Freshening up grass

[saly123]

Looking to freshen up a field of grass and maybe bulk it up abit for next year. Has anybody direct drilled grass seed into existing grass or would the grass that’s there smother it.? The field will be cut for silage in a week/10days. Wondering what’s the best way. Would a vaderstad drill with just the discs be able to do it.?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Direct drill it in straight after you’ve taken the crop off the field.
Apply lime if testing suggests

 

[Cocomac]

Only done it on grazing fields but it seemed to work well enough. Big thing is to not let the existing grass smother the new grass. We did ours by grazing hard, drilling then grazing again till you could see the new grass germinating then cows off for 3/4 weeks to let the new grass get established. Would imagine into stubble you wouldn’t need to bother with that just bang it in.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Is it a grazing or cutting field ?

 

[saly123]

Is it a grazing or cutting field ?

It’s used for both. But it’s been locked of as not needed.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Be starting to get a bit late for a lot of stuff then but Hybrid Ryegrass comes quick and you can go a bit later than Perennial Ryegrass

 

[Al R]

Be starting to get a bit late for a lot of stuff then but Hybrid Ryegrass comes quick and you can go a bit later than Perennial Ryegrass

Not with him it won’t.
@saly123 theres a Vredo DD grass drill with James in Hayscastle, did a few hundred acre for me a few years ago late September and did 1 hell of a good job

 

[saly123]

Not with him it won’t.
@saly123 theres a Vredo DD grass drill with James in Hayscastle, did a few hundred acre for me a few years ago late September and did 1 hell of a good job

What did you drill it into.? Did you keep grazing it until the new seeds came through.?

 

[Al R]

What did you drill it into.? Did you keep grazing it until the new seeds came through.?

Mix of new and old leys, at home then so couldn’t roundup but the drought that year was as good as roundup, grazed very tight until 4-5 days after sowing. I did put chicory and plantain in at a small amount so it was obvious to see it coming up

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Not with him it won’t.
@saly123 theres a Vredo DD grass drill with James in Hayscastle, did a few hundred acre for me a few years ago late September and did 1 hell of a good job

Is a bit milder down there ,problem is with overseeding it needs to be quick out , grass seed is already slowing down , some years you get exceptions as no years ever the same ,but its cold a wet up here , seed cant cope with both together ,
In the overseeding trails, Hybrid Ryegrass was quicker than anything bar Italian and Westerwolds

 

[sheepdogtrail]

Looking to freshen up a field of grass and maybe bulk it up abit for next year. Has anybody direct drilled grass seed into existing grass or would the grass that’s there smother it.? The field will be cut for silage in a week/10days. Wondering what’s the best way. Would a vaderstad drill with just the discs be able to do it.?

What percentage of the existing pasture is in poa annual? If it is a high percentage you are f**ked without spraying first. Annual Bluegrass is just waking up from a long summers nap. Cloudy, rainy and cool days are its reproductive time frame. It will set out new runners that are allelopathic to grass seed germination and act as growth inhibitor on any thing that tries to set up shop.

A DD is a great tool for doing this in the summer when poa annual is dominate. With chemicals it can be done now.

If you are putting in new Lolium species or even cultivar into a prominent Lolium paddock then it does not matter. Do it when the paddock you are hoping to improve is at its weakest point of the year. And pray. That has never hurt.

 

[saly123]

I’ll have to double check what exactly it is but pretty certain it’s westrrwold. It’s in the bag in the shed as didn’t get it in last year after the maize. Thought it might freshen it and bulk it up abit for next year as it will probably be ploughed the following spring.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I’ll have to double check what exactly it is but pretty certain it’s westrrwold. It’s in the bag in the shed as didn’t get it in last year after the maize. Thought it might freshen it and bulk it up abit for next year as it will probably be ploughed the following spring.

Westerwolds will grow well into october ,its the king of overseeds

 

[saly123]

Westerwolds will grow well into october ,its the king of overseeds

This is the seed I have. What rate would anybody suggest of overseeding.?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

12 kg acre Westerwolds, no less especialy if its a Tertraploid ,17 to 18 kg Full Rate
Perennials 10 kg

 

[som farmer]

Use a aggressive IRG or W/Wold, and don't drill to deep.
vaderstaat is fine.

could be a cheap way to maintain older leys, 10kg w/wold dd into them every year, damn sight cheaper than ploughing and working down, for a 'proper' reseed, or to extend a leys life, for an extra year or two.

we shall soon, hopefully, be dd'ing w/wold and vetch, into corn stubble, to get the winter cover payment. £60 more than pay's for the seed, have the drill, and a nice early cut of silage.