Lucerne

[farmerfred86]

I want to add Lucerne into my over winter covers but have no experience with it. (Mainly for rooting ability) I'm a little concerned it is harder to kill and possibly wont add anything in the 6 month window.

Any comments on lucerne please?

 

[Will Blackburn]

Grows like a weed especially where it hasn’t been deliberately sown.

 

[4course]

we grew some on a poor patch about 12 years ago ,to be fair it wasnt a patch approx 10 acre and followed with a larger acerage on another 25 ac area for 2 year its benefits can still be seen to this day or rather the poor area is no longer poor the problem was getting any sort of monetary return in relation to its feed value and cost of growing 3-4 cuts but nowhere near the yield of grass ley. A cover crop for a few months especially over winter would nt do a bit of good in the short time frame in relation to its cost of establishment ,but thats just my opinion

 

[HarryB97]

It is incredibly slow to establish so won’t be a worthwhile size by the winter if sown in the autumn to benefit a cover crop.

 

[Andrew]

We've had 100% failure with autumn sown lucerne. Sow in the spring. get one or two cuts that year. Doesn't break even until autumn second year.
Can't see it doing any good in a few months.

 

[LH10]

As above, we planted in autumn and it isn’t very fierce, if we grow again it will 100% be sown in spring

 

[farmerfred86]

It is incredibly slow to establish so won’t be a worthwhile size by the winter if sown in the autumn to benefit a cover crop.

Thanks - it would be in a 4 way mix so doesn't sound like it will add anything. (I actually think the hairy vetch variety we grow is also not adding enough and is usually swamped by the raddish.)

 

[Boysground]

i have a whole field of lucerne, planted in early september at the moment its welded to the floor, roots are probably 5-6 inches long. Its goes dormant in the winter so I cant see it being worth the cost of seed in a cover

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[deleted user 837354]

i have a whole field of lucerne, planted in early september at the moment its welded to the floor, roots are probably 5-6 inches long. Its goes dormant in the winter so I cant see it being worth the cost of seed in a cover

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Good work. I would not put it in a winter cover and expect it to do anything. Best left down for a couple of years at least. Great crop.