We've got one or two fields which we planted cover crops in last back end with a view to spring drilling and for one reason or another the covers hardly grew and the wet winter has made the whole scene a bit sad looking. These fields want a break and the idea of slotting linseed, peas or beans in and harvesting slightly more than the amount of seed used, doesn't really appeal.
What we're planning is a summer multi-species cover which we can then mob-graze in Aug/September which will allow our pastures a slightly longer recovery period at a lean time of year and, with any luck, allow us to keep the cattle out that bit longer this coming back end. As well as giving us a cracking, cheap first wheat next year.
So, questions...what to plant and when to drill? What to plant, in my mind, is a mix of whatever is to hand and some C4's like maize, sorghum, millet, sunflowers, buckwheat coupled with stubble turnips, linseed etc. Grasses/cereals? There's a lot of brome/blackgrass plants on ground at the moment. If we wait till they flower and then graze hard or top (or crimp?) and then drill the covers, will that be too late to get the full benefit of the cover (albeit coupled with a feeling of smugness at avoiding a glyphosate spray)?
Any ideas?
What we're planning is a summer multi-species cover which we can then mob-graze in Aug/September which will allow our pastures a slightly longer recovery period at a lean time of year and, with any luck, allow us to keep the cattle out that bit longer this coming back end. As well as giving us a cracking, cheap first wheat next year.
So, questions...what to plant and when to drill? What to plant, in my mind, is a mix of whatever is to hand and some C4's like maize, sorghum, millet, sunflowers, buckwheat coupled with stubble turnips, linseed etc. Grasses/cereals? There's a lot of brome/blackgrass plants on ground at the moment. If we wait till they flower and then graze hard or top (or crimp?) and then drill the covers, will that be too late to get the full benefit of the cover (albeit coupled with a feeling of smugness at avoiding a glyphosate spray)?
Any ideas?