Grass seed for heavy ground

MANSFIELD

I'm going reseeding 6 acres of heavy ground which has a mix of grey marle and peat .

What grass seed would I use?

It's going to be ploughed .

Thanks

Reggie.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058250924/grass-seed-for-heavy-ground

Something with an even mix of tetraploid and diploid. Agritech No 4A is a fairly good mix I find

MANSFIELD

Would that be ok for wettish ground ? It's gets pretty wet in the winter.

Farmer Dan

I Second Agritech 4A, have used it on similar type ground, very happy with it.

I didn't plough it though, I'd be afraid id turn up too much Marle.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119224679#Comment_119224679

Would there be too much rye grass in that mix, would MSS be better?

Wildsurfer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119224229#Comment_119224229

Don't think that would be suitable for the type of ground the OP is talking about. Those mixes would grow too much in the shoulders when grazing would be difficult on heavy ground. Those grass varieties won't survive without proper grazing and nutrients. I'm not sure what the right type of grass seed would be though, how about some type of meadow grass with more summer growth?

Reggie.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119224733#Comment_119224733

Not too impressed with MSS here. Not much grazing in it.

Reggie.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119224829#Comment_119224829

Well that type of ground is common in the midlands and its what is mostly sown around these parts

Including my own ground

mahoney_j

On heavy ground u want ground cover …so diploid grasses mostly and I’ve heard somewhere that Timothy is good to have in a mix for ground like that

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119224909#Comment_119224909

Yep - Fescues good too and Marsh Foxtail, all deep rooting and resistant to waterlogging

Neddyusