Re-seeding hay field, best method?

[Hfd Cattle]

Graze down hard ... get someone with a Harrow with mounted seeder. Harrow twice (tined Harrow ). Then seed down and roll .... job done

 

[davidroberts30]

if you want it level work all passes same way do not cross as the wheelings will be there for ever

 

[Ali_Maxxum]

Run sheep on it each winter, improves the grass no end, you may even get clover appearing naturally, and someone might even pay a few pennies for the sheep to be there. My hay fields are entirely natural 'weed' type grasses, the sward has improved in leaps and bounds since having sheep over the winter and yields are up too.

If they really have to have some clover sown the easiest way would be to run sheep late into April, get them to really tread it down so its quite muddy, spin the seed on, harrow, job done.

I suggested this from the start and they don't want other peoples sheep on it. No I don't know why and I cant be arsed to find out why. Plus there's loads of locked gates to go through and high fences as they have goats and they're very security conscious.

What you have suggested is my preferred option but then 'the customer is always right' and I'll be paid to do whatever.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

If the surface is already fairly level without any rutting then why not direct drill it? Direct drill new seed in, graze it hard for two days, glyphosate on third day and close the gate!!

 

[Giles1]

Whats the soil structure like? If not compacted,go for spray,disc,roll ,drill, roll. If it is compacted,plough, harrow(power,Hays/Dutch) until level,roll ,drill, roll. Grass is a small seed,it needs to be in contact with damp soil to germinate,rolling reduces soil moisture loss and increases the seeds contact with it,so faster and better germination than just drilling into a coarse tilth,or so so college told me 40 years ago!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Spray, tickle a shallow tilth with a powerharrow, spend the rest of the money rolling the snuff out of it.
I f**king hate rolling!!!!! but it is the best use of another pass, often as not.

Ideally a break crop of something to lessen the pests, but if you can't you can't, dilution can be the solution; put some cereal and/or rape in the mix so the springtails and fritfly have a balanced diet, they may leave more grass seeds alone with more seed on the ground?

 

[Mark C]

Subsoil , disc x2 to chop up the seats and kill the old grass. Then plough to bury it all.
Cultipress or rolls with levelling boards , COMBI drill and roll

 

[Cardi]

Plough, flat roll, lime (if needed), power harrow, couple of passes with a ring roll with paddles, sow seed with tined grass harrow/seeder, flat roll.

 

[chaffcutter]

Find someone with a 750A or similar no till drill, spray off, drill direct with two passes at an angle if you like but one pass is fine, job done.

Faster, cheaper and no multiple expensive passé trying to consolidate it after ploughing.

 

[Treemover]

We tried a dd recently. As were organic, can’t spray. So the old grasses have the edge.

We limed it after a cut for silage; dd, rolled; and now zero graze to reduce the old award. Can’t say I see much result. I’ll take photos.

My father hears great successes from other organic farmers; so we’re doing something wrong.

Someone on hear said to hold cattle on it to expose soil, after silage (feed with bales to keep them on it) then einblock a few times; then dd roll etc.
I can see great merit in that approach?

 

[milkloss]

I wouldn’t dd in moist soil with the possibility of a dry spell shortly after as the slots just open up and nothing grows, I’ve has this with a 750 and a vaderstad. You can get away with it using an aichinson drill because that’s what’s is designed for: leaving a slot to encourage wicking of the moisture to the seed and enclosed tunnel to retain the moisture. It also lifts the old grass roots either side and slows it down. You mustn’t roll with this type of drill though.

 

[deleted user 837354]

The fact is that unless there is a prior break crop or ploughing involved, any overseeding, discs, rotavating or the like will see weed grasses entering the ley within months of the job being completed. I've seen it many times.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

HA HA I PLOUGHED AND RESEEDED may and it came up really well, but the amount of thistles that have now germinated that were dormant in to soil is insain, will have to spray em off in spring when lay is stronger, to be fair it nothing new usually happens.

 

[Grassman]

So there you have it. Loads of different options. Non are right and non are wrong.
I think results are often down to luck

 

[milkloss]

So there you have it. Loads of different options. Non are right and non are wrong.
I think results are often down to luck

As well as knowledge of the ground you’re working.

 

[deleted user 837354]

HA HA I PLOUGHED AND RESEEDED may and it came up really well, but the amount of thistles that have now germinated that were dormant in to soil is insain, will have to spray em off in spring when lay is stronger, to be fair it nothing new usually happens.

Thistles and other broad leaved weeds are not the issue- weed grasses are the issue. Broad leaved weeds can be controlled very nicely and without having to reseed or use glyphosate which means an automatic bill of near £100/acre however you go about it in reality.

There is still plenty of time to control weeds in new leys as it is still very mild. A timely dose of Polo might well have scuppered them.

 

[deleted user 837354]

So there you have it. Loads of different options. Non are right and non are wrong.
I think results are often down to luck

There is no luck involved, I have successfully reseeded fields in areas of almost every description over varying soil types and with varying on-going issues with weeds or fertility. All can be solved.

You must either walk new leys yourself or get someone to do it for you. They need to be walked from the second you see a green haze of 1 leaf seedlings and then regularly until the weeds have been dealt with and the ley is strong enough to graze.

It really is very simple to reseed well, provided you do not take shortcuts. For starters, a field you intend to start a new project on needs to have a soil sample taken if it has not been done in recent years. If it only confirms what you already know then great, but P,K and pH need to be sorted. Whilst those holes are being dug you can assess the soil profile or address drainage or compaction, if necessary. This need not take hours.

Selecting the correct ley/mixture and varieties helps, as does correct selection and application of glyphosate products.

It is now the end of August so there is at least 4 weeks left to get things done.

 

[Goweresque]

Of course we're all forgetting the most crucial aspect, namely the customer. We're all looking at it in 'farmer mode' of trying to get maximum bang for your buck, whereas the customer might well be someone who doesn't give a stuff about costs and efficiency but just wants a) more hay off their field and b) it to look nice.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Of course we're all forgetting the most crucial aspect, namely the customer. We're all looking at it in 'farmer mode' of trying to get maximum bang for your buck, whereas the customer might well be someone who doesn't give a stuff about costs and efficiency but just wants a) more hay off their field and b) it to look nice.

In my experience, the customer in this instance and a farmer would have near identical desires in reality.

 

[Grassman]

There is no luck involved,

Drought, waterlogged soil, frit fly, leatherjackets, slugs, frost and whatever else happens from year to year.
A neighbour did a field this spring. It just didn't get going as it didn't get enough water. The wetter bits were really good.