Stewardship establishment costs

[yellow belly]

Too cold for most mixtures
if it stays dry will disc a very fine seed bed and drill straight after
last year did this in early May on new plots got very good establishment
the problem is existing plots that have been in the same place
slugs can be a big problem on heavy land when it rains if establishment is in cold weather

 

[D14]

Too cold for most mixtures
if it stays dry will disc a very fine seed bed and drill straight after
last year did this in early May on new plots got very good establishment
the problem is existing plots that have been in the same place
slugs can be a big problem on heavy land when it rains if establishment is in cold weather

In 30 years of conservation agreements and stewardship mixes our failures have come from drilling into bine dry conditions. It just germinates patchy letting weeds through, where as early drilling has never failed us even in colder temps. The seed just sits there in moisture and it will grow.

 

[DRC]

I’ve always favoured spring drilling( May ) for these mixes. Up and away .
but last autumn I did some autumn sown bird/ bee mixes on a Severn Trent agreement . It had to be autumn drilled and it doesn’t look great after a wet winter . It was a ridiculous mix of 11 things . I will be surprised if half of them grow to be honest .

 

[Salopian_Will]

I’ve always favoured spring drilling( May ) for these mixes. Up and away .
but last autumn I did some autumn sown bird/ bee mixes on a Severn Trent agreement . It had to be autumn drilled and it doesn’t look great after a wet winter . It was a ridiculous mix of 11 things . I will be surprised if half of them grow to be honest .

I signed up to that. Unfortunately there were still spring beans that had not ben cut putting paid to getting it in, in the autumn. They have agreed to a spring establishment mix this time around but I am not sure they will bend the rules again for me. However, I do like the fact that the ST scheme does have some consistency with personnel and some discretion, rather than pot luck with a Natural England helpline.

 

[yellow belly]

In 30 years of conservation agreements and stewardship mixes our failures have come from drilling into bine dry conditions. It just germinates patchy letting weeds through, where as early drilling has never failed us even in colder temps. The seed just sits there in moisture and it will grow.

Depends where you are and what soil type

some parts of some mixture will need soil temperatures above 10 degrees

this week we have had ice on puddles 3 mornings and grass frosts on 2 more

if it is bone dry then that give you time to get a fine firm seedbed and wait for rain

 

[DRC]

Managed to grow this one year in the old HLS. A bag of sunflower seed that was supposed to go in bird feeder.
Had lots of folks wanting to paint or photo it.

 

[DRC]

I signed up to that. Unfortunately there were still spring beans that had not ben cut putting paid to getting it in, in the autumn. They have agreed to a spring establishment mix this time around but I am not sure they will bend the rules again for me. However, I do like the fact that the ST scheme does have some consistency with personnel and some discretion, rather than pot luck with a Natural England helpline.

@steveR says the money from S Trent is running out. Think he’s had it all

 

[Two Tone]

I wouldn’t want to drill any AB9 before the beginning of May. One very good way of preserving moisture, even in drought spring years like 2020 is to Direct drill it.

i did exactly that last year, into the nastiest clay soils we have and had our best take ever for the cheapest costs ever.

 

[Salopian_Will]

Managed to grow this one year in the old HLS. A bag of sunflower seed that was supposed to go in bird feeder.
Had lots of folks wanting to paint or photo it.View attachment 953132

We have had pretty mixed success under the old ELS. Under the ST we are doing supplementary feeding which is working brilliantly, despite my initial skepticism. Several hundred small birds at any time and no hassle of establishing the crop! I did underestimate how much work was involved spreading the seed though...

 

[DRC]

We have had pretty mixed success under the old ELS. Under the ST we are doing supplementary feeding which is working brilliantly, despite my initial skepticism. Several hundred small birds at any time and no hassle of establishing the crop! I did underestimate how much work was involved spreading the seed though...

