxic to horses plants have to be kept down! Thank you for the book recommendation, I'll look it up.
No it had oats on last year. So was stubble all winter. It was limed 2 years ago, I was told.
Been for another walk round. There are older corn spurry plants on the margins where we didn't plough.
ollie989898
Member
Cripes. I haven't seen a field of spurrey like that for a long time. You are likely right about the pH being all to pot.
Within a few weeks that will be a mass of weeds and you won't even be able to see the grass I should think.
I would have put in a simple long term mix of perennial grasses. Wild flowers won't stick being pounded by horses; It isn't their grazing habit that does the damage, it's how they tread pasture into dirt and the first thing to grow back is weeds and other miscellaneous carp.
I still do not see how a topper is going to solve that problem but we live and learn.
Establishing wild flowers is an art and can only succeed in the right locations. Too much fertility or other issues and they will not persist for long. They can also be expensive.
Might as well graze it hard with sheep and see what grass remains later. May be some bare patches that need overseeding later. With luck a load of meadow grass will emerge and it will all look like fresh grass anyway.
Within a few weeks that will be a mass of weeds and you won't even be able to see the grass I should think.
I would have put in a simple long term mix of perennial grasses. Wild flowers won't stick being pounded by horses; It isn't their grazing habit that does the damage, it's how they tread pasture into dirt and the first thing to grow back is weeds and other miscellaneous carp.
I still do not see how a topper is going to solve that problem but we live and learn.
Establishing wild flowers is an art and can only succeed in the right locations. Too much fertility or other issues and they will not persist for long. They can also be expensive.
Might as well graze it hard with sheep and see what grass remains later. May be some bare patches that need overseeding later. With luck a load of meadow grass will emerge and it will all look like fresh grass anyway.
This is the mix that went in. I don't think it is too disastrous?
Wildflowers could mean anything .
- Location
- Ceredigion
A sign of beauty I give them to my wife but I would not expect her to eat them
In this case it means ladys bedstraw, salad burnet and dandelions I think.
In case noone noticed there is quite a bit of grass in there too. I'm not expecting the horses to just eat wildflowers. But it's easier to take the pee than offer constructive advice I guess.
I really don't think I've done anything wrong or a bodge job or anything that deserves the pee taken to be honest. It seems to me that I've got a bit unlucky with what's been lurking in the soil and I'm quite upset about it.
Thank you to those who have offered some advice about what to do. Perfectly ok if I need to plough in and start again. I'm keeping horses, you get used to burning money.
In case noone noticed there is quite a bit of grass in there too. I'm not expecting the horses to just eat wildflowers. But it's easier to take the pee than offer constructive advice I guess.
I really don't think I've done anything wrong or a bodge job or anything that deserves the pee taken to be honest. It seems to me that I've got a bit unlucky with what's been lurking in the soil and I'm quite upset about it.
Thank you to those who have offered some advice about what to do. Perfectly ok if I need to plough in and start again. I'm keeping horses, you get used to burning money.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Easiest way is just direct drill some more seed in . Plough will just bring more weeds up ,
Annoyingly we did consider not ploughing and just seeding over the stubble but were advised we would get a stronger grass sword/sward (can't spell either) long term if we ploughed.
Will2May
Member
As our horse numbers have grown we take on more and more arable land and convert them into horse pastures. Without resorting to chemical fertilisers it takes a 3 or 4 years before there's a sward that will stand up to a horse per acre stocking ratio. We always use a specific horse paddock mix and a combination of sheep and roller mowing for the first season as horses not only tread the grass into the dirt they also pull the roots out on the young grass. Tried horse friendly bagged fertiliser which was very expensive and limited results, now just let the sward find it's own balance, usually get a fair bit of clover for a few years (from seeds in bought in hay) and then the grass makes a comeback. Horsey people usually go mad about clover but just confine the fatties to a smaller area. Mowing does the world of good all the cut grass rots down and feeds the earthworms which will
be in short supply due to years of plowing and chemical inputs. We soil test for trace elements and adjust ph with lime if necessary, nothing else goes on. It takes a while but keep roller mowing and you will get grass....if you want flowers get some from the garage £1 a bunch. ?
Did I make it sound like I don't want grass or something? I'm getting a bit confused by some replies here. Why is it so laughable to plant something other than pure grass? The field is intended to be mostly grass with a bit of biodiversity thrown in. That's all.
I also thought I implied I don't mind killing off the wildflowers if it gets rid of the spurry. If horses could eat spurry I wouldn't be worrying about it but they can't.
Also I have said I have no intention of putting horses on this year. It'll be winter 2021 at the earliest. I know what horses do to fields.
I just need to know how to get rid of the spurry!
So far it seems like I need to mow it soon and/or get some sheep on it. Possibly keep mowing it? And possibly lime the field. That's fine, although it might make my molybdenum problem worse.
Mowing before the damn stuff seeds itself makes sense at least.
I also thought I implied I don't mind killing off the wildflowers if it gets rid of the spurry. If horses could eat spurry I wouldn't be worrying about it but they can't.
Also I have said I have no intention of putting horses on this year. It'll be winter 2021 at the earliest. I know what horses do to fields.
I just need to know how to get rid of the spurry!
So far it seems like I need to mow it soon and/or get some sheep on it. Possibly keep mowing it? And possibly lime the field. That's fine, although it might make my molybdenum problem worse.
Mowing before the damn stuff seeds itself makes sense at least.
Welcome to farming . every day is a learning day
ollie989898
Member
I had a client who had a full blown bloodstock stud. Dozens of nags about. Clover from edge to edge. Took me to years to get rid of the stuff with combined pastor and cimarron applications- the horses simply would not eat the stuff.
That mower you have is the business.
Clover is the biggest con in ag , f**kin stuff grows without sowing it .
Can someone share my Learning Objectives please because I've no idea what it is I'm supposed to be learning here.
ollie989898
Member
White clover is a bloody weed and I don't like it much. Red clover is fine by me, grow it as a straight and it is fine for a couple of years. In mixtures with grass, you have a very hungry crop you are trying to feed with a wussy legume.
Will2May
Member
I agree diversity is good and the horses will eat all sorts of stuff that isn't grass (mostly fencing). They are excellent at avoiding stuff that's bad for them as long as they have the choice of something that's good. We never blanket spray which allows a bit of natural diversity. Just knock back the stuff they leave by mowing and it'll allow the edible plants to grow.
There's no quick fix , if that was mine I'd mow it , then see what happens
- Location
- Ceredigion
That's a,very sensible post . Your topper seems to do the same job as my Kubota Ride on
Personally I would not include clover in a horse mix , people seem afraid to get on grass to early . By the time they think its fit the weeds have done the damage