Overseeding

[DH_]

I was thinking about overseeding a small field with a something for my tup lambs to help the grow any recommendations on what to sow and when to sow it ( lambs weened in june roughly and sold in in August)

 

[le bon paysan]

Small field, how small? Over seeding is over rated in imo. Cost wise which is cheaper, over seeding cost and waiting or cereals or cake?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Main thing with overseeding is having something to overseed into that won't get chocked out
As for what , Clover Chicory Platain and Ryegrass
Don't get cought up with overseeding mixes , that's only a small part ,

 

[NorthumbrianFarmer]

Just over seeded for SAM3 and I’m starting to think it’s over rated and just wished I started fresh

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just over seeded for SAM3 and I’m starting to think it’s over rated and just wished I started fresh

I'm sure there will be a lot more thinking the same
Throwing seed on growing turf is
Soil moisture and sunlight, take out one and it's a desaster all round

 

[NorthumbrianFarmer]

I'm sure there will be a lot more thinking the same
Throwing seed on growing turf is
Soil moisture and sunlight, take out one and it's a desaster all round

Not sure how everyone else is doing it but I tried a friends grass rejuvenator and had sheep on for 2 weeks to keep the current lay down. Can’t decide if a direct drill is better

 

[hally]

Not sure how everyone else is doing it but I tried a friends grass rejuvenator and had sheep on for 2 weeks to keep the current lay down. Can’t decide if a direct drill is better

Seeds often germinating on a week so you are brave leaving sheep on that long. Both machines work but direct drill takes one pass, scratch harrows need 2 or 3 depending how dense the old field is. Overseeding into a permanent pasture for sam 3 very hard to do as they are so slow to establish compared with vigorous ryegrass

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Not sure how everyone else is doing it but I tried a friends grass rejuvenator and had sheep on for 2 weeks to keep the current lay down. Can’t decide if a direct drill is better

2 weeks is a bit long ,in mild damp weather seed will shoot in five days , a disc drill that just leaves a mark in thick turf is pretty useless imo

 

[Dog Bowl]

Ive really only had success with clovers and other small seeds and timing needs to be bang on with the onset of a wet spell.
It's not a great photo below but this was a worn out PRG ley that I wanted to get another couple of years out of. I stitched some red and white clover in just before a wet spell. Grazed the grass down tight and trod the seed in with suckler cows and calves. Then shut the gate. Worked well for what I wanted.

Scratched in with an Einbock grass harrow.

 

[NorthumbrianFarmer]

Seeds often germinating on a week so you are brave leaving sheep on that long. Both machines work but direct drill takes one pass, scratch harrows need 2 or 3 depending how dense the old field is. Overseeding into a permanent pasture for sam 3 very hard to do as they are so slow to establish compared with vigorous ryegrass

Thank you I’ve been checking the seeds every day in some of the bare patches of the fields but seed is just laying ontop. Sheep came off yesterday so we shall see

 

[hally]

Thank you I’ve been checking the seeds every day in some of the bare patches of the fields but seed is just laying ontop. Sheep came off yesterday so we shall see

That's the problem with scratchers, unless it's pretty soft or you are prepared to do several passes then the seed does not get enough soil contact...it's not easy.

 

[NorthumbrianFarmer]

That's the problem with scratchers, unless it's pretty soft or you are prepared to do several passes then the seed does not get enough soil contact...it's not easy.

I did decide to do a little experiment by doing some once some twice and I ran harrows over first then sown it in another field

 

[hally]

I did decide to do a little experiment by doing some once some twice and I ran harrows over first then sown it in another field

Yep we have had good success doing it twice sowing at half rate each time, then a mob of sheep to trample the seed in but the land was pretty soft. Wouldn't work so well in a dry time I suspect.

 

[NorthumbrianFarmer]

Yep we have had good success doing it twice sowing at half rate each time, then a mob of sheep to trample the seed in but the land was pretty soft. Wouldn't work so well in a dry time I suspect.

How long do you find it take the seeds to have a good enough hold to then graze

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Last year did a trail 4 sections
3 passes with tine Harrow, fair
1/4 litter with roundup 3 passes with tine Harrow, fantastic
One passes with direct drill , disc type , total wast of time

 

[ploughman1963]

Last year did a trail 4 sections
3 passes with tine Harrow, fair
1/4 litter with roundup 3 passes with tine Harrow, fantastic
One passes with direct drill , disc type , total wast of time

The disc drill is a great piece of kit - but needs operating correctly - not as suggested by some

 

[DanM]

Last year did a trail 4 sections
3 passes with tine Harrow, fair
1/4 litter with roundup 3 passes with tine Harrow, fantastic
One passes with direct drill , disc type , total wast of time

Surely a better/fairer comparison would have been to also do 1/4 litre glyphosate and direct drill?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Surely a better/fairer comparison would have been to also do 1/4 litre glyphosate and direct drill?

I'm sure it would have been simular to the harrow
I realise there are a lot of drillers on here with a lot of experience, I'm sure they do a good job
But running a disc drill into thick turf for overseeding, I'm sorry but it's not going to work successfully, you need to open up the turf someway
Like company's such as Germinal suggest on their website , , to quote , don't use a disc drill to oveseed unless you run over with a tine Harrow first unqote

 

[hally]

How long do you find it take the seeds to have a good enough hold to then graze

5 or 6 weeks after sowing really....but not always possible

 

[ploughman1963]

I'm sure it would have been simular to the harrow
I realise there are a lot of drillers on here with a lot of experience, I'm sure they do a good job
But running a disc drill into thick turf for overseeding, I'm sorry but it's not going to work successfully, you need to open up the turf someway
Like company's such as Germinal suggest on their website , , to quote , don't use a disc drill to oveseed unless you run over with a tine Harrow first unqote

The answer is to run the coulters lower on the disc so that they open up the slot pushing the sidewalls apart - that does not happen with just the disc in the ground. This results in a slot with an open slit of around 4-5mm up through which the seed can shoot - sound familiar to what happens with a tee-boot drill??? Overseeding into established grass is still not without its issues, but at least if you can get very high germination rates and emergence in 4-5 days so they are up and away, at least you have a chance. Needs slug pellets every time as well!