gs4 legume and herb rich

spin cycle

Member
Location
north norfolk
anyone grow this?.....whats it like to establish/weed control?.....can it make hay?...though nutrient depletion could be a problem :scratchhead: .......grazing wise what sorta lsu can it reasonably support without falling foul of regs:scratchhead:
 

Dragon

Member
Location
Cornwall
I take 1cut 30 acres of a gs4,
We apply slurry via umbilical hose (3km from lagoon)
It grew 7.5t acre of silage suitable for dry cows.
I'd be paying be paying per ton of silage on dm basis.
Farmer happy because not removing nutrients also has grazing before and after for his sheep.
Putting another 25 acres into gs4 next year.
 
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Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
It is tricky to get established.
The last two years we have had total failures, mostly due to dry weather last year and this year we planted it at the end of March when it was perfect conditions, but 5 weeks of frosts after that finished it off.
Thistles are a problem.
When it is good it is very good!
 

Jimdog1

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Devon
fat hen would be nightmare here....i wonder if overseed into tired ley might be better :scratchhead:
It was very dry and grass took a while to get going. Fat hen came out of nowhere and exploded. I should have stocked it hard before it got too tall. Ended up cutting and baling to clear.🙁
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
It is tricky to get established.
The last two years we have had total failures, mostly due to dry weather last year and this year we planted it at the end of March when it was perfect conditions, but 5 weeks of frosts after that finished it off.
Thistles are a problem.
When it is good it is very good!

I feel your pain. Best done post-Harvest if able IME....
 

spin cycle

Member
Location
north norfolk
I feel your pain. Best done post-Harvest if able IME....

post harvest seems best idea weed control wise.....would you claim for it in first year if not sown at claim time :scratchhead: ....i suppose you'd do one a those forms to say you were going to it then submit:scratchhead:


perhaps nectar plots better......feckin awful but you need less:scratchhead:
 

Samcowman

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cornwall
post harvest seems best idea weed control wise.....would you claim for it in first year if not sown at claim time :scratchhead: ....i suppose you'd do one a those forms to say you were going to it then submit:scratchhead:


perhaps nectar plots better......feckin awful but you need less:scratchhead:
GS4 only has to go in in the first 12 months so plenty of time to put it in. Have got 10 acres going in DD into sprayed off grass ley in the next couple of weeks then more in the autumn into arable and also grass ley.
 

Samcowman

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cornwall
What's your soil type , we do a heavy to normal soil gs4 without Lucerne and Sanfoin that's easier to establish, if I've got a weedy field , then get it ready to sow and leave it for the fat hen to geminate first take that out with a light spray then sow
Definitely worth tailoring the mix to soil type. Chose a mix without Lucerne and sainfoin for that very reason.
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
You have a whole year to plant it in the first year of your Stewardship agreement. So you can take an arable crop off and plant it in the Autumn.
I established mine by broadcasting with a Slug Pelleter onto a seedbed. You may need to top it in that first Autumn.
You can apply P&K, but not N.
I take 2 cuts from it each year, in June/July and September. The Rules say it must be left 6 weeks, between cuts.

I’m in year 5 of mine now. This is the cut we took in Mid June this year.
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4CA98703-1466-460C-A4A0-702E41C01963.jpeg


The 2nd always has much more clover in it.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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