Docks in reseed

[scrubbuster]

I would rather not spray but will if necessary. I will need to top as I will be struggling for enough mouths just now as last years attempt is on the cusp of getting ahead of the sheep

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I've sold and walked plenty of grass in my time mate and for a lot of big and professional farms as well.

'The weeds aren't competing', are you taking the pish? What, so you want to let them get even better established, do you?

The starting point for spraying on new leys is 2 true leaves of the grass. Not 5 tillers and a few seed heads as well. The weeds are going to grow on and you will end up with docks and all sorts there. Leave them to shade the grass and you will have bare patches even if you do manage to control them.

But hey, fudge it, can always spray it all with something twice as dear next year.

A bit of Polo and hurler ain't gonna check the grass for toffee.

You said: top it in a week or so. What, and topping it ain't gonna check the grass either? Why say top it in a week if they aren't competing yet? I'm confused.

So u never farmered just sell sprays

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I would rather not spray but will if necessary. I will need to top as I will be struggling for enough mouths just now as last years attempt is on the cusp of getting ahead of the sheep

As soon as it will take sheep get them it it but mob stock it in and out fast . Then put some firtilizer on it .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I would rather not spray but will if necessary. I will need to top as I will be struggling for enough mouths just now as last years attempt is on the cusp of getting ahead of the sheep

Yiu do what you like but those weeds are not competing yet

 

[Jim75]

I wouldn’t be taking a topper or mower in to a first year ley. We’ve put some in without the clover sprayed it with fluroxypyr, checked the grass for the first week but it’s nailed the docks and the grass is romping away now

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I wouldn’t be taking a topper or mower in to a first year ley. We’ve put some in without the clover sprayed it with fluroxypyr, checked the grass for the first week but it’s nailed the docks and the grass is romping away now

What's the difference to topping and grazing as long as it dont leave much behind. I'm interested. I mowed my new lawn 3 times already . Not a weed in sight . I cant keep on top of it to be honest. The clover is an ebarisment . I suppose I could put cows on it and use the foot holes to play golf with
Your spray dont kill Fat Hen either , the topper kills then dead
It dont kill red leg either. Not much it does kill apart from spuds and docks

 

[Jim75]

What's the difference to topping and grazing as long as it dont leave much behind. I'm interested. I mowed my new lawn 3 times already . Not a weed in sight . I cant keep on top of it to be honest. The clover is an ebarisment . I suppose I could put cows on it and use the foot holes to play golf with
Your spray dont kill Fat Hen either , the topper kills then dead

Just my opinion, I wouldn’t take a machine that’s gonna pound the hell out of young grass. In and out quickly with large numbers of sheep. If you’re topping first year grass that’d be a failure.

 

[milkloss]

I’d spray it. Sheep too soon will tiller it but also could b4gger it up if they start pulling on it. The tillering will only hide the gaps left by weeds and sheep damage but will leave a thicker ley.
Polo and a shot of fluroxy will sort all those weeds (fat hen included!) and all that expensive seed will have a fighting chance

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just my opinion, I wouldn’t take a machine that’s gonna pound the hell out of young grass. In and out quickly with large numbers of sheep. If you’re topping first year grass that’d be a failure.

I would choose that option but lands not fenced for sheep. But even then if sheep left any weeds I would top them off

 

[dunk999]

No I grew forage brassicas in it last 2 years. Was grass all my life. Sprayed it off in 2018 and direct drilled them in. Worked very well. There was still a lot of turf so I did the same last year. This year sprayed it off and gave it a good discing and then it was sown with an opico and then flat rolled
Edit: It's quite a low wet field and my father says he ploughed it once and it took years to get firm and advised me never to plough it

Did you take any photos of the direct reseed process in 2018? I've tried it in a field of permanent grass this year sprayed off and drilled a couple days later with a moore drill with forage rape. Three weeks on the only plants germinated are on the bare patches of ground (flat mole heaps/rabbit holes) and an odd plant coming through the dead grass now. I wondered if this was normal or another of my disasters?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Did you take any photos of the direct reseed process in 2018? I've tried it in a field of permanent grass this year sprayed off and drilled a couple days later with a moore drill with forage rape. Three weeks on the only plants germinated are on the bare patches of ground (flat mole heaps/rabbit holes) and an odd plant coming through the dead grass now. I wondered if this was normal or another of my disasters?

I put rape in with grass . Plough and reseed, the grass come well .no rape worth taking a about . Did it come though and the heat kill it . I have no idea. But it's gone somewhere

 

[scrubbuster]

Did you take any photos of the direct reseed process in 2018? I've tried it in a field of permanent grass this year sprayed off and drilled a couple days later with a moore drill with forage rape. Three weeks on the only plants germinated are on the bare patches of ground (flat mole heaps/rabbit holes) and an odd plant coming through the dead grass now. I wondered if this was normal or another of my disasters?

I will have somewhere. I will have a look. Worked well in 18. Not so well last year but that's understandable

 

[scrubbuster]

Did you take any photos of the direct reseed process in 2018? I've tried it in a field of permanent grass this year sprayed off and drilled a couple days later with a moore drill with forage rape. Three weeks on the only plants germinated are on the bare patches of ground (flat mole heaps/rabbit holes) and an odd plant coming through the dead grass now. I wondered if this was normal or another of my disasters?

I may have ones of it at a later stage I will look. Kept a lot of hoggs going

 

[dunk999]

I may have ones of it at a later stage I will look. Kept a lot of hoggs going View attachment 889134View attachment 889135View attachment 889136

Brilliant result!! Do you remember the germination time. My seed has been in the ground 3 weeks and not a lot to be seen in the dead grass areas.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Brilliant result!! Do you remember the germination time. My seed has been in the ground 3 weeks and not a lot to be seen in the dead grass areas.

Only thing I'm thinking has it been drilled to deep , I was told grass die back does not effect forage crops like it does grass

 

[dunk999]

Only thing I'm thinking has it been drilled to deep , I was told grass die back does not effect forage crops like it does grass

My exact thoughts aswell!! Question is will it make it through but just take longer or remain in the ground?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

My exact thoughts aswell!! Question is will it make it through but just take longer or remain in the ground?

Plenty early enough give it another few weeks

 

[dunk999]

Plenty early enough give it another few weeks

Cheers will do.

 

[scrubbuster]

I wouldn't lose all hope. This is an experiment I did in 2018. The left is DD and the right was rotavated and broadcast. Weather turned very dry and the rotavated bit seemed a disaster but it did catch up and but the time I was grazing it there was very little difference in feed amount I don't think. There were less plants but they were bigger and stronger

 

[M-J-G]

A spring reseed is a gift as far as killing docks is concerned.
I haven't put clover in a reseed for about 10 years, I stitch clover in after weed control is carried out, which is well worth it when you consider how expensive and ineffective clover safe products are.

I try not to cut grass in it's first season if possible, it gives undesirable species a better chance to establish by weakening root structure and limited tillering.

I'd wait for a strong flush of weeds, the down side is that it will take more water per ha I'd the canopy gets heavier.
I rarely go with less than 200lt when spraying thick grass, and sometimes go to as much as 300lt.