I thought I'd ask this question in here in the hope of some well thought out answers...
My boss wants "undersowing," as a concept. This wasn't possible this spring as I'm not kitted up for it & the weed burden I have means I'd never be able to control what I have without gang labour hand pulling wild oats where a ryegrass/clover ley was the undersown crop. The broad leafed weed specturm is also vast and a clover safe 2,4DB/tribenuron mix won't do enough on that. He wants some grass sown by broadcasting pre harvest of the spring barley/wheat. I have a neighbour with a pneumatic fertiliser spreader who should be able to do it. Any slugs found on the ground will mean a sprinkling of Sluxx when the seed is blown in.
In future I will be looking to establish stubble turnips this way too - Countryside Stewardship requires them to be established by 31st July & I don't want to go back to having to grow winter barley just so I can drill them in July. Where it is sown into spring barley the straw will be baled, more for removing mulch than anything else. Even cutting high the drooping ears mean max stubble height is 4-5". Wheat should be easier with longer stubble/less mulch.
What do I need to know? How early pre harvest can I broadcast the seed in? I was thinking of early sensecence as the canopy opens. The CS tail is wagging the dog here but it's what the owner wants.
My boss wants "undersowing," as a concept. This wasn't possible this spring as I'm not kitted up for it & the weed burden I have means I'd never be able to control what I have without gang labour hand pulling wild oats where a ryegrass/clover ley was the undersown crop. The broad leafed weed specturm is also vast and a clover safe 2,4DB/tribenuron mix won't do enough on that. He wants some grass sown by broadcasting pre harvest of the spring barley/wheat. I have a neighbour with a pneumatic fertiliser spreader who should be able to do it. Any slugs found on the ground will mean a sprinkling of Sluxx when the seed is blown in.
In future I will be looking to establish stubble turnips this way too - Countryside Stewardship requires them to be established by 31st July & I don't want to go back to having to grow winter barley just so I can drill them in July. Where it is sown into spring barley the straw will be baled, more for removing mulch than anything else. Even cutting high the drooping ears mean max stubble height is 4-5". Wheat should be easier with longer stubble/less mulch.
What do I need to know? How early pre harvest can I broadcast the seed in? I was thinking of early sensecence as the canopy opens. The CS tail is wagging the dog here but it's what the owner wants.