I’ve included that option in a new wildlife offer I’ve just done. Mrs SF will enjoy that job

 

[steveR]

@steveR says the money from S Trent is running out. Think he’s had it all

I am trying my best....

 

[Two Tone]

We have had pretty mixed success under the old ELS. Under the ST we are doing supplementary feeding which is working brilliantly, despite my initial skepticism. Several hundred small birds at any time and no hassle of establishing the crop! I did underestimate how much work was involved spreading the seed though...

I use an old Vicon Vari-spreader at a low PTO speed. Works really well and very easy.

 

[Salopian_Will]

I use an old Vicon Vari-spreader at a low PTO speed. Works really well and very easy.
View attachment 953144

That's brilliant as you can put plenty in it - we have a trailed spreader behind the quad but it will only hold 100kg. I might keep my eye out for one of these. I have pre-mixed my seed in old seed bags.

 

[Salopian_Will]

I’ve included that option in a new wildlife offer I’ve just done. Mrs SF will enjoy that job

We find that they like it in grass fields best.

 

[Two Tone]

That's brilliant as you can put plenty in it - we have a trailed spreader behind the quad but it will only hold 100kg. I might keep my eye out for one of these. I have pre-mixed my seed in old seed bags.

I’m sure even a spinning disc spreader would also do it.
I leave mine on that tractor from Jan to March each year and put some more on about every fortnight to three weeks, depending on the need.
The best place I find to put it is on AB8 Flower rich margins, that have been topped before winter. It certainly gets eaten and I’ve never had problems with anything that shouldn’t be growing in them taking over.

 

[steveR]

I’m sure even a spinning disc spreader would also do it.
I leave mine on that tractor from Jan to March each year and put some more on about every fortnight to three weeks, depending on the need.
The best place I find to put it is on AB8 Flower rich margins, that have been topped before winter. It certainly gets eaten and I’ve never had problems with anything that shouldn’t be growing in them taking over.

Where are you sourcing the seed feed from, and what is in it?? Cost??

No towering hemp plants then

 

[Two Tone]

Where are you sourcing the seed feed from, and what is in it?? Cost??

No towering hemp plants then

Kings supply a mixture that I can add wheat and OSR to, to get up to the total weight I need to apply. No need to mix it that well because they will find what they want to eat from wherever it lands from each spreader load run.
What amazes me is that it is spread close to where our AB9 winter bird food is growing. They still appreciate the supplementary feeding though, especially when it is cold, snowy and frosty. Different birds, prefer the different seeds within the mix.
Each full spreader is spread over about a 150 metre run at about 6 metres wide, with the operating lever fully open, driving at about 3mph and the PTO at engine tick-over RPMs.It takes me about 1/2 an hour to load, spread and get back to the farm every time I feed them. Which, depending on the weather might be every 2-3 weeks, depending on the weather.

Both the AB9 and the supplementary feeding have transformed our pheasant shooting - Covid restrictions allowing!
Far too many of them left over this year. The farm yard is crawling with them just now.

 

[Salopian_Will]

Where are you sourcing the seed feed from, and what is in it?? Cost??

No towering hemp plants then

We got some niger seed, sunflower hearts and white millet from H J Lea Oakes. Cannot remember the cost but not cheap - £700/tonne ish. Mix with OSR, Barley and Wheat.

 

[steveR]

We got some niger seed, sunflower hearts and white millet from H J Lea Oakes. Cannot remember the cost but not cheap - £700/tonne ish. Mix with OSR, Barley and Wheat.

What ratio of bought in versus farm produced. I felt that using a high % of fancy seeds made the Option a bit dubious financially, even though it did appeal to me. I have just planted more seed producing mix instead

 

[Salopian_Will]

What ratio of bought in versus farm produced. I felt that using a high % of fancy seeds made the Option a bit dubious financially, even though it did appeal to me. I have just planted more seed producing mix instead

70:30 - up tp 70% cereals, majority barley. The 30% includes some OSR. The payment just about covers its costs with hassle factor included.