Reseeding a bog Field

cycling is fun

Hi,

Im looking for advice here i have a 6 acre field that was reclaimed around 1980 it was origanally bog its been fine up to now put there were alot of thistles in it last year
Also over the years the bog has sagged and im looking to removed old bog oak and stones that have come to the surface wanted i want to know is is it possible to reseed a field that was reclaimed from bog and get a good result grass wise?

And would the ground be suitable for silage afterwards? any help would e great

Bizzum

There are a few variables with bog, but if it was fine before, it's likely that it could again be made fine, with work. I know if I seen it I'd know what could be done with it, as would many other posters on here. In the midlands there is plenty of reclaimed bogland producing gress, and being baled for silage, when conditions allow.
I don't know is the bogland in Mayo any different?
The recent few wet summers were difficult on boggy ground and making silage was a nightmare in some places, even impossible. In a normal year though it can easily be done!

countryjimbo

Hi,

Last year I reseeded a field that was reclaimed in the late 70's. Was very similar to yours, bog had settled and was very uneven with bog oak and stones coming through, wasn't producing much grass.

We cleaned the drains, ploughed and power harrowed it. Reseeded it and got a nice crop of silage off it last August.
The surface will be easily broken the first year so dual wheels would be advised just to protect it and better not to let cattle on it until year two.

I was advised to sow some oats to give a good crop the first year so I mixed some oats with the grass seed. This produced a great crop of oats through the grass which we cut whole just before they ripened and baled for silage. If you're doing this look for a short straw variety to cut down on the amount of straw in the bales.

Hope this helps, Jim

cycling is fun

Hi Guys thanks for advice glad that it worked out for you countryJimbo so should hopefully work out for me also im hoping when i do it this time that it works out also hoping that i would be able to use the ground for silage year after year thanks again for the advice

jocotty

cycling is fun wrote: »

Hi Guys thanks for advice glad that it worked out for you countryJimbo so should hopefully work out for me also im hoping when i do it this time that it works out also hoping that i would be able to use the ground for silage year after year thanks again for the advice

well,

so did it work?

do you know, can any bog land be reclaimed? thinking of buying 20 acres of fairly boggy land - for small money. is it worth it? Will i be able to make a resonable good place of it - to keep a few cattle?
I have all my own digers, and tractors and the lot...but never reclaimed bog before? if its so easy, why dont everyone do it, and make farming land from bogland?
Jo

Birdnuts

jocotty wrote: »

well,

I have all my own digers, and tractors and the lot...but never reclaimed bog before? if its so easy, why dont everyone do it, and make farming land from bogland?
Jo

Well it takes alot of time and money to get it into usable condition and even then, wet summers and winters make such areas often useless for the likes of cattle and operating machinery like Silage trailers etc.. Plus it requires alot more general maintance then conventional farmland.