Herbal ley seed

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Got a herbal ley to put into an IRG ley that was reseeded last year after cultivation, and had poor establishment during last wet Autumn. Light land but poorly drained and holds water in winter.

Field has a history of wireworm/leather jackets. I want to avoid cultivation again for this purpose, plus I would rather not terminate the IRG that did establish, after just one year. Field has just had its first cut off. Flat rolled the field in the spring to try and consolidate the surface.

Bit of a head scratcher. Have an Erth Agriseeder which I plan on using after second cut in probably mid August to sow the herbal ley, hopefully the IRG will have slowed down enough to let the new seedlings through the thin sward.

Or could spray it off if we have to. I don't want to waste the seed.

Also have a Mzuri but the rows are 33cm with low disturbance points on, plus it would loosen up the ground to make life easier for the soil pests.

New to over seeding so don't really know what's possible.
Overseeding is a chalange, even more so with seeds that are slow to germinate, you need ideal growing conditions and at the same time stop the grass coming back, don't go in much later as herbs and clovers need a higher temperature to germinate than grass
 

E_B

Member
Location
Norfolk
Has your herb ley got grass seed in as you will be doubling up if it as

Mostly this, originally intended for last year:

PXL_20210603_081858512.jpg


And a bit of this:

PXL_20210603_081905976.jpg


The existing sward is poor so a bit more grass wouldn't hurt. Is for GS4 purposes but could potentially graze or make silage during the allowed times.

It rained last night. Have had a chat today and might forsake the second cut of IRG and stitch it in with the Erth tomorrow. It seems leaving it until August would be a bit late for the herbs.

Flat roll behind and see what happens. The area of newly mowed weeds in the over winter bare patches worry me as I was hoping to have had them taken care of. But we will be planting more than our required area so will have enough if those areas fail.

It's a stab in the dark to be honest, thanks for the advice. Got enough seed to go fairly heavy with the seed rate.
 

Great In Grass

Member
Location
Cornwall.
Mostly this, originally intended for last year:

View attachment 965183

And a bit of this:

View attachment 965190

The existing sward is poor so a bit more grass wouldn't hurt. Is for GS4 purposes but could potentially graze or make silage during the allowed times.

It rained last night. Have had a chat today and might forsake the second cut of IRG and stitch it in with the Erth tomorrow. It seems leaving it until August would be a bit late for the herbs.

Flat roll behind and see what happens. The area of newly mowed weeds in the over winter bare patches worry me as I was hoping to have had them taken care of. But we will be planting more than our required area so will have enough if those areas fail.

It's a stab in the dark to be honest, thanks for the advice. Got enough seed to go fairly heavy with the seed rate.
Is the existing sward poor due to the Leatherjackets/Wireworm?
 

E_B

Member
Location
Norfolk
Is the existing sward poor due to the Leatherjackets/Wireworm?

I think it was a combination, the cultivation left it too loose and unconsolidated, with the wet weather starting on the 23rd September. The headlands established okay.

Another cultivated reseed also struggled in the wet when normally we can get it to grow okay on there. A temporary ley that we drilled straight into stubble on another field with a KV tine drill did fine.

Who knows. Hoping to eliminated cultivations now we have an overseeder.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
I think it was a combination, the cultivation left it too loose and unconsolidated, with the wet weather starting on the 23rd September. The headlands established okay.

Another cultivated reseed also struggled in the wet when normally we can get it to grow okay on there. A temporary ley that we drilled straight into stubble on another field with a KV tine drill did fine.

Who knows. Hoping to eliminated cultivations now we have an overseeder.
The weather was dreadful after early September , wet and cold ,only grass that really got going here were Hybrids, Westerwolds and Festuloliums , it's a challenge reseeding sometimes
 

Great In Grass

Member
Location
Cornwall.
I think it was a combination, the cultivation left it too loose and unconsolidated, with the wet weather starting on the 23rd September. The headlands established okay.

Another cultivated reseed also struggled in the wet when normally we can get it to grow okay on there. A temporary ley that we drilled straight into stubble on another field with a KV tine drill did fine.

Who knows. Hoping to eliminated cultivations now we have an overseeder.
You will know if you go looking for the critters by digging a few holes. I wouldn't advocate sowing grass or herbal ley into the ground holding Leatjackets/Wireworm they will decimate the plants.
 
we buy off Cotswolds and Western Seeds.

Im happy with our herbal it really withstands our drought and even though in South Wales we are close to West Country and we can be dry here. While the other grass fields look sad the depth of root with the herbal glows. When I had my house cow on there the cream produced doubled.

Saying that it can be a wet field (platters flat off hill) and I've never really checked to see what herbs didnt/dont thrive in this field. What I should do is get a sheet to see which thrives and what fails.
 

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