Fertilizer on Reseed

[foxirl]

Reseeded filed last September. Was in barley before this. About 25 acres. Soil tested before hand and PH was 6.6, P was level 3 and K was level 4 so all good on that front.
Had 30 sheep on it since middle of October to try tiller it out. With wet weather etc not sure if grass has done well. Would have expected a nice green field at this stage but still see a lot of bare areas.

Was thinking of spreading some fert to help things along now but was wondering what should I spread.

Probably should have spread it back when reseeded but finances didn't allow at that stage. Just starting out. For the same reason I didn't get to spray for weeds after reseed so there was some prashoc and can see some chickweed now also.

Any advice welcome on the fertiliser optionns or any other pointers for it.

Thanks

 

[Pan mixer]

You have to look at the RB 209 first and develop some sort of fertilizer plan, especially if you are in an NVZ.

No P or K on those figures though, N will depend on what you will do with it, rainfall in your area, previous crops and soil type.

It is all there, just done mine today, allow several hours to work out how much to use though.

Then vote Brexit, louder than last time.

 

[neilo]

You have to look at the RB 209 first and develop some sort of fertilizer plan, especially if you are in an NVZ.

No P or K on those figures though, N will depend on what you will do with it, rainfall in your area, previous crops and soil type.

It is all there, just done mine today, allow several hours to work out how much to use though.

Then vote Brexit, louder than last time.

Will leaving Europe allow everyone to throw nitrates and slurry about with reckless abandon again, like those outwith NVZ’s can?

I saw a field tank being filled from an artic road tanker last week, at the same time as sewage sludge was being plastered onto maize stubble with an umbilical system. The fields were right on the banks of the River Severn by Welshpool, which had been out in flood the week before and still had several acres of standing water on them. There were even swans swimming round on some of it!

That’s the kind of ridiculous behaviour that brings in tighter controls in the form of NVZ’s, not Brussels.

 

[Pan mixer]

Will leaving Europe allow everyone to throw nitrates and slurry about with reckless abandon again, like those outwith NVZ’s can?

I saw a field tank being filled from an artic road tanker last week, at the same time as sewage sludge was being plastered onto maize stubble with an umbilical system. The fields were right on the banks of the River Severn by Welshpool, which had been out in flood the week before and still had several acres of standing water on them. There were even swans swimming round on some of it!

That’s the kind of ridiculous behaviour that brings in tighter controls in the form of NVZ’s, not Brussels.

I quite agree, but those of us who try to uphold the law by doing all these calculations first are the ones who always seem to be fined for not ticking some silly little box on page 42 of technical book 7 on the subject.

 

[Al R]

60/70units of N and try to get as close as you can in sulphur. There used to be a product called Yara Sulphan (not sulfan) and this had a very close 1:1 ratio of N+S.
60/70 units will give you 1 hell of a kick and should see it through until almost first cut...

 

[Devil's advocate]

Is it possible you have any frit fly or leather jacket problems? even worse wire worm?

I'd use a low rate of 27N + S (double top).

Too early for my area really.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

i would get the sheep off it .reseeds dont like feet in wet weather

 

[GTB]

As above get the sheep off and give it a rest. I wouldn't have left sheep on it over winter though you could have given it a quick graze every now and then just to help with tillering. Bit of N won't do any harm if conditions are OK to get on it with a tractor.

 

[foxirl]

Thanks all. Will try get some urea spread if it drys up a bit.

 

[foxirl]

In relation to the sheep as it was only stocked at a little over one sheep to the acre I though it would be fine but maybe I was a bit optimistic

 

[MF 168]

In relation to the sheep as it was only stocked at a little over one sheep to the acre I though it would be fine but maybe I was a bit optimistic

I wouldn't be concerned with the sheep on it especially at that low stocking rate. I'd generally always put out a 50kg bag an acre of 10:10:20+S on a reseed to help it along. Probably best now to take the sheep off it for a break and go back in later this spring and give it a light grazing and close up for silage. That'll give it a chance to tiller out. It'll clean out any weeds as well. I don't hold with spraying weeds in new grass unless it's absolutely rotten with weeds. Don't let it get to strong before cutting it as thats very hard on any grass but especially on a new pasture.

 

[neilo]

To be fair, 30 sheep on 25ac of seeds is neither here nor there. They aren't going to do much to firm the seeds, to make them tiller or to take any weeds out. You need a decent sized mob on for a short time to do much improvement. If you haven't access to them, at least you've kept those 30 for next to nothing all winter.
What's the plan for the ley for this year, grazing or silage?

 

[Recoil]

Like Neil says, i've also found it best to put a big bunch of sheep on a reseed just for a day or two at a time in dry weather (easier said than done).

 

[foxirl]

To be fair, 30 sheep on 25ac of seeds is neither here nor there. They aren't going to do much to firm the seeds, to make them tiller or to take any weeds out. You need a decent sized mob on for a short time to do much improvement. If you haven't access to them, at least you've kept those 30 for next to nothing all winter.
What's the plan for the ley for this year, grazing or silage?

Plan is to graze half and lease out other half for silage. Only starting out farming here so new to all this. Will have access to shed in 2 weeks time so will take sheep off and get some fertilizer out. Hoping weather will pick up too. Plan is to get more stock once grass improves