Recommend me the perfect grass seed mix for hay production

[bobk]

Heavy land but grows grass for fun , last lot was diploids and timothy , sadly the tim never grew .... or wasn't in the bag
Need high quality decent yields , in the USA , alfalfa and orchard grass is the pinnacle
Need long lasting stuff can't be arsed resowing every 3 years

 

[DrWazzock]

We grow Timothy on heavy land for horse hay. It’s not as easy to dry as we were lead to believe as the stems are quite thick.
Alternatively how about a “meadow hay” mix of some sort? Avoid ryegrass if you want it dry in under a fortnight and want to sell to horse trade.
We generally use Boston Seeds.

 

[yoki]

Barenbrug "Permanent".

 

[Millerich]

Cotswold Seeds are very helpful to deal with as a company, so I’ve found.

 

[bobk]

Barenbrug "Permanent".

Had some barenburg from here , got done over , it was pit silage

 

[deleted user 837354]

Heavy land but grows grass for fun , last lot was diploids and timothy , sadly the tim never grew .... or wasn't in the bag
Need high quality decent yields , in the USA , alfalfa and orchard grass is the pinnacle
Need long lasting stuff can't be arsed resowing every 3 years

I bet the timothy was in there. I put plenty around on some farms, it is still there to this day.

I'd go with say 4-6 kg of lateish heading PRG tetraploid, possibly up to 8kg. 2kg timothy, the rest intermediate and late diploid. Sowing rate on heavy land needs to be around 16kg/acre. Soil test beforehand, combi drill it in and roll until you get bored.

Spray any broadleaved weeds out early.

 

[bobk]

I bet the timothy was in there. I put plenty around on some farms, it is still there to this day.

I'd go with say 4-6 kg of lateish heading PRG tetraploid, possibly up to 8kg. 2kg timothy, the rest intermediate and late diploid. Sowing rate on heavy land needs to be around 16kg/acre. Soil test beforehand, combi drill it in and roll until you get bored.

Spray any broadleaved weeds out early.

Agree about perennial , not sure about tets , be turning it for ever, used to use Aber mixes , they were brilliant

 

[deleted user 837354]

Agree about perennial , not sure about tets , be turning it fWe used to use Aber mixes , they were brilliant

Aber mixes were all hot air (marketing). They were in reality no better or worse than the varieties sold by other breeders.

If you're cutting for hay will you not want some tetraploid in it in the engine room?

 

[yoki]

Had some barenburg from here , got done over , it was pit silage

Certainly works for me.

Been making hay with it coming up on seven years now and have a standing crop at the minute.

Can't fault it and pallatability seems excellent as sheep are fussy buggers.

Have another bit of ground that was sown out with a different Barenbrug mixture a couple of years earlier and it's the opposite, coarse. early heading, and no matter what stage they don't go for it the same.

So it'll be getting replaced with "Permanent" as soon as circumstances permit and the sooner the better.

 

[robs1]

We have used Timothy and festolium the horses liked the first but not the later, interesting thread as we are going to put in a couple of fields into pp this time . Perhaps @Great In Grass has some ideas

 

[bobk]

Certainly works for me.

Been making hay with it coming up on seven years now and have a standing crop at the minute.

Can't fault it and pallatability seems excellent as sheep are fussy buggers.

Have another bit of ground that was sown out with a different Barenbrug mixture a couple of years earlier and it's the opposite, coarse. early heading, and no matter what stage they don't go for it the same.

So it'll be getting replaced with "Permanent" as soon as circumstances permit and the sooner the better.

I'll look at that , thanks

 

[yoki]

I'll look at that , thanks

I'll take a pic of the standing crop tomorrow if it's of any benefit?

 

[DrWazzock]

Question is what’s the hay for?

 

[bobk]

Question is what’s the hay for?

Anyone who'll pay , hosses and sheep people

 

[Spencer]

Anyone who'll pay , hosses and sheep people

Two very different grass requirements. Pick one?

 

[Spencer]

If you're cutting for hay will you not want some tetraploid in it in the engine room?

How much hay have you made? Guessing non if you think Tets in a hay mix is a good idea

 

[bobk]

Two very different grass requirements. Pick one?

Why , customer wants soft hay , not my choice

 

[Spencer]

Why , customer wants soft hay , not my choice

Proper horse hay market is usually Timothy, but yes Dobbin and Co will want soft meadow hay as does Seth and shep

 

[bobk]

Proper horse hay market is usually Timothy, but yes Dobbin and Co will want soft meadow hay as does Seth and shep

I know , you know , and they don't know , that's the conundrum

 

[Spencer]

I know , you know , and they don't know , that's the conundrum

End of day.. it’s what the Lady wants, so make it green and smells nice and they’ll buy it. Plant a permanent mix with fescues and some perennial. Add some sweet vernal for that proper hay smell, that’s what sells hay