Advice on Reseeding -- Type of Grass Seed

PN14

Ok I'm looking for some advice on a reseed of one of our main silage fields approx 17 acres. As plenty of silage in yard I'm taking opportunity to reseed this field this year as I don't need a second cut from it.

A bit of backround generally gets two silage cuts mid may & again early august. Is used for grazing ground for at back end of year Sept to Nov as is a dry field on rock. Away from milking block so not used for grazing in Spring. Gets slurry in February, fertilizer and closed for silage.

The field has never been reseeded. Its on a rock outcrop with only 6" of topsoil so will be going a min till reseed i.e. spray, disk, power harrow, seed.

I need a grass seed mix that will allow me to spray for docks etc as this field will be getting slurry and don't want to be two restricted trying to protect clover and control the docks (an issue on the grazing block at present)

So questions

1. What type of grass seed mix would you suggest

2. I have grazed 2/3rds of aftergrass on field tight so will just spray off as is. The last 1/3 I'm going to bale but want to spray in advance. What is the recommended time frame for this? I.E. spray and then cut and bale 4-5 days later?

Any suggestions / advice / experience appreciated

simx

PN14 wrote: »

Ok I'm looking for some advice on a reseed of one of our main silage fields approx 17 acres. As plenty of silage in yard I'm taking opportunity to reseed this field this year as I don't need a second cut from it.

A bit of backround generally gets two silage cuts mid may & again early august. Is used for grazing ground for at back end of year Sept to Nov as is a dry field on rock. Away from milking block so not used for grazing in Spring. Gets slurry in February, fertilizer and closed for silage.

The field has never been reseeded. Its on a rock outcrop with only 6" of topsoil so will be going a min till reseed i.e. spray, disk, power harrow, seed.

I need a grass seed mix that will allow me to spray for docks etc as this field will be getting slurry and don't want to be two restricted trying to protect clover and control the docks (an issue on the grazing block at present)

So questions

1. What type of grass seed mix would you suggest

2. I have grazed 2/3rds of aftergrass on field tight so will just spray off as is. The last 1/3 I'm going to bale but want to spray in advance. What is the recommended time frame for this? I.E. spray and then cut and bale 4-5 days later?

Any suggestions / advice / experience appreciated

I think spray and cut something like 10 days after

just do it

1. Seed mix with 3-4 varieties. 70-75 diploid with 1 tetraploid. All within a tight band is heading days
2. Cut anytime from 4 days after spraying. You'll see the grass starting to die on day 2 or 3. You can cut once you see this

You'll have a lot of stones by the sounds of the land. If the field is level I wouldn't till other than a few runs with a chain harrow.

PN14

A bit worried about the stones alright. Its the only field we have with stones/rock every where else has about 10m of heavy clay to bedrock. Field is actually in the middle of about 500 acres of lowlying corcus land very heavy and prone to flooding with river and canels around it. Very unusual geology actually high point of field must by 5m above surrounding lands. I don't fancy facing into picking 17 acres of stones not too bad facing into a couple of acre paddocks but not that size.

Do you think chain harrow would be enough to work up a decent seed bed?