Zero Till grass seed

[Dog Bowl]

Barley stubbles just been sprayed off. Usually I terradisc once, then use my grass harrows and seeder box to drill the seed. This year I am thinking i might get my neighbour in with his new weaving GD disc drill to direct drill the seed. My question is would you go once over with seed at full rate or cut the rate half and cross drill? Or should I not bother direct drilling and stick to what I know!

Thoughts please!

 

[tr250]

Barley stubbles just been sprayed off. Usually I terradisc once, then use my grass harrows and seeder box to drill the seed. This year I am thinking i might get my neighbour in with his new weaving GD disc drill to direct drill the seed. My question is would you go once over with seed at full rate or cut the rate half and cross drill? Or should I not bother direct drilling and stick to what I know!

Thoughts please!

Twice definitely with 6” rows

 

[Dog Bowl]

Twice definitely with 6” rows

What was that drilled with?

 

[Jop]

Depends on the type of ley you are putting in. Short term cutting leys I usually drill once, longer term grazing leys twice.

 

[tr250]

What was that drilled with?

Weaving gd one straight and one at 45 degrees into wheat stubble

 

[Bury the Trash]

Barley stubbles just been sprayed off. Usually I terradisc once, then use my grass harrows and seeder box to drill the seed. This year I am thinking i might get my neighbour in with his new weaving GD disc drill to direct drill the seed. My question is would you go once over with seed at full rate or cut the rate half and cross drill? Or should I not bother direct drilling and stick to what I know!

Thoughts please!

I bet your neighbour is champing at the bit to come in and show off with his shiny new dwill.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Even with 2 passes ( which surely negates one big advantage) the gaps will still be visible for the life of the mix.
Well the 'gaps' could have clover broadcast over them a bit later i guess as a help for its establishment , but thats extra work of course....
Grass seed is expensive if you make a good job with your own kit carry as before i would say

 

[Dog Bowl]

It's short term westerwolds. It will do 4 cuts next year before being pulled up October for wheat

 

[Will Blackburn]

Is it flat?

 

[Dog Bowl]

It's all on cotswold brash. Flat ish fields...

 

[Bury the Trash]

So how about at least a trial.in maybe a particular weed problem field....try a bit with the weaving ....but once over with straight grass seed then spray out any weed coming up later if there is any .
Then spin over clover after....

 

[Bury the Trash]

It's short term westerwolds. It will do 4 cuts next year before being pulled up October for wheat

If thats the case/ for that short term use / type of seed just let him drill it at normal rate once over (but only of course if it saves/ time / cost for you....

 

[sticky]

for westerwolds would your harrows not do the job straight onto the stubble and then roll? With the moisture about and the fact the westerwolds are so vigourous I would of thought it would grow a treat.

 

[Dog Bowl]

Sometimes I am crap at making decisive decisions when I get thinking at different options! What would he charge me for DD £10/ac? £15/ac? It costs me very little to cultivate and establish with my bought and paid for cultivator and grass harrows and I get guaranteed results with this method....

I do wonder if I just stick to what I know and put the cultivator on....

 

[Bury the Trash]

Well ask him for a price (of each time over ) then do the maths on your fag packet.

Sometimes boredom or familiarity or what someone else is doing ....sort of thing makes us want to do something different

....either way decisions always need to made

Happy days.

( old unsure emoji )

 

[neilo]

Sometimes I am crap at making decisive decisions when I get thinking at different options! What would he charge me for DD £10/ac? £15/ac? It costs me very little to cultivate and establish with my bought and paid for cultivator and grass harrows and I get guaranteed results with this method....

I do wonder if I just stick to what I know and put the cultivator on....

Likely about £20/ac, maybe a bit more, unless he's doing you a favour.

As @sticky posted, could you not go straight in with your harrow/seeder and roll after? Westerwolds are very vigourous seeds.

 

[aled1590]

I had contractor come in with a vredo direct drill and drilled one way into barley stubbles. Was a wynnstay stitching in mix with clover. That was 3 years ago. Great ley with no gaps whatsoever

 

[Bury the Trash]

I had contractor come in with a vredo direct drill and drilled one way into barley stubbles. Was a wynnstay stitching in mix with clover. That was 3 years ago. Great ley with no gaps whatsoever

One pass with that would be the equivilent rows of 2 passes with the op mentioned drill but with out the distruption to the first pass by the second pass as well of course. Sounds ideal.

Was the soil fairly firm btw ?

 

[aled1590]

Aah right I’m not really clued up with these drills, just put my trust in the contractor! Yes fairly firm, odd occasion I’ve asked him to come he’s said no after describing field because soil to loose and wouldn’t flow between disks

 

[deleted user 837354]

Direct drill into stubbles will work fine if no tramlines or anything that needs pulling up. I would be looking at applying slug pellets or watching for them very closely given the recent weather. Grass seed must be put very very firm to ensure soil to seed contact, so I would probably roll nearly regardless of which drill was used.