Grass reseed

[Kevtherev]

Id be hoping to do it in August. What can be done against leatherjackets?

Nothing much now after the ban on Dursban
You could put a brassica break crop fast leafy turnips such as Appin from Germinal GB or there are other varieties such as Jupiter hybrid turnip.
Graze off before a reseed in the autumn sept time might be an option.

 

[neilo]

Does spraying with roundup pre cutting affect quality of the grass ensiled? We do quite a bit most years, taking one decent cut start of July and into a forage with the drill chasing the forager out the field. Never seem to get the best analysis despite compared to other cutting at a similar time. Making a few changes this year but always wondered if it does?

The action of glyphosate is supposed to concentrate sugar level in the leaf, so ‘should’ improve the fodder.
I’d imagine it would break down pretty quickly after the 5 days though.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Presumably you sell the silage you take off. Is there no buyer resistance to silage made from sprayed off grass?

They are proggresive dairy farmers and want me to reseed , it no different those those who spray grain a week or so before harvest , I suppose it is different as I ask the buyer if he minds

 

[Kevtherev]

You would need to put the brassicas in 8 weeks or so before you plan to graze them

 

[neilo]

Id be hoping to do it in August. What can be done against leatherjackets?

@Breakthru ?

 

[choochter]

Nothing much now after the ban on Dursban
You could put a brassica break crop fast leafy turnips such as Appin from Germinal GB or there are other varieties such as Jupiter hybrid turnip

not really suitable as field is at far end of farm
so if you discover leatherjacket damage do you just have to go over it again with more seed?

 

[neilo]

They are proggresive dairy farmers and want me to reseed , it no different those those who spray grain a week or so before harvest , I suppose it is different as I ask the buyer if he minds

Hardly the same. Pre-harvest glyphosate on cereals has a 14 day withdrawal, not 5 days and the whole plant harvested as feed!

Fair enough though, I’d have thought most buyers would not choose to take it, given the choice.

 

[Kevtherev]

not really suitable as field is at far end of farm
so if you discover leatherjacket damage do you just have to go over it again with more seed?

They may not be present but normally are in high numbers in an old turf.
Yes they will take the seedlings out leaving bare patches.
I’ve done a lot of reseeds though and rarely had a problem with them could be luck or birds picking them off during cultivations or seasonal low numbers of crane flies.

 

[Kevtherev]

Lifted off the net a good illustration of how the little sh1!s operate

 

[serf]

They may not be present but normally are in high numbers in an old turf.
Yes they will take the seedlings out leaving bare patches.
I’ve done a lot of reseeds though and rarely had a problem with them could be luck or birds picking them off during cultivations or seasonal low numbers of crane flies.

I think that's the key now if you have time on your side , scratch the turf up and make false seedbed and watch the flock of crows and jackdaws turn the lot over looking for the grubs !

 

[Jonny_2]

Slowly working round re-seeing some 30yr old leys, our biggest problem is leather jackets and old sod. We disk a couple of times, sumo trio then combi drill. Going turnips over summer this time and then 1 year ley before back into long term grass. Might try some forage rape with the 1 year ley as well.

Ideally we would plough to get rid of old sod but our land turns up like bacon sides!

 

[crashbox]

Slowly working round re-seeing some 30yr old leys, our biggest problem is leather jackets and old sod. We disk a couple of times, sumo trio then combi drill. Going turnips over summer this time and then 1 year ley before back into long term grass. Might try some forage rape with the 1 year ley as well.

Ideally we would plough to get rid of old sod but our land turns up like bacon sides!

A friend sprays off and leaves fallow.
IMO spray off and drill brassicas; graze; min. till cultivate and sow new ley.

Unless there are compaction issues I don't see the benefits of ploughing, and even then nothing a sub-soiler/power harrow combination can't fix.

 

[Jim75]

How long did you leave it , I would still do it if it did reduce quality as it works so much better , you wait for the grass to grow back before you can spray ,then you have to remove the grass before you can drill , I lost a month in the Autumn cand messed the whole job up

Yeah that’s the main reason to do it. We usually mow on day 5, pick up the next day or day 7 at latest.

 

[choochter]

Slowly working round re-seeing some 30yr old leys, our biggest problem is leather jackets and old sod. We disk a couple of times, sumo trio then combi drill. Going turnips over summer this time and then 1 year ley before back into long term grass. Might try some forage rape with the 1 year ley as well.

Ideally we would plough to get rid of old sod but our land turns up like bacon sides!

my problem with that is that it sounds expensive

 

[Derrick Hughes]

my problem with that is that it sounds expensive

Old turf is the problem, don't look to bad when you spray then go back a week later and it looks like an Axminster carpet , i then get the Tyne Harrow on it see if I can find some soil to drill in or as a last resort the Rotorspike will sort it out , one pass and broadcast on to ,

 

[JPB]

Trying to make an effort to improve a few fields this year. Got one field I plan on making silage (or ideally hay off) going to spray off after and plan on direct drilling forage rape in as a break crop to re seed next spring. Will end of July/ august be to late for forage rape if we end up making hay on it?

 

[Breakthru]

Id be hoping to do it in August. What can be done against leatherjackets?

I sell a garlic mix that is very successful on Lj's. Also wireworm and somne nematodes. Been used by people on TFF from Orkney to S. Wales.
Wait till they have migrated from the turf to nearer the surface and then spray them. I always advise using a conditioner with the mix in case hard water effects the control. Currently £103/5ltr. Rate 1.0-1.5ltr/ha. The can says 3.0ltr/ha as a stimulant but have never had a failure yet at that rate.

 

[neilo]

Trying to make an effort to improve a few fields this year. Got one field I plan on making silage (or ideally hay off) going to spray off after and plan on direct drilling forage rape in as a break crop to re seed next spring. Will end of July/ august be to late for forage rape if we end up making hay on it?

That's when most stubble turnips/forage rape is drilled after cereal crops.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Trying to make an effort to improve a few fields this year. Got one field I plan on making silage (or ideally hay off) going to spray off after and plan on direct drilling forage rape in as a break crop to re seed next spring. Will end of July/ august be to late for forage rape if we end up making hay on it?

Start if September would be the cut off date , here anyway , for Rape and Turnips

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Trying to make an effort to improve a few fields this year. Got one field I plan on making silage (or ideally hay off) going to spray off after and plan on direct drilling forage rape in as a break crop to re seed next spring. Will end of July/ august be to late for forage rape if we end up making hay on it?

Why don't you go straight away n with grass , I know they are concerned about pests , maybe irisponsable of me to advise otherwise but been reseeding for 50 years and never had a problem, I do put a lot of seed on , not unusual to put 20 kg acre on