grass variety and type of sowing
- Thread starter Franc
- Start date
- Location
- Ceredigion
Where do you farm Franc
M-J-G
Member
We include Cocksfoot in most of our cutting and grazing over the past 15 years, despite some of the "woodchip" comments in the past from some of the more closed minded and uneducated members of TFF.Cocksfoot
Grows like a weed, and drinks glysophate for kicks
We're finding that our more conventional PRG/Timothy leys are totally outmatched in more extreme dry and wet conditions by more diverse mixes.
Green Grass
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
Have a look at barelite tall fescue, for something bit different, great root structure.
- Location
- Cornwall.
As @Green Grass has said Barelite and Bardoux Tall Fescues are excellent varieties to use within a mix.
Others have mentioned Cocksfoot and the new late emergence variety "Archibaldi" is well worth a look at. Animals love it due to one of its traits being high in sugar.
Others have mentioned Cocksfoot and the new late emergence variety "Archibaldi" is well worth a look at. Animals love it due to one of its traits being high in sugar.
M-J-G
Member
We've got tall Fescue in our more recent leys along with Cocksfoot and Plantain in with Ryegrass, hybrids and Timothy
- Location
- Ceredigion
Without knowing more its hard to say
But we have land that gets waterlogged over the winter , if you want a long lasting mix that will take punishment but yield well then i would be sowing a mix of White Clover Late Diploid Perrenial Ryegrass and Timothy
I have this on a 50 acre block and after 8 years its better than ever
Chicory and Plantain do well on the drier land here , but they dont do very well on the land that waterloggs
But for all i know you could be high up in the Brecon Beacons Lol
Without knowing more or seeing it. its hard to say how you should go about seeding it
We do have a team that does on farm vissits that are free with no obligation what so ever to buy anthing , depending where you are , just happy to help
M-J-G
Member
Oh but didn't you know that Cocksfoot is only for growing in the desert and you'd be better off growing willow, at least that's what I've been told by someone else on here in the past.
- Location
- somerset
some of the more 'traditional' varieties, are much hardier to adverse conditions, than the prg of today. And there are the new festololium varieties.
But, those old fashioned grasses, have had some up dating, so are better than many think.
certainly our more diverse leys, are out lasting prg/w clover ones, but we are on dry ground.
But, those old fashioned grasses, have had some up dating, so are better than many think.
certainly our more diverse leys, are out lasting prg/w clover ones, but we are on dry ground.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Every farmer needs to look ito what suits his farm and system best , yours being dry ground is almost the total opposite to what suits mine , i need ground cover and persistance in a very wet winter on ground that lies wet , i also needs to be very palitable and have the ability to grow in colder tempretures , The newer Cocksfoots have improved but dont come anywhere near perrenial Ryegrass for that with D Values around 66 for Cocksfoot , Perrenial Ryegrass 75 in comparison
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- Location
- somerset
came to the conclusion, its better to grow 2nd quality grasses, rather than 1st class varieties that may, or may not grow.
ready made ley mixes, are a compromise, a good one, but the ideal is to produce one, that suits each farm.
if climate is changing, as we are told it is, that will change what grasses/crops we will grow, it could well be a good thing for ag.
you never know, we might be growing fruit outside, and exporting it !
while the zealots preach as if the climate is going to change tomorrow, if we don't do SOMETHING, we all know it will be a gradual change, and our farming will evolve with it.
But, the drier parts of the uk, are noticing a difference, and we need to act on that.
ready made ley mixes, are a compromise, a good one, but the ideal is to produce one, that suits each farm.
if climate is changing, as we are told it is, that will change what grasses/crops we will grow, it could well be a good thing for ag.
you never know, we might be growing fruit outside, and exporting it !
while the zealots preach as if the climate is going to change tomorrow, if we don't do SOMETHING, we all know it will be a gradual change, and our farming will evolve with it.
But, the drier parts of the uk, are noticing a difference, and we need to act on that.
- Location
- Ceredigion
100% yes,its so imprtant for a farmer who does not have any understanding of varrietes to speak to someone who does about thier farm and system
We have no idea about the ops so almost lost realy apart from it being wet in winter
If he does decide to reply then we may learn a bit more
We have no idea about the ops so almost lost realy apart from it being wet in winter
If he does decide to reply then we may learn a bit more
Thanks
My Farm is in France In the marshlands of Brittany. So our land that gets waterlogged over the winter. but the type of soil is peat, so it is very filtering.
I would like to sow a mix of varieties. Now my system is "organic" but next year I will change to be conventional.
And I would like to know what is your experiences about the sowing.
do you over-seed?
or if you use glyphosate, do you direct seed without tillage?
Thank you for your initial responses
Burn it off with glysophate
Lime it to bring pH up to 6 (much higher and you lock up too many minerals in peat), and to neutralise the old grass as it rots
Slots seed when there's rain coming
Tall fescue, cocksfoot, creeping red fescue, diploid ryegrass, and clover in the seed mix. Many are also including plantain and chicory, but they aren't persistent, and you need to be careful of excessive grazing
Apply phosphate and potash to bring soil indices up if necessary, and in addition for root establishment, apply 30kg/ha phosphate and potash
- Location
- Ceredigion
Hi , Thanks for your reply
Few more questions sorry
What stock do you keep , do you winter graze and do you cut and graze the same fields ?
I do Direct Drill and Overseed but rarely do that without some form of surface tillage as well
Part of our farm is Peat of Blue Clay so have to be carefull over the winter , Clover seems to Thrive althought its a very shallow peat
Oveseeding and Burning off are two extact opposites , try and explain what you have already what you want to achieve and if any of what you have is worth saving
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LuckyEleven
Member
- Location
- Brittany
I was going to guess France from the name and sentence construction.
I'm in Brittany too, Mid Finistere actually.
Just added info for others, Annual rainfall is around 1m, warm, wet winters and mostly mildly acidic soils.
I'm in Brittany too, Mid Finistere actually.
Just added info for others, Annual rainfall is around 1m, warm, wet winters and mostly mildly acidic soils.
- Location
- South Molton
That's the funniest thing I've heard this year.....now where are those photos you posted........
- Location
- South Molton
Off topic sorry.
Why the change? EU has target of 30% of land to be organic....rather than following the market.
- Location
- Ceredigion
This is taken from the Germinal Seeds Website
Its more or less how we do it here. I would do most of that when Burning off as well , but without the grazing after
Germinal Seeds
Seed-to-soil contact is particularly important when overseeding and soil must be visible when sowing or seeds will struggle to germinate. Start by either grazing down the pasture tightly or taking a heavy silage cut. This helps reduce competition between new seedlings and the existing sward.
It is important to harrow hard into the old pasture to open the sward up, remove thatch and help create some tilth. Seed can then be broadcast and rolled. Sow at 25 kg/ha (10 kg/acre) at a sowing depth of about 15 mm.
As a rule of thumb, avoid drilling seeds deeper than one and half times the size of the seed. Direct drilling can work, but you must harrow well and roll to press the seed in.
Immediately after sowing, leave stock in for about a week to keep the old sward grazed off. At the first signs of germination, remove livestock and monitor the establishing seedlings carefully.
Graze lightly once seedlings have reached the three-leaf stage or 7-10 cm and stand the ‘pull test’ (for example, it can’t easily be pulled out of the ground, to aid tillering