Spring Re-Seed - Too dry

[Derrick Hughes]

I’ve just ploughed up 2 fields that had been our direct drilling experiment was endless trips with the sprayer and weeds and when it went back to grass it just looked shite

What did you do wrong, or was it just the weather

 

[serf]

Dont plough it you will lose all the moisture

No fear of that, not got a plough ....
It will be tined with harrows following , mucked and tined and harrowed in again when the H2o is on the horizon and sown rolled and hope for the best

 

[Derrick Hughes]

No fear of that, not got a plough .... [emoji1]
It will be tined with harrows following , mucked and tined and harrowed in again when the H2o is on the horizon and sown rolled and hope for the best [emoji846]

I'm not touching mine. Just straight in with the drill and roll

 

[Devil's advocate]

My advice for what its worth . Dangerous thing giving advice. But I'm waiting until I see a good wet spell forecast. Its strange how the weeds seem to grow the same , I only ever spray if there is chickweed. The other weeds I can control by early grazing ,but you need quick germination for that

I'm going to just keep cultivating & rolling until it rains & then sow the grass seeds when the soil is moist ie after rain not before.

 

[michael N123]

What did you do wrong, or was it just the weather

God nos we used a few different contractors the direct drills work well for kale/stubble turnips on that land but they just aren’t worth the risk for a grass reseed on ours

 

[serf]

I'm not touching mine. Just straight in with the drill and roll

Yes would be good but only got bit to do and can do it as and when I need , did think when I was moving it it would be ideal for direct to set it off .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Say if you think I'm [emoji848] daft
But what about putting cow slurry on after I've drilled

 

[Treemover]

Say if you think I'm [emoji848] daft
But what about putting cow slurry on after I've drilled

I tried that one year and within an hour the water evaporates and your left with a thin layer of slurry crumb. I don’t think you can replace the benefits of natural rain.

 

[milkloss]

Say if you think I'm [emoji848] daft
But what about putting cow slurry on after I've drilled

Sorry, daft idea.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

What about slurry seeding, that was all the go a few years ago

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I tried that one year and within an hour the water evaporates and your left with a thin layer of slurry crumb. I don’t think you can replace the benefits of natural rain.

Did it grow any different with or without or you could not say

 

[Treemover]

Couldn’t say, we did it to suppress the dust. Nothing germinated until the rain.
I would never sow grass or anything unless rain was due.

 

[Chae1]

What about slurry seeding, that was all the go a few years ago

Still do it for steep road embankments.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Couldn’t say, we did it to suppress the dust. Nothing germinated until the rain.
I would never sow grass or anything unless rain was due.

One shower is worse than none at all after its sown

 

[zero]

We stubble cultivated some grazed kale last year when it was dry and dusty. Broadcast the grass seed on, then harrowed seed in with the power harrow drill combi with some left over spring barley down the spout followed by a good flat rolling.
All the field was green with barley or grass by summer and we got a thin crop of silage off it. Its a nice field of grass now but i don't think it would have grown without help from the barley.

 

[Treemover]

We stubble cultivated some grazed kale last year when it was dry and dusty. Broadcast the grass seed on, then harrowed seed in with the power harrow drill combi with some left over spring barley down the spout followed by a good flat rolling.
All the field was green with barley or grass by summer and we got a thin crop of silage off it. Its a nice field of grass now but i don't think it would have grown without help from the barley.

I have heard advisers say that a little oats or barley can help get the grass going, keeps down other weeds and once grazed hard, or topped is gone, allowing the grass or clover to tiller.

 

[ollie989898]

Would you adding the westerwold in on top of the grass ley then? 15/16kg a acre ish combined? It's interesting, a friend of the family runs a groundscare company, they provide groundscare for a few league football and cricket teams and he can can't belive how low a seed rate is applied to agricultural land compared to re seeding football pitches etc.

The grasses used in agriculture are many times the size of those in the amenity sectors and bred rather differently. Put all the fertiliser on your lawn you want: it won't grow so tall you can barely walk through it.

Differences in seed size would surprise you as well.

 

[ollie989898]

I have heard advisers say that a little oats or barley can help get the grass going, keeps down other weeds and once grazed hard, or topped is gone, allowing the grass or clover to tiller.

Done it a million times. Posted it on TFF a million times. Folk can search for it. I think I've made my point about using a spring barley or oat nurse crop.

Anyway, folk on TFF get very fixated on broad leaved weeds in grass for some reason. It's not because of these I tell people to avoid grass: grass reseeding. It is the weed grasses that do for leys in the majority of situations and there is no magic way of removing these from a ley unfortunately.

 

[SierraLima]

Done it a million times. Posted it on TFF a million times. Folk can search for it. I think I've made my point about using a spring barley or oat nurse crop.

Anyway, folk on TFF get very fixated on broad leaved weeds in grass for some reason. It's not because of these I tell people to avoid grass: grass reseeding. It is the weed grasses that do for leys in the majority of situations and there is no magic way of removing these from a ley unfortunately.

What sort of quantities of barley/oats are you planting along with the grass? I did have a quick search for it as you suggest but the search tool on here isn't fantastic it throws up all manner of subjects...

 

[ollie989898]

What sort of quantities of barley/oats are you planting along with the grass? I did have a quick search for it as you suggest but the search tool on here isn't fantastic it throws up all manner of subjects...

I used to recommend 35kg/acre of spring barley drilled first and at the usual depth. Then sow the grass in a second pass using whatever means available. Roll to taste. Soon as you see the barley poking up throw on 50 units nitrogen. Mow everything off around about 1st-2nd week of July (cut early before the barley turns too far) and put in silage pit. Weather being helpful grass should give you 2 more cuts quite happily.

Not sure what clover safe sprays are available these days but they aren't especially hot on perennial weeds anyway. Spray with usual hormone herbicides early on and before the barley covers over. Removing broad leaved weed competition now will ensure the grass gets covered in and no bald patches later.