Over seeding clover into grass ley with 750A

[Louis Mc]

Has anyone experience of seeding clover into existing leys with 750a? How has it worked?

 

[Simon Chiles]

Has anyone experience of seeding clover into existing leys with 750a? How has it worked?

Yes, lots, works well most of the time. Once had a situation where I drilled red clover into a ley just after first cut and none of it grew. Farm manager rang me to tell me how useless the drill was. Rang me a year later to apologise as he then had red clover in 6 1/2 inch rows in the field.
Key to establishment is to knock the existing ley back hard to allow the clover to get started, either a very low dose of roundup ( enough to stunt the grass but not kill it ) or better still as many sheep as you can get your hands on for 5 days after drilling, take them out as soon as the clover starts to emerge.

 

[Louis Mc]

Yes, lots, works well most of the time. Once had a situation where I drilled red clover into a key just after first cut and none of it grew. Farm manager rang me to tell me how useless the drill was. Rang me a year later to apologise as he then had red clover in 6 1/2 inch rows in the field.
Key to establishment is to knock the existing ley back hard to allow the clover to get started, either a very low dose of roundup ( enough to stunt the grass but not kill it ) or better still as many sheep as you can get your hands on for 5 days after drilling, take them out as soon as the clover starts to emerge.

Okay thanks. It’s for a sheep farming customer so should be okay

 

[Kevtherev]

Secret with clover is to sow it shallow as possible.
Bare off the existing sward by hard grazing.

 

[Simon Chiles]

Secret with clover is to sow it shallow as possible.
Bare off the existing sward by hard grazing.

Good point about seeding it shallow, I thought it was obvious but it’s probably worth mentioning.

 

[Kevtherev]

What sort of job does the 750a do in established grassland Simon?

 

[Simon Chiles]

What sort of job does the 750a do in established grassland Simon?

Excellent, the ability to seed grass into grass was one of my important factors when choosing which direct drill was for me. I decided ( rightly) that the 750’s ability to place seed at an accurate depth would set it apart from most of the others at the time. Seeding at the correct depth is the key with direct drilling grass.
I had a customer who I used to improve his grass leys by reseeding them, the local Vaderstad salesman used to go around telling everyone that that was the way to grow grass until someone let slip it was seeded with a 750 and then he said no more about it.
It was a major part of my business, I used to seed about 800 acres a year of grass into grass but unfortunately became a victim of my own success, once it had been proved customers would then go and by their own drills to do the job themselves. However, as always in this job when one door shuts another one opens and I got the opportunity to take on a few whole farms.