Grass Condition.

[D Zaster]

New Farmer thrown in at the deep end.

Grass is longer than ideally wanted at this time of year and is yellowing at the base.
Been very wet ground through winter.

Usually have sheep on the grounds begining of year but circumstances didn't allow.

The intended crop is hay but can not cut until July.

Sheep can arrive now, but is it to late for there to be a good crop by July?
Fertiliser is not applied.

Will the grass be better left now?
or does something need to be done with it?

Thank you.

 

[AngusLad]

New Farmer thrown in at the deep end.

Grass is longer than ideally wanted at this time of year and is yellowing at the base.
Been very wet ground through winter.

Usually have sheep on the grounds begining of year but circumstances didn't allow.

The intended crop is hay but can not cut until July.

Sheep can arrive now, but is it to late for there to be a good crop by July?
Fertiliser is not applied.

Will the grass be better left now?
or does something need to be done with it?

Thank you.

Chuck a heap of sheep on it and chew it off. Will come back stronger and better for it. Plenty time before July yet

 

[Kiwi Pete]

As above have at it

 

[D Zaster]

Thank you. Much appreciated.
Just want to make it clear that ee are located SW England.
Incase that may impact any thoughts?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Thank you. Much appreciated.
Just want to make it clear that ee are located SW England.
Incase that may impact any thoughts?

I wouldn't think so.

General rules of thumb on this farm is that it's good to graze when there's fresh yellow litter in the bottom, and plants look like "ungrazed plants"

Obviously where it's wetter then you can get away with more, right up until it bites you in the buttocks, but the thinking behind the "fresh yellow litter" part is that there is something left to protect and feed the soil after grazing.
Thus my "have at it" means graze it as well as you dare graze it, don't worry about leaving anything as that will happen regardless.

And the "looks like an ungrazed plant" gives a rough measure of recovery periods, which are almost always too short.
It might be 4 or 5 months and it might be 9, this is how farms run out of feed, by grazing regrowth almost constantly and pretending something else is the problem

 

[Northern territory]

We always reckon sheep off by 10th of May, hay crop by early July. Up north as well so you may have faster growth where you are.