Multi species cover crops establishment.

[Drillman]

As above would a set of grass harrows with a seeder on it do the job?

follow with the rollers when rain is in the forecast Would be the plan.

 

[Wigeon]

Depends on soil and conditions I guess. They won't do much to baked August clay.

Proper cultivator with a seeder more reliable I would have thought, followed by rolls, or a proper drill.

 

[L P]

As above would a set of grass harrows with a seeder on it do the job?

follow with the rollers when rain is in the forecast Would be the plan.

As in opico/einbock type? I'm not sure they will create the tilth needed or cope with the residue. I've thought long and hard on it myself and spending the evening wondering how to streamline things. It seemed a great idea going into SFI but establishing all these crops needs a different tool for every job almost. Clives 750a with 2nd hopper would do it all for most people, not for me wishing to go straight onto plough for seed crop. Toying tonight if I could drop a tractor and cultivator and get everything done with a 4m Dale MTD with a stocks wizard on it and a good front press.... it SHOULD work.... so now do I sell the old cousins cultivator too, the duals, the little baler, all the haymaking kit and sub that out, then I can rent out the main shed and cram the rest in the other shed... but I need somewhere for the hay then.... so, best put that old frame I bought ten years ago up as a lean to.... leads to do I want a tenant on the doorstep, not really. Ffs, sorry @Drillman i don't think I can help.

 

[Drillman]

As in opico/einbock type? I'm not sure they will create the tilth needed or cope with the residue. I've thought long and hard on it myself and spending the evening wondering how to streamline things. It seemed a great idea going into SFI but establishing all these crops needs a different tool for every job almost. Clives 750a with 2nd hopper would do it all for most people, not for me wishing to go straight onto plough for seed crop. Toying tonight if I could drop a tractor and cultivator and get everything done with a 4m Dale MTD with a stocks wizard on it and a good front press.... it SHOULD work.... so now do I sell the old cousins cultivator too, the duals, the little baler, all the haymaking kit and sub that out, then I can rent out the main shed and cram the rest in the other shed... but I need somewhere for the hay then.... so, best put that old frame I bought ten years ago up as a lean to.... leads to do I want a tenant on the doorstep, not really. Ffs, sorry @Drillman i don't think I can help.

I’m just thinking these direct drilling folks seem to drill into next to nothing so was hoping the opico/einbock thingy would work. I’m not after the ultimate in cover crops just enough to get the money.

suppose I could buzz over it first with the discs but that’s eating into the margin

or instead of a grass Harrow maybe a fashionable straw Harrow mite be better but would it be too aggressive to use in a grassland situation?

 

[L P]

I’m just thinking these direct drilling folks seem to drill into next to nothing so was hoping the opico/einbock thingy would work. I’m not after the ultimate in cover crops just enough to get the money.

suppose I could buzz over it first with the discs but that’s eating into the margin

or instead of a grass Harrow maybe a fashionable straw Harrow mite be better but would it be too aggressive to use in a grassland situation?

There was a fairly cheap weaving straw harrow on ebay. You'd have a better chance with that sort of thing. I don't think it has adjustable tines so might be a bit harsh on the grass. Old Moore unidrill is probably the cheapest option if you can find one. Or a comb harrow/seeder for grassland and make a bracket up to mount the seeder on your discs for cover crops? Delimbe make very good value seeders

 

[L P]

You might get away with opico type harrow if you bale everything and are on very easy ground

 

[Drillman]

You might get away with opico type harrow if you bale everything and are on very easy ground

We do and are to be fair.

Trying to buy one machine to do 2 jobs really as we got some grassland in need of a bit of rejuvenation as well.

could probably stick the combi straight into the stubble but last time we did that we blew a power Harrow gearbox up. And that’s with a smaller tractor than we have now! So not keen on repeating that one.

end of the day I’m only talking 50 acre a year so the job won’t stand a lot of investment

 

[L P]

We do and are to be fair.

Trying to buy one machine to do 2 jobs really as we got some grassland in need of a bit of rejuvenation as well.

could probably stick the combi straight into the stubble but last time we did that we blew a power Harrow gearbox up. And that’s with a smaller tractor than we have now! So not keen on repeating that one.

I suppose the off record answer is give it a go, if it doesn't work too well you've gained a nice comb harrow courtesy of the tax payer and might have to rethink next year. If you do mainly small seeds it will probably be more successful. Reportedly the Joskin ones can angle the tines back more than the others but it might be sales spiel... Worth thinking about if you end up discing first.... you'll want to release as much trash as possible

 

[Drillman]

I suppose the off record answer is give it a go, if it doesn't work too well you've gained a nice comb harrow courtesy of the tax payer and might have to rethink next year. If you do mainly small seeds it will probably be more successful. Reportedly the Joskin ones can angle the tines back more than the others but it might be sales spiel... Worth thinking about if you end up discing first.... you'll want to release as much trash as possible

Do you reckon I could maybe get a grant on a grass Harrow wen they come out?

 

[Drillman]

I did think about buying an auld pigtail drag and botching a auld accord drill on top of it with seed tubes pointing out somewhere near the back,

maybe adding a following Harrow of some sort as well.

then realised I would have built a direct drill and they appear to start at £50k so abandoned the idea.

 

[L P]

Do you reckon I could maybe get a grant on a grass Harrow wen they come out?

Not likely, it was removed last year. You can on a seeder but it's pretty miserly, less than £1k last year

 

[Drillman]

Not likely, it was removed last year. You can on a seeder but it's pretty miserly, less than £1k last year

Shame really, Last year I looked and looked but couldn’t make anything worthwhile fit. Grants not out yet this time but I thought I had cracked it but things have altered and again I don’t think anything will fit Unless they change what’s available.

 

[L P]

Shame really, Last year I looked and looked but couldn’t make anything worthwhile fit. Grants not out yet this time but I thought I had cracked it but things have altered and again I don’t think anything will fit Unless they change what’s available.

I'm a bit hesitant on the machinery grants, if they accept it you're stuck with that machine for 5 years or risk paying it all back which is none too helpful if you find it just doesn't work in year one.

 

[Drillman]

I'm a bit hesitant on the machinery grants, if they accept it you're stuck with that machine for 5 years or risk paying it all back which is none too helpful if you find it just doesn't work in year one.

Having done some drill pricing the manufacturer/dealer seems to do very nicely out of it as well

 

[steveR]

Going to be a challenge here this time, establishing bumblebird type mixtures after such a wet winter.

Ground is so compacted, there is little chance of a cheap low cost establishment with the Aitchison, the odd lighter field with some ground cover is about it...

2 passes witrh discs, and even using the sward lifter in places. If I had a plough, i'd use it!