Red Clover

JMTHORNLEY

Member
Location
Glossop
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These are some pictures of a first year ley, last year was its first mowing season. Picture with the tractor is of first cut with 50 kgs of N and the rest are second cuts with no N. The grass didn’t grow as tall as first cut as the N power isn’t the exact same but the coverage of clover is mind blowing. I really like red clover 💪🏻
 

JMTHORNLEY

Member
Location
Glossop
So a bit of a slope to run water off would help, lime has to be spot on as a good starting point? Not something that I see grown much in NI that I know of, rarely mentioned by deara either
I have heavy clay ground here everywhere. Can sometimes stand a bit wet but water will move. One thing I have noticed as each field comes into the RC rotation is the rooting system is playing a huge part in soil structure and natural drainage.
It’ll grow on heavy ground with the right management
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Remember with Red clover grazing ewes near to tupping time can have an effect on fertility but some graze with no problems.
Don’t cut or graze red clover to low as it can damage its crown.
Sheep puddling it on very wet weather it doesn’t like much.
Take care tedding red clover leys as the leaf can get lost easily losing potential protein in the process.
(These are tips I’ve picked up from growing it myself and on customers farms not something I’ve read on TFF and regurgitated it as my own knowledge)
How many acres do you farm , just interested
 

Samcowman

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cornwall
Of the 3 fields in at the moment, going into year 3. The worst one is docky. Was never a good grass field previously or arable before. Will be coming out in the autumn. Middle field is also docky as well but has been clean up to now and was a clean pasture before. Will do another year along with the third which was previously arable.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
just cut our r/clover leys, sunday/monday, the clover is already shooting up.
we overseeded some, with extra seed, worked quite well.
last year, 3rd and 4th cut, we baled, av 19% protein, bale a day, in the mixer, saved some money.
4 to 5 years is max life, and then needs a break, because of v/wilt
also see, new research is showing, it doesn't affect sheep fertility, if grazed at tupping time, the original trials were done in the 50's, things have changed since then.
we gave our 40 units of N, this spring, not sure it really needed it, a heavy cut, even though sheep grazed it, in feb.
Quite certain we need to look at clovers, more carefully, with fert being expensive, it has some seriously good attributes.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
just cut our r/clover leys, sunday/monday, the clover is already shooting up.
we overseeded some, with extra seed, worked quite well.
last year, 3rd and 4th cut, we baled, av 19% protein, bale a day, in the mixer, saved some money.
4 to 5 years is max life, and then needs a break, because of v/wilt
also see, new research is showing, it doesn't affect sheep fertility, if grazed at tupping time, the original trials were done in the 50's, things have changed since then.
we gave our 40 units of N, this spring, not sure it really needed it, a heavy cut, even though sheep grazed it, in feb.
Quite certain we need to look at clovers, more carefully, with fert being expensive, it has some seriously good attributes.
Have you put and Vetch in
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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