Establishing clover in grassland

[som farmer]

View attachment 1140753View attachment 1140755
3 passes with tine harrow
Conditions have been far from ideal. Hardly a day witout rain and very litte sun
Did not get chance to try the Tine Drill here
B

the reseed we did, dropped the %of grass seed, chicory plantain and clover stayed the same.

difference is huge, herbs and clover gone mad. One should think the grass at normal rate, is holding the herbs back,

ley drilled into wheat stubble, with vadarstaat drill 2 passes cross drilled, and ring rolled. Plant density is fine,

 

[Derrick Hughes]

That was just a trail oveseeding herbs and clover into an old ley , the disc drill coming out very poor with alsmost everything getting swampted out

 

[Kevtherev]

The tine drill with the baker boot system although a less pleasing to the eye finish will give better results than a disc only drill due to the fact it prunes the roots of the existing grasses and leaves a mini seed bed for the new grass or clover.
Best results for clover I find are after a cut of silage or a very hard grazing.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

This was after a silage cut but grass is growing so fast

 

[Kevtherev]

This was after a silage cut but grass is growing so fast

Should be able to put some sheep in and graze carefully over a day or so then pull them off.

 

[Hill Ground]

So I would like to try and up the clover in some old pp next spring. Possibly to line up with sfi option num2.
We're a dog and stick operation so assume no equipment readily to hand!
We're fairly new to this block, We had a reseed done 3 years ago, and it turns out the thistles seed weed bank takes some believing!! 3 years of thistlex and We're basically back on top of it. So want to avoid to much soil disturbance.

Is there actual proof that putting clover seed in sheep's feed can up the clover in a field, or is it just wishful thinking?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

So I would like to try and up the clover in some old pp next spring. Possibly to line up with sfi option num2.
We're a dog and stick operation so assume no equipment readily to hand!
We're fairly new to this block, We had a reseed done 3 years ago, and it turns out the thistles seed weed bank takes some believing!! 3 years of thistlex and We're basically back on top of it. So want to avoid to much soil disturbance.

Is there actual proof that putting clover seed in sheep's feed can up the clover in a field, or is it just wishful thinking?

Of all the methods ive tried apart from spraying roundup an agressive tyne harrow as been most successful ,

 

[Hill Ground]

Of all the methods ive tried apart from spraying roundup an agressive tyne harrow as been most successful ,

Thanks.
With the resend I sprayed off in March, stitched in turnips in April, with the plan to graze at weaning, then autumn reseed. Turnips came, but we're hammered by flea beatles, written off.
Proceeded with grass, clover and chicory reseed, all came well, along with a matt of thistles.

I'm very wary of making a similar mistake again!!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Its a new block i think you said, its hard when you dont know the history of ground, but the best way to clean weeds out is put grass in without clover , use a cheap spray to clean the weeds out then overseed at a later datë

 

[Hill Ground]

Its a new block i think you said, its hard when you dont know the history of ground, but the best way to clean weeds out is put grass in without clover , use a cheap spray to clean the weeds out then overseed at a later datë

So you wouldn't try and add clover to existing pp, you'd spray off and start completely fresh?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

So you wouldn't try and add clover to existing pp, you'd spray off and start completely fresh?

No ,I do a fair bit into pasture , if the pasture is worth saving ,but its no how you put the seed on that matters ,its stopping the grass from swamping it out thats the isue before it gets established

 

[Hill Ground]

No ,I do a fair bit into pasture , if the pasture is worth saving ,but its no how you put the seed on that matters ,its stopping the grass from swamping it out thats the isue before it gets established

I was hoping to overgraze with ewes prelambing, probably feeding on it too, to expose some soil. Get the seed on and move ewes off to lambing paddocks 1st April, graze carefully after lambing?

Or has anyone just kept putting seed in the feed, or the lick buckets and got anywhere with it? Thinking seed embedded in muck might get going without having to expose to much soil and weed seeds.

Pastures are weed free ATM, don't want a repeat of the last balls up!!

 

[som farmer]

the theory of seed passing through the animal looks sound, ideal in fact.
but never had a lot of success doing it, we have a small very thin soiled field, that we often feed calves in, been adding clover to their feed, on/off for years, either it doesn't work, or the field won't grow clover !

we usually over seed after either a cut, or tight graze, using our own vaderstaat drill, it makes a tilth, and covers the seed, we add herbs as well, not completely fool proof, if grass growth is quick, less effective ! Sometimes leave stock in, for a few days after, to help the seed.

also think clover is an opportunist seed, it can wait until conditions are ideal. The one certain fact, its a fantastic plant to have in a ley !

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I was hoping to overgraze with ewes prelambing, probably feeding on it too, to expose some soil. Get the seed on and move ewes off to lambing paddocks 1st April, graze carefully after lambing?

Or has anyone just kept putting seed in the feed, or the lick buckets and got anywhere with it? Thinking seed embedded in muck might get going without having to expose to much soil and weed seeds.

Pastures are weed free ATM, don't want a repeat of the last balls up!!

I have a customer thats been doing it for years , takes a bag of half red half white ,must work or he would not contnue to do it
My my preference wouod be to harrow it into the fields you decribe above in early April if the weather suits , better suited for grazing fields though so you can keep ontop of the grass as its getting established

 

[always busy]

I was hoping to overgraze with ewes prelambing, probably feeding on it too, to expose some soil. Get the seed on and move ewes off to lambing paddocks 1st April, graze carefully after lambing?

Or has anyone just kept putting seed in the feed, or the lick buckets and got anywhere with it? Thinking seed embedded in muck might get going without having to expose to much soil and weed seeds.

Pastures are weed free ATM, don't want a repeat of the last balls up!!

Wee either graze bare april or take a crop silage june, either way we put it on 1.5 kg acre with fert spreader running at 6m wide. then flat roll. don't see much for a few months, then next season a carpet of clover, and not expensive .