Adding clover to permanent pasture.

Allsorts

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Worcestershire
Thinking of entering low input grassland in CSS , what is the best way to add some clover to my permanent pasture for the sheep and what is the best time of year to do it. Cheers
 

collywol

Member
Thinking of entering low input grassland in CSS , what is the best way to add some clover to my permanent pasture for the sheep and what is the best time of year to do it. Cheers
Handful of seed in lick buckets every morning,sheep do the rest even fertilise it as well . Works well in spring!
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Handful of seed in lick buckets every morning,sheep do the rest even fertilise it as well . Works well in spring!

I’ve tried that several times. The only increase in clover plants was were they’d managed to shovel seed out of the mineral buckets, so effectively just broadcast it.
Ime it just doesn’t work passing through sheep (seed germinates in poo then dries out and dies perhaps?), although it can with cattle.

Most effective method here has been to broadcast it with a slug pelleter, whenever there has been bare soil visible (after taking shay/silage cut), prior to rain, and ideally with a big mob of sheep running over it to get soil contact.

The OP also needs to address any reasons why clover isn’t already established there already, whether that be grazing management or soil nutrients & pH.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
Depends on the stewardship option, but I'd be very wary of committing to getting a % of sward as herbs and legumes, and then managing to maintain those populations.
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
Depends on the stewardship option, but I'd be very wary of committing to getting a % of sward as herbs and legumes, and then managing to maintain those populations.
yes.
and Sheep play up heck with clover , particularly this time of year and without a decent summer break

shan't be doing any of it as it would cramp style too much , that also means one thing less for me to moan and whinge about as well .
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
@neilo sums up how to get more Clover into grassland.
First make sure the Ph is as good as you can possibly get it and maintain it at levels close to 6.
Make sure the phosphate level is reasonable and the land is not too wet.

Grazing management once you have Clover is key. Small leaved white clovers are the hardest to establish, but if grazed properly are also the most persistent.
In my experience most clover is lost due to under grazing rather than over grazing.
 

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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