Patching up winter barley

[Raider112]

We put a couple of fields of winter barley in just before the weather broke badly and have 2 or 3 acres that are looking a bit thin due to waterlogging. Is it worth my while to walk along throwing more seed onto the surface on these bits to thicken it up or would it need to be covered?

 

[Gedd]

We put a couple of fields of winter barley in just before the weather broke badly and have 2 or 3 acres that are looking a bit thin due to waterlogging. Is it worth my while to walk along throwing more seed onto the surface on these bits to thicken it up or would it need to be covered?

Done some last year on dry bits that the crows hammered as it was slow growing put on with spinner when rain forecast and Cambridge rolled came well

 

[Mow]

We put a couple of fields of winter barley in just before the weather broke badly and have 2 or 3 acres that are looking a bit thin due to waterlogging. Is it worth my while to walk along throwing more seed onto the surface on these bits to thicken it up or would it need to be covered?

Cant even walk on the fields here!!

 

[Flat 10]

needs covering imo. Drag harrow behind a quad? 2-3acres is too much to rake.

 

[Brisel]

Pull a wooden pallet behind the quad bike. That should be enough. I've done this for narrow game covers where seed was left on top.

 

[jh.]

Would think it's a waste of time . If its rotted away due to waterlogging this early into winter, it will happen again . As well patching in with spring barley in spring , at least it's growing into better weather

 

[redsloe]

Leave it.
First field we drilled last year had substantial rain the night after we drilled it and came up patchey in the wet bits. Looked crap all winter but come harvest it had thickened up and the empty patches weren't much bigger than a snooker table!
It never looked as promising as that.

 

[Clive]

drill patched in May with mixed cover crop

do not cultivate these areas

repeat for a few years


waterlogging will get less in my experience

 

[Brisel]

waterlogging will get less in my experience

That assumes that soil structure is the problem, not drainage.

 

[Raider112]

Thanks for the replies, I put this on last night before going to the pub then forgot about it! I have about 100kg of last years seed that probably needs used this year so I thought it would be a good use for it. It really rained for a couple of weeks afterwards so it had a challenge, hopefully if I put any more on we wouldn't get it as bad again. We also ploughed a field at the same time ready to lime, the lime arrived but I doubt we'll get the lime on never mind the crop. Does the lime heap need covered if we have to leave it for the winter?

 

[Chae1]

Nah just leave it open till spring! It'll be fine.

 

[Oat]

Thanks for the replies, I put this on last night before going to the pub then forgot about it! I have about 100kg of last years seed that probably needs used this year so I thought it would be a good use for it. It really rained for a couple of weeks afterwards so it had a challenge, hopefully if I put any more on we wouldn't get it as bad again. We also ploughed a field at the same time ready to lime, the lime arrived but I doubt we'll get the lime on never mind the crop. Does the lime heap need covered if we have to leave it for the winter?

Just be careful if it is bought seed, as opposed to farm-saved seed. You can't leave treated seed on the surface, so assuming your FSS is untreated, this would be OK if not completely covered by soil.