- Location
- Ceredigion
Myself I would use late long term perenial and Timothy. I suppose you could include some meadow grass
New grass meadow HELP!
- Thread starter CluelessAndCrofting
- Start date
ollie989898
Member
What proportions? To be honest you might not want much else. Avoid cocksfoot, fescue could be a go-er but I'm not sure it would contribute much over what you have already.
I have a field that took a real battering this winter, the grass seed I tried to patch it up with must have either never germinated or germinated and then go burnt off with the wind and the heat. Up to three weeks ago it looked like a waste land, despite have fertilzer put on it. We have mown it twice and what with the rain its coming on well.
I think wild flower seeds are a bit of a con, if you look at what's on the side of the road the chances are that the only stuff that will do well in the field. I have a strip at the side and at the end that gets water logged that is not sprayed or has fertilizer, it does look pretty in flower, and the butterflies love it which cost nothing and I just have to make sure they do not take over, I strim or mow before they set seed.
I think wild flower seeds are a bit of a con, if you look at what's on the side of the road the chances are that the only stuff that will do well in the field. I have a strip at the side and at the end that gets water logged that is not sprayed or has fertilizer, it does look pretty in flower, and the butterflies love it which cost nothing and I just have to make sure they do not take over, I strim or mow before they set seed.
Wish I'd never mentioned the wildflowers.
Primarily I'm concerned about getting grass.
Primarily I'm concerned about getting grass.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Have you topped it yet
Not yet. Not magicked a lawn mower up yet. Will press for action tomorrow.
ollie989898
Member
If it's being mowed, fertilised, mucked, grazed hard or any of the above regularly wildflowers are probably going to struggle with it and are a waste of time.
Wild flowers are only going to establish and persist in land that is low fertility and has minimal seed bank of aggressive grasses. In horticulture they often use parasitic plants to hold the grass back (yellow rattle) giving wild flowers a chance to actually live.
Any kind of commercially available and selectively bred agricultural herbage cultivar is doing to do it's utmost to dominate in an agricultural situation.
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
What sort of horses does the OP have? The only indication I can see on the thread is that they are fat!
Native ponies are going to need an entirely different regime to breeding Thoroughbreds and most of he advice here will be from commercial livestock farmers who want to put meat on their stock. My Highland ponies do well on native grasses and the only fertiliser that gets is when the muck is harrowed in.
Native ponies are going to need an entirely different regime to breeding Thoroughbreds and most of he advice here will be from commercial livestock farmers who want to put meat on their stock. My Highland ponies do well on native grasses and the only fertiliser that gets is when the muck is harrowed in.
An Irish Draught, a Welsh Cob type and a Welsh A.... all live on fresh air.
I don't need lush grazing! Or optimal output of grass from the ground. Just don't want the noxious weed. Non-toxic weeds/non-grasses are welcome as far as I'm concerned... good for the bees etc.
I don't need lush grazing! Or optimal output of grass from the ground. Just don't want the noxious weed. Non-toxic weeds/non-grasses are welcome as far as I'm concerned... good for the bees etc.
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Then do as I do, leave it to Nature and wandering around occasionally with a knapsack sprayer to keep the docks and ragwort at bay. No need for fancy grass species or fertiliser for native ponies, it'll revert to that anyway.
The first photo is of a 3 acre field with six ponies in it. One of my hay fields is beyond that with a lovely crop of Yorkshire Fog. The second photo is of grass I have just moved them off which is the sort of length I try to keep it. I have 12 ponies on 25 acres, half for rubbish hay. I have another small field with plenty of grass for a couple of youngsters. I will now leave it for emergency services to cart the other members on here off to intensive care. I hope you realise, my credibility as a "proper farmer" is now in tatters! This is why farmers hate horses!
Attachments
- Location
- Ceredigion
Sometimes you just have to let the weather have its say, never like mowing seeds, only a light topping , but could not get stock on in time and got ahead of me.
My neighbour had a look and said not to worry about it too much... we won't see it next year apparently. Still think I will feel happier if I give it a bit of a mow soon. I had already planned to get a few sheep on it later this summer so will still do that. Will see if I can get it limed again at an appropriate moment. And consider spraying with weedkiller next summer if we get lots of it again.
And will put more grass seed down if I get sparse bits. Which I probably will. That's ok. I'm not in any rush. I can manage the horses I have on the ground I have for them already. This field will just enable less stabling, less hay and another horse! Because the correct number of horses is n+1.
And will put more grass seed down if I get sparse bits. Which I probably will. That's ok. I'm not in any rush. I can manage the horses I have on the ground I have for them already. This field will just enable less stabling, less hay and another horse! Because the correct number of horses is n+1.
- Location
- Ceredigion
That was nothing but fat hen and red leg . Run over with my ride on mower in June . Cutting Haylage today , just like prunning a willow tree . Grass shoots out when trimed, weeds just wither up and die ,muck and majic
clod hopper
Member
- Location
- SHREWSBURY, shropshire
We have horses and sheep a good combination. The sheep clean up most of what the horses don't want. Reeds and thistles are the only ones they don't eat here. Ask a local farmer to graze the field for you if you don't want to buy sheep yourself.
???
Die spurry die!
Die spurry die!
- Location
- Ceredigion
You topped it . Now we farming [emoji2]
Thats my field have a dose of lime and Phosphate today
We lawn mowed half of it with not-a-ride-on lawnmower. ? Other half tomorrow!
Contemplating fertilizer...but don't want to feed the weeds either.
Contemplating fertilizer...but don't want to feed the weeds either.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Don't put to much nitrogen on if you do ,potash and Phosphate it needs . Did it have any in the seedbed? the more often you can mow it now the better it will get and the weeds will surender and die
If I do use a fertiliser it'll be a horse field specific one... so yeah I think that'll be PK rather than NPK. Looking at the mineral composition of the grass in the other field I suspect just lime might be best. But I also read that lime increases molybdenum in the grass so also don't know if that's a good idea. Our other field is very funky but it's old grass in that one and this field has been growing crops until we bought it so might be /probably is completely different!