Simtech grass ley establishment

[Dan Powell]

Planning on using a Simtech straight into wheat stubble to establish some herbal leys. Considering cross drilling to thicken the sward and help level out the field a bit. Good or bad idea.

Also concerned about drilling depth as lots of clover which prefers very shallow seed bed.

And should I roll with a heavy roller or Cambridge or not roll at all? It's a sandy clay loam.

@neilo ?

 

[The_Swede]

Haven't cross drilled with ours, I see the concept but depth control would concern me with small seeds into a friable arable surface once you've been over it a second time? Successfully DD'd white clover into PP with our Aitchison on several occasions now so not a problem in principle. Spring tine grass harrow at an angle to drilling has improved seed to soil contact when needed, only actually roll if lots of stones.

 

[neilo]

I always cross drill mine, with the drill set even shallower on the back roller, so that the second pass doesn't go in deeper (as the top is loosened slightly). I've only drilled ryegrass leys though, would herbal leys spread more on their own?

I always ring roll mine afterwards, mostly as I don't have a flat roll. That's with mostly spring reseeding though, when it may be more important to retain moisture?

 

[Dan Powell]

I always cross drill mine, with the drill set even shallower on the back roller, so that the second pass doesn't go in deeper (as the top is loosened slightly). I've only drilled ryegrass leys though, would herbal leys spread more on their own?

I always ring roll mine afterwards, mostly as I don't have a flat roll. That's with mostly spring reseeding though, when it may be more important to retain moisture?

How shallow do you aim for? I find that the seed is often deeper than I had aimed for especially if fields are a little unlevel.

I've never grown a proper herbal ley before just PRG with legumes and chicory so not sure how it will do but imagine it's a more open sward than a PRG ley. I'm trying it as we often get short of moisture in mid summer and run out of grazing. Time will tell if it's any better.

 

[neilo]

How shallow do you aim for? I find that the seed is often deeper than I had aimed for especially if fields are a little unlevel.

I've never grown a proper herbal ley before just PRG with legumes and chicory so not sure how it will do but imagine it's a more open sward than a PRG ley. I'm trying it as we often get short of moisture in mid summer and run out of grazing. Time will tell if it's any better.

I have the tines just tickling the surface, certainly on the second pass. The seed is then dropped almost on the surface and covered by the following chain.

 

[90hp farming]

With the T boot coulter principle, drilling nearly always looks deeper than it is. I still ring roll after, sometimes twice.
Drilling once at six inch spacings has served me well up until last backend. 4 year ley mix into wheat stubble on 24th sept. All this summer grazing season I have been battling blackgrass which has been a near solid matt between the grass drill rows. had to top the field 5 times with disc mower to prevent the heads seeding. I appreciate this was a late drilling date and the field lay wet in winter and it seemed to rain from November until the end of june.
interestingly, a grass seed salesman at the sheep event suggested removing the coulter pipes off the point (mine is a Duncan drill) to allow a wider spread of seed.
However, in a situation with a clean stubble field, I would be happy to continue to drill just once. A second pass, I find creates too much disturbance. My own fields are nice and level which all these type of fixed frame drills thrive on, but have drilled grass successfully for neighbours on `rougher` stubbles.

 

[Dan Powell]

I have the tines just tickling the surface, certainly on the second pass. The seed is then dropped almost on the surface and covered by the following chain.

Thanks for that. I might try one field cross drilled and once at 6" and see how they compare.

 

[rob1]

Thanks for that. I might try one field cross drilled and once at 6" and see how they compare.

one advantage of cross drilling and thus more soil movement is getting more weed germination so it depletes the seed bank more

 

[neilo]

Thanks for that. I might try one field cross drilled and once at 6" and see how they compare.

It will be interesting to see the results and the difference.