Improving ROUGH rough grazing

DrDunc · Jun 7, 2021

I've 20 acres that has been limed and worked more than a couple of years ago, but really could do with a sprinkle of more modern grass seed varieties

However it's too rough just to spray off and slot seed, and it's too little soil over too many stones to plough (it was ploughed in 1968, single furrow cabbage plough!)

Do I spray off and disc after lime, then grass harrows?

Have slot seeders improved enough to work on rough ground since I last saw them working?

What's folks opinions please?

Devil's advocate · Jun 7, 2021

trees

primmiemoo · Jun 7, 2021

Sheep. Subdivide, and incorporate it into a mob grazing system adapted to the capability of your ground.

It's a relatively small area, so you could go in after them and broadcast seed in sections.

Derrick Hughes · Jun 7, 2021

DrDunc said:
I've 20 acres that has been limed and worked more than a couple of years ago, but really could do with a sprinkle of more modern grass seed varieties

However it's too rough just to spray off and slot seed, and it's too little soil over too many stones to plough (it was ploughed in 1968, single furrow cabbage plough!)

Do I spray off and disc after lime, then grass harrows?

Have slot seeders improved enough to work on rough ground since I last saw them working?

What's folks opinions please?

Picture would help
I tried disc . Waste of time imo , just a load of clods , the Erth drill has independent suspension on the disc so will follow quite rough ground

betweenthelines · Jun 7, 2021

Over winter a mob of cattle on it.

Nithsdale · Jun 7, 2021

Devil's advocate said:
trees

There's enough good land going to waste without more of them f**king things

betweenthelines said:
Over winter a mob of cattle on it.

Pigs do a better job

ollie989898 · Jun 7, 2021

I'd be tempted to go with the above: put a mob of cattle on it, then run over it with some serious discs in a dry time and see if you can get it levelled up?

hally · Jun 7, 2021

DrDunc said:
I've 20 acres that has been limed and worked more than a couple of years ago, but really could do with a sprinkle of more modern grass seed varieties

However it's too rough just to spray off and slot seed, and it's too little soil over too many stones to plough (it was ploughed in 1968, single furrow cabbage plough!)

Do I spray off and disc after lime, then grass harrows?

Have slot seeders improved enough to work on rough ground since I last saw them working?

What's folks opinions please?

I have been drilling some proper rough fell today, burnt off, limed and rushes topped low. Putting in a ryegrass/ fescue/clover mix. Did some for the guy last year and I was very dubious to say the least on the cost effectiveness of the operation but he was that chuffed he wants a lot more done.....should have took some photos but didn’t really expect it to work tbh.

Bones · Jun 8, 2021

A thick covering of hen or broiler dung,, couldn't put it on thick enough,, works wonders for that type of ground

hally · Jun 8, 2021

Another hill farm today
Sprayed off and heavy disced then drilled today. Remembered to take photo today.

DrDunc · Jun 8, 2021

hally said:
Another hill farm today
Sprayed off and heavy disced then drilled today. Remembered to take photo today.View attachment 966368 View attachment 966368 View attachment 966368 View attachment 966368 View attachment 966369 View attachment 966370

That's well cultivated ground! What kind of discs leaves a finish like that?

DrDunc · Jun 8, 2021

Bones said:
A thick covering of hen or broiler dung,, couldn't put it on thick enough,, works wonders for that type of ground

Aye, silly but never thought of that!

Thick enough, it'll not need any roundup before the the slot seeder either

hally · Jun 8, 2021

DrDunc said:
That's well cultivated ground! What kind of discs leaves a finish like that?

Apparently it was sprayed off last backend with a view to ploughing but the stones were that bad the contractor pulled out and weather ended the job. So it’s had all winter to breakdown so they decided to disc it then direct drill hence why I was there. Never saw what they used.

Nithsdale · Jun 8, 2021

Could you put it into kale/rape Dunc? Winter cattle on it to plough it up. Should help bring up a bit more soil for drilling into in the spring?

hally · Jun 8, 2021

At home if we dont have enough soil for direct drilling on rough ground we have rotorspiked it in the past with successful results.

Derrick Hughes · Jun 8, 2021

I tried a disc of fresh sprayed ,was to cloddy

DrDunc · Jun 8, 2021

Derrick Hughes said:
I tried a disc of fresh sprayed ,was to cloddy

Aye, sounds like it needs a winter to rot or some cattle churning up rape first as folks have suggested....

Or a rotaspike......?

JD-Kid · Jun 8, 2021

hally said:
At home if we dont have enough soil for direct drilling on rough ground we have rotorspiked it in the past with successful results.

if it was that stoney how do yer get on with a rotospike would it not be beating it's self to death

JD-Kid · Jun 8, 2021

Nithsdale Farmer said:
Could you put it into kale/rape Dunc? Winter cattle on it to plough it up. Should help bring up a bit more soil for drilling into in the spring?

can make more of a mess seen guys do that here and just pugs all the ground a real pain in the arse to drill the following year.

Nithsdale · Jun 8, 2021

JD-Kid said:
can make more of a mess seen guys do that here and just pugs all the ground a real pain in the arse to drill the following year.

A lot of places here do it with good results. It brings up more soil which you can then work down with heavy discs

Improving ROUGH rough grazing

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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