Failed autumn reseed

[CiderJan]

Think my autumn reseed may have failed.

We silaged field beginning August, let it regrow a bit so spray would work and sprayed off mid August with 4l/ha glyphosphate followed by grazing as tight as possible with cows. Direct drilled the field 3rd September with Erth drill at 14-15kg/acre.

Only place it has germinated is at headland. This bit looks fine so I can't blame the seed or weather.

Is it acidity from old grass breaking down causing an issue? This is 3rd autumn we've direct drilled grass in and first time we've had a problem with germination.

Not sure whether to wait and see if it comes or pitch in with some westerwolds/italian ryegrass to try and get something growing now?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

The Headlands say a lot, is it in rows or spilt seed ?

 

[som farmer]

leather jackets or other pests ?

seed drilled to deep

ph

we had a contractor drill some for us, spring 23, we were to busy, to do it ourselves, 22 acres over 3 fields, correct ph, sprayed odd, drilled with a vaderstaat, bugger all came up, except weeds, and headlands.

seed was drilled to deep, contractor said otherwise, blamed slugs, and put pellets on FOC. Difficult to prove/argue, just learn the lesson. Crimson clover kept appearing all summer.

expensive lesson to learn, especially as it gave the fecking docks a free reign, plastered with them in 1 field.

 

[CiderJan]

Harder to photograph but it is in rows on headland, bit thicker where overlap

 

[Lazy Eric]

Did you roll it after? Was it very dry up until recently? It’s like where it’s more compacted and tight it’s come .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I susspect its drilled to deep , if it was pests why would the leave a line on the headland

 

[Bury the Trash]

oh dear.

 

[ffukedfarmer]

A few years ago I got a contractor in to direct drill some ryegrass. It only came up at the beginning of each run for about 6'. Must have been before the drill reached full depth.

 

[DrDunc]

When did anyone begin to think placing grass seed down a "deep" hole was a good idea?

It's near unheard of for grass seed to fail after being scattered onto the surface of a firm fine tilth of topsoil, unless it's horribly dry, or ludicrously wet

Got a contractor in to direct drill grass here, once. Despite "perfect" conditions, the braird was so poor that the ground was ploughed and worked the next spring to permit the expensive seed be sown onto the surface where nature intended

Though just a peasant hill livestock farmer, I own the machinery necessary to work the land here. The capital has already been invested, so when comparing costs of doing it myself, or paying a contractor, the contractor works out far more expensive

Farmers used to be self sufficient, conducting all the work on their holding in house. That is still my philosophy, as is doing the job in a manner that gives the best guarantee of success

Direct drilling expensive seed does not give the best guarantee of success

 

[Bury the Trash]

When did anyone begin to think placing grass seed down a "deep" hole was a good idea?

It's near unheard of for grass seed to fail after being scattered onto the surface of a firm fine tilth of topsoil, unless it's horribly dry, or ludicrously wet

Got a contractor in to direct drill grass here, once. Despite "perfect" conditions, the braird was so poor that the ground was ploughed and worked the next spring to permit the expensive seed be sown onto the surface where nature intended

Though just a peasant hill livestock farmer, I own the machinery necessary to work the land here. The capital has already been invested, so when comparing costs of doing it myself, or paying a contractor, the contractor works out far more expensive

Farmers used to be self sufficient, conducting all the work on their holding in house. That is still my philosophy, as is doing the job in a manner that gives the best guarantee of success

Direct drilling expensive seed does not give the best guarantee of success

yes but its their own drill .


a wagtail wouldnt have atrracted grant money but then again it wouldnt have had it added on first either

 

[DrDunc]

yes but its their own drill .


a wagtail wouldnt have atrracted grant money but then again it wouldnt have had it added on first either

Ah

English machinery grant

Same thinking as being paid to grow weeds in cereal fields

Somebody in an office thought it was the right thing to do

Farmers in the field get to discover it's not

 

[milkloss]

Never had success with a disc drill here. Depth is very difficult to get right over all surfaces of a field which I suspect is your trouble. Didn’t go as deep on a firm headland. Aitchinson boot tine is far better as the groove it cuts is less reliant on depth setting.

I probably would have got some lime over it too to counteract the acid from dying vegetation. Might be worth having a dig for leatherjackets as they don’t attack the headlands quite as hard.

 

[Aardvark139]

The Simtech T-Sem is a machine that was created to reseed grass pastures, take a look at how that works as it is a little gem! If you can find a contractor with one them use them.
Otherwise I agree with the comments above, I would just use a drill to meter out the seed accurately, but sow it onto a fine surface and roll in (not deep at all!)

 

[davidroberts30]

what depth was the seed put too?
any more than 5mm is too deep imo

 

[steveR]

Never had success with a disc drill here. Depth is very difficult to get right over all surfaces of a field which I suspect is your trouble. Didn’t go as deep on a firm headland. Aitchinson boot tine is far better as the groove it cuts is less reliant on depth setting.

I probably would have got some lime over it too to counteract the acid from dying vegetation. Might be worth having a dig for leatherjackets as they don’t attack the headlands quite as hard.

Or mix some prilled lime in with the seed....

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Never had success with a disc drill here. Depth is very difficult to get right over all surfaces of a field which I suspect is your trouble. Didn’t go as deep on a firm headland. Aitchinson boot tine is far better as the groove it cuts is less reliant on depth setting.

I probably would have got some lime over it too to counteract the acid from dying vegetation. Might be worth having a dig for leatherjackets as they don’t attack the headlands quite as hard.

A disc has to go deaper if there is thatch on top or it will just leave the seed in that thatch and it will never grow ,a tine drill rips a slot in the thatch for the seed ,or on my case i go over with a tyne harrow first and rip through the thatch

 

[CiderJan]

Discs barely marked the surface so don't think too deep. Could see seeds in the slot lines from surface. We drilled a different field a week earlier but after forage rape and that has grown on well, just not happening where grass to grass.

Have done another field around 20th September and spun on some calciprill to counteract acidity but didn't have it in time to try with the earlier reseeding. The fields have received plenty of sandy muck in the past and are pH 6.5-7 so underlying fertility should be there.

Currently waiting to see if it germinates but getting a bit nervous that it won't.

 

[harperfarmer]

Do you usually go grass to grass?! I would usually go with a cereal crop for a couple of years then reestablish grass after that. Quite often following wholecrop to get early entry. I like broadcasting seed to avoid rows but equally like the accuracy of a drill metering unit, especially with expensive seed. So I tend to combi drill it but with the coulters wound right up so they are just scattering the seed on the surface ahead of the harrows.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Try going out after dark with a torch and check for slugs ,i saw a field just like that last year taken out by slugs ,he redrilled and thr slugs took it again

 

[davidroberts30]

better just set a bait trap,
slice of bread under a large plate
check next morning