Best way to sow grass seed?

Muckit

Whats your preferred way to sow grass seed, after you've prepared seedbed? (This is not a plough/ p. harrow/ chain harrow debate) I'm merely talking about getting the seed in the ground

ie - seed barrow
- broadcast with fert spreader
- broadcast with 12V quad type spreader
- pneumatic seed drill
- Moore type seed drill
- other?

Thanks

Muckit

49801

Muckit wrote: »

Whats your preferred way to sow grass seed, after you've prepared seedbed? (This is not a plough/ p. harrow/ chain harrow debate) I'm merely talking about getting the seed in the ground

ie - seed barrow
- broadcast with fert spreader
- broadcast with 12V quad type spreader
- pneumatic seed drill
- Moore type seed drill
- other?

Thanks

Muckit

fert spreader just because its a piece of equipment already on the farm and does not require spending money on a contractor.
Can be a pain to calibrate (guess) and wind can be a problem
seed barrow not too bad but a pain to move from field to field.

blue5000

Nearly always use a vicon wagtail fert spreader. Usually 2 runs and pull a flat roller on a chain after it, doesn't work on hills though.

bob charles

a fiddle

Muckit

bob charles wrote: »

a fiddle

..... your a flute :rolleyes:

There's a lot of modern type 'fiddles' online, but feck it, you'd be an age at it!!

Username John

Would you use less seed (or put it in more accurately I guess I should say) with a one-pass option as opposed to a fertiliser spinner?

49801

Username John wrote: »

Would you use less seed (or put it in more accurately I guess I should say) with a one-pass option as opposed to a fertiliser spinner?

short answer is no
most pneumatic seeders are designed for larger seed like wheat, barely etc.
Even with those seeds you have to keep an eye on how fast the seed is running out due to TGW and do a calibration by turning the ground wheel. With a small seed like grass its still a guess what the settings are.

A small field is very handy to have. Or a gps showing you how much ground you've covered. (i ordered a tractorgps.co.uk on Tues so will be playing with it this spring. though i know the accuracy won't be fantastic at narrow working width but at least it'll keep me on the straight and narrow before i realise i'am on top of my last wheeling:o)

iverjohnston

Always use a Vicon Wagtail, because, as the other poster said, its there already. If fact it is used for nothing else this last 20 years. Lives up on a loft, and is pulled down for a few hours a year just to reseed. The settings and the tractor gear and revs are written on the side of the hopper with a permanent marker since forever. dead calm day, and we drive close to the last run, try and keep the width of each run the same as the width between the tractors tyres. (Super Dexta) then a run of the harrow.

delaval

We used a barrow fitted with harrow on tilled land followed flat roller.
Regrassing in grassland Atchison direct seeder.

Blue Holland

49801 wrote: »

short answer is no
most pneumatic seeders are designed for larger seed like wheat, barely etc.
Even with those seeds you have to keep an eye on how fast the seed is running out due to TGW and do a calibration by turning the ground wheel. With a small seed like grass its still a guess what the settings are.

A small field is very handy to have. Or a gps showing you how much ground you've covered. (i ordered a tractorgps.co.uk on Tues so will be playing with it this spring. though i know the accuracy won't be fantastic at narrow working width but at least it'll keep me on the straight and narrow before i realise i'am on top of my last wheeling:o)

Would'nt agree at all, can set kuhn accord one pass to sow oil seed rape to the nearest 0.2 kg to the acre, never had any problem with settings for grass seed.
Can remember waiting for calm day to spread with fert spreader while ground drying out, having said that it always worked out in the end. Like the less passes with one-pass.

mf240

Grass is not a difficult crop to grow, people tend to get a bit ocd about resseding in my view.

yellow50HX

iverjohnston wrote: »

Always use a Vicon Wagtail, because, as the other poster said, its there already. If fact it is used for nothing else this last 20 years. Lives up on a loft, and is pulled down for a few hours a year just to reseed. The settings and the tractor gear and revs are written on the side of the hopper with a permanent marker since forever. dead calm day, and we drive close to the last run, try and keep the width of each run the same as the width between the tractors tyres. (Super Dexta) then a run of the harrow.

Yipp find the same, day needs to calm though.

st1979

mf240 wrote: »

Grass is not a difficult crop to grow, people tend to get a bit ocd about resseding in my view.

True. Nearly always grows unless it is really dry after sowing. I use wagtail then roll. Never chain harrow anymore

Marooned75

Was thinking of stitching it on silage ground after its cut anybody try this and what did ya think of results.

bob charles

Marooned75 wrote: »

Was thinking of stitching it on silage ground after its cut anybody try this and what did ya think of results.

lovely job but weather after first cut might not be ideal, depends on the soil type, worse thing for seed sitting in a slot is a heap of rain

Marooned75

bob charles wrote: »

lovely job but weather after first cut might not be ideal, depends on the soil type, worse thing for seed sitting in a slot is a heap of rain

Would have been a waste of time last summer so

severeoversteer

would ye burn off completely with roundup etc, and few passes with chain harrow , twin disc kuhn fert spreader to spread seed, chain harrow and then roll.:cool: would you get a good ground cover ?

or would you overseed without spraying and just keep it grazed tight with sheep or something.

49801

severeoversteer wrote: »

would ye burn off completely with roundup etc, and few passes with chain harrow , twin disc kuhn fert spreader to spread seed, chain harrow and then roll.:cool: would you get a good ground cover ?

or would you overseed without spraying and just keep it grazed tight with sheep or something.

burn it off! (only reason not to burn off is if your sward has gotten thin but the grass is still good and your just trying to thicken it up a bit)

If you want to chance the chain harrows get it grazed tight afterwards too.
Else have an accident with a few match's :eek:

Keep harrowing till you've generated a bit of tilth. spin it on and roll. i personally would not chain harrow after spinning the seed as i'd be afraid of burying it too deep.

PatQfarmer

mf240 wrote: »

Grass is not a difficult crop to grow, people tend to get a bit ocd about resseding in my view.

My contractor said the same last year after I was concerned that he buried seed too deep. " Sure if you split a bag, it'll grow in the boot of the car" he told me. And he is right:D
Trying the cheap way (ie harrow and broadcast) myself this year...weather permitting!