Grass seeding conundrum.

[Karliboy]

Right guys here’s my conundrum.

I’ve got some very steep undulating pasture that doesn’t grow grass very well and is only used for cattle grazing.
at the moment due to neglect and quite mossy. So I’m guessing acidic in ph.
Soil depth is very shallow before hitting shale and can bake off in a month without rain.

I’m in the process of starting ph testing and getting prilled lime as can’t get the big spreaders of today onto the land/Farm To start and correct ph levels.

I can drag Harrow most of the places I can get with the spinner probably about 7 to 8 acres

Here’s the but.

I’m thinking of some sort of grass seed to throw on too
what would people recommend types and brands for the above type of land.

Big problem is I can’t roll it as land is to steep/rough to keep roller in contact with ground.
Should I just put seed on with spinner before harrowing? And hope for the best. ?

Could I put seed in with the prilled lime at the same time? And hope for the best.

Or Could I throw seed in barrel spreader with dung. To spread out together. Hopefully give the seed some moisture and cover from birds. And hope for the best.

Only keep about about 20 cows plus calves on it but they get taken off every 4/5 weeks for strip grazing elsewhere on Farm and eating field edges after cutting then back on it after say 3 weeks
So I do need to keep it working also. As I need it all summer.
Would I be best holding out until the back end of this year before I do anything maybe to let things establish over winter ?

Cheers for all help and ideas/input up front.

 

[Will Blackburn]

Mixing with pulled lime would be disaster. The lime will go 30 metres while the seed would go 5 metres.

 

[Chris123]

Harrow it to death
Spin seed on
light harrow to bury the seed a bit and run a big mob of sheep on it for a day to tread it in

 

[Karliboy]

Mixing with pulled lime would be disaster. The lime will go 30 metres while the seed would go 5 metres.

Good point

 

[Karliboy]

Harrow it to death
Spin seed on
light harrow to bury the seed a bit and run a big mob of sheep on it for a day to tread it in

Sadly don’t have any sheep and it’s not fit for them as to many Hawthorne and brambles

 

[Larel]

Cant see how you would get a reliable spread by putting the seed in a barrel spreader either.

 

[Karliboy]

Cant see how you would get a reliable spread by putting the seed in a barrel spreader either.

Agreed
it was more of a case of getting it on and taking a chance
I know how many loads roughly each area takes and roughly how big the areas area so was just thinking I could throw it in spread with each bucket full.
It doesn’t have to look pretty where it is.

I know it’s sounds daft but I’m prepared to risk 2/3 hundred quid on seed even for a marginal improvement.

 

[Chris123]

Why not spend the money on lime to correct the ph,
Spray to get rid of the brambles and fertiliser to encourage any grass that is there to kick on.
Chucking grass seed on it if it’s that bad isn’t going to give much if any return for the money you spend

 

[Kidds]

I have spread lime with a MF35 and a wagtail and would happily do so again if I needed to.
Buy some lime and do it yourself, prilled lime has its place but this isn't it.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Spray it with roundup and find a contractor with a min till drill .These hill boys will go almost anywhere

 

[Karliboy]

I have spread lime with a MF35 and a wagtail and would happily do so again if I needed to.
Buy some lime and do it yourself, prilled lime has its place but this isn't it.

I’m surprised it went through a wag tail ??

 

[Karliboy]

Some readings says prilled are better now but i am not savy on that side of things.

And I’m not up on seeding either that’s why I’m here looking for input and education.

 

[Karliboy]

Spray it with roundup and find a contractor with a min till drill .These hill boys will go almost anywhere

I never seen min till let alone thought about it.
Farm tracks are only 10ft wide at best. Would these machines fit bearing in mind it’s only for say 8 acre and I know no one around West Yorkshire pennies with one. ??

 

[Kidds]

I’m surprised it went through a wag tail ??

Not saying it was perfect but will have been a lot better than prilled stuff anyway.
I've done acres with a bucket and cup, the wagtail was a big step up from that.

 

[ajcc]

Harrow it to death
Spin seed on
light harrow to bury the seed a bit and run a big mob of sheep on it for a day to tread it in

But wait til sept when moisture more reliable and use viralent Italian ryegrass.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

But wait til sept when moisture more reliable .

This, or mid August perhaps depending on your climate.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I never seen min till let alone thought about it.
Farm tracks are only 10ft wide at best. Would these machines fit bearing in mind it’s only for say 8 acre and I know no one around West Yorkshire pennies with one. ??

They can bring it on a trailer .
Other than that spray it and drag a disc over it then harrow the seed in .give the spray time to work first . You could spread 8 acres with a bucket by hand in no time

 

[Old Tip]

Agree with the last two posts, much better to do it in the late summer and preferably when it gives a damp spell. If you can get some lime on now soon then graze it hard just before you want to put the seed on. Harrow it to death or see if you can get hold of a turbo tiller as it will chop it up a bit more, then harrow. I would use a specific oversowing grass seed mix and maybe add some forage rape or stubble turnips as a cover crop. Spread by hand if you haven’t got a fert spreader if you can get a few folk to help it doesn’t take long at all. Give a light harrow and if you can get hold of an old horse roller it will be light enough to pull but be heavy enough to to get a good contact for the seed, then pray for rain.
I’ve done a lot of hill ground like this and it’s worth while if you manage it well afterwards by keeping on top of the lime and rotating the grazing so it never gets too hammered. You will be amazed how much more stock it will carry if it works

 

[hally]

I would bite the bullet and do it properly
Roundup full rate
Lime 2ton
Leave a couple of weeks
Hire a rotavator and do it twice
Sow grass seeds to match land and system would recommend Timothy and meadow/red rescue with the ryegrass and clover to handle hill ground for a few years
Broadcast or drill which ever easiet it matters not
Light harrow and fert correcting any p/k deficiency
Everything else on poor hill ground is a compromise been there done that

 

[Karliboy]

This is the type off land I have to work with
Currently out getting some muck on it while it’s dry enough to get up and down those hills
And cows are off it for a month.