Very light land game cover options?

[steveR]

Pondering some options for next year following some changes in the shoot here at home.

I have some very light sand so quite drought prone... This years mixes have been a big fail on the sand (been poor all over actually) and I want to put in two new 0.5ha blocks next year. I'll speak with the seed suppliers next year, but I am wondering if anyone here has found the ideal option for cover and game crops.

Good for it to last two years, but deffo want good cover throughout the winter to hold birds. Some herbicide options are good to have in reserve, as stale seedbeds are so reliant on a good chit of weeds early on.

 

[Brisel]

Grass based, with some triticale, millet & sorghum in, though you'll need to keep the rats under control. That's assuming a broad leafed weed problem.

If you're mad keen on your shooting, I'd borrow a slurry tanker to irrigate them with! I've been lucky enough to have rain after sowing in late May for the last couple of years to get mine going.

 

[steveR]

Grass based, with some triticale, millet & sorghum in, though you'll need to keep the rats under control. That's assuming a broad leafed weed problem.

If you're mad keen on your shooting, I'd borrow a slurry tanker to irrigate them with! I've been lucky enough to have rain after sowing in late May for the last couple of years to get mine going.

Grass... Really? As in Maize? Weeds will be predominantly Mayweed, and Pansy. Clover has been much in evidence this year!! Never seen it before there!

I used to grow a lot of Trit on light land here and land I rented. Millet just fades away in the winter I have found, but not really ever had sorghum I don't think... Pretty well ruled out Kale and other brassicas based on past issues there which are often the ideal winter dense cover.

It is actually only 50m from a river, but no extraction rights :-( I used to flood irrigate beet and high value seed crops like linseed but that is no longer an option....legally

 

[Lincs Lass]

Sun flowers and jerusalem artichokes make great bird cover ,,we used to fill up horible corners or heavy drain bank tops ,,both are drought tolerant and dont care what soil it is

 

[adzy]

Sun flowers and jerusalem artichokes make great bird cover ,,we used to fill up horible corners or heavy drain bank tops ,,both are drought tolerant and dont care what soil it is

Got to say, the best cover crop I've seen was Jerusalem artichokes. Never failed to be full of birds, loads of overhead foliage/cover and a haven for insects too.

 

[Brisel]

Artichokes are horrible plants and the last resort in a game cover before you do something else with that bit of land. They need thinning every year once well established though a chisel plough in dry weather doesn't do a bad job of that.

 

[steveR]

Sun flowers and jerusalem artichokes make great bird cover ,,we used to fill up horible corners or heavy drain bank tops ,,both are drought tolerant and dont care what soil it is

Hmmm, have heard good things about Jerusalam artichokes in the past as being a persistent plant... I'll look into them!

 

[DrWazzock]

If it’s anything like our light land just cultivate it in March and leave it. It will be waist high in fat hen by September with all that seed to feed the birds.

 

[steveR]

Artichokes are horrible plants and the last resort in a game cover before you do something else with that bit of land. They need thinning every year once well established though a chisel plough in dry weather doesn't do a bad job of that.

Or maybe not!!

Why horrible? TRavel a bit do they...?

 

[Brisel]

Grass... Really? As in Maize? Weeds will be predominantly Mayweed, and Pansy. Clover has been much in evidence this year!! Never seen it before there!

I used to grow a lot of Trit on light land here and land I rented. Millet just fades away in the winter I have found, but not really ever had sorghum I don't think... Pretty well ruled out Kale and other brassicas based on past issues there which are often the ideal winter dense cover.

It is actually only 50m from a river, but no extraction rights :-( I used to flood irrigate beet and high value seed crops like linseed but that is no longer an option....legally

Bright Seeds do herbicide friendly mixes depending on your weed problem. If you're going to add maize, put lots of manure on the seedbed. I'm dropping kale from future covers for more aggressive brassicas like utopia. Flea beetle murders it quickly, so make sure it's in a good mix and gets away fast.

 

[Brisel]

Or maybe not!!

Why horrible? TRavel a bit do they...?

Full of sclerotinia, hard to beat through. Sorry, bad memories of being sent into them as a kid...!

 

[steveR]

If it’s anything like our light land just cultivate it in March and leave it. It will be waist high in fat hen by September with all that seed to feed the birds.

Johnny Nails... never seen it...

Based on my OWS/SF option this year, even fat hen was a bust after the Spring cultivation!

 

[Brisel]

If it’s anything like our light land just cultivate it in March and leave it. It will be waist high in fat hen by September with all that seed to feed the birds.

It doesn't hang around long in the autumn. Plenty of seed, but not frost proof.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Hmmm, have heard good things about Jerusalam artichokes in the past as being a persistent plant... I'll look into them!

pull the ground up ,chuck them on the surface and run over it with some old firgy ridgers ,,next year ,pull them apart and ridge up again ,,every little bit grows ,,if you get fed with them ,wait till theres plenty of new shoots and drown them in roundup ,,they are ni on indestructible

 

[steveR]

Full of sclerotinia, hard to beat through. Sorry, bad memories of being sent into them as a kid...!

Tough childhood I can tell!!

My eldest (daughter) hates Bramble patches with a vengance, a hangover from some less than pleasant experiences beating...

 

[Spencer]

Hmmm, have heard good things about Jerusalam artichokes in the past as being a persistent plant... I'll look into them!

Oh they’re persistent all right! We had a block swamped in them. They got 5 l/ha roundup. Flailed, ploughed to about 12” & drilled with maize. Good pre em on the maize and they’ve come back strong as ever! Actually just about right... holding birds well

 

[ollie989898]

How about a strip of red clover and cocksfoot backed with sunflowers?

 

[steveR]

Fascinating article on the joys... and dangers of Jerusalem Artichokes here!

Before You Plant Sunchokes, You Need to Read This Post

Sunchokes, also know as Jerusalem artichokes, are promoted for their health benefits, but you need to plan ahead before adding them to your garden.

commonsensehome.com

I guess 5l Roundup 480 will slow them down? ?


Later.... Or maybe not from the experience of @Spencer

 

[Brisel]

Artichokes are tubers, so hard to kill with contact herbicides. I don’t know what plant family they are from @Hindsight ?

 

[nick...]

Have a chat with @Great In Grass for top advice and help
Nick...