Moss

bbam

Was walking a gew fields at the weekend checking grass cover etc.
I noticed a good deal of moss is some fields, worse than before. These fields would have poor enough access and so have never got dung/slurry in my memory anyway.

People talk about lime, slag or just plenty of 18:6:12 to sort it out. I'm wondering about getting a chain harrow. Would this bust the tatch and moss and let more grass through?

What would be the best treatment on old pasture for moss and tatch?

adne

bbam wrote: »

Was walking a gew fields at the weekend checking grass cover etc.
I noticed a good deal of moss is some fields, worse than before. These fields would have poor enough access and so have never got dung/slurry in my memory anyway.

People talk about lime, slag or just plenty of 18:6:12 to sort it out. I'm wondering about getting a chain harrow. Would this bust the tatch and moss and let more grass through?

What would be the best treatment on old pasture for moss and tatch?

Moss = acidic soil which means you need lime in my opinion

ELP

Just got my recommendations for the following soil sample for ground with moss in it.
ph. 5.6
phosphrous 7 mg/l index 0
potassium 44mg/l index 0

I was advised 2 ton of lime per acre plus 3.5 bags of 18.6.12 per acre after that 16 units of p + k until another soil sample is taken.

Hope that gives you an idea of what to do with it.

PatQfarmer

I'd agree that moss= need for lime. I've an Einbock harrow. Mighty machine for tearing up old grass and trash and letting new stuff through. But soil conditions have to be right for growing!

RobinBanks

PatQfarmer wrote: »

I'd agree that moss= need for lime. I've an Einbock harrow. Mighty machine for tearing up old grass and trash and letting new stuff through. But soil conditions have to be right for growing!

Pat,

Is an einbock anyway similar to a chain harrow? I have a beaconfields chain harrow and I used it last weekend on a field that was bad with moss. It brought up more sods than moss!

PatQfarmer

RobinBanks wrote: »

Pat,

Is an einbock anyway similar to a chain harrow? I have a beaconfields chain harrow and I used it last weekend on a field that was bad with moss. It brought up more sods than moss!

Different animal. I had a chain harrow, but my place is dry, so it used hop off the ground:)
I bought an Einbock, folds in 3 sections and has spring tines with 5 different settings, easily adjusted. It is a great machine at scratching the surface or digging deep, depending on setting. I was lightly stocked for a few years and some fields only mowed, not grazed. This brought them back really well.
Father has Pottinger version with pneumatic seeder. That works well also for overseeding.
I am re-seeding one paddock this year with discs and power harrow and one smaller one with Einbock and spinner as a trial.

Oldtree

I had my grass tested and I have high molybdenum levels, probably due to the limestone bedrock and outcrops and was told not to spred lime as it will increase the levels of molybdenum which can lead to copper deficiencies and associated problems.

Username John

Oldtree wrote: »

I had my grass tested and I have high molybdenum levels, probably due to the limestone bedrock and outcrops and was told not to spred lime as it will increase the levels of molybdenum which can lead to copper deficiencies and associated problems.

How / where did you get the grass tested oldtree?

And why, if you don't mind asking? Had you seen particular issues, which made you get it tested?

Thanks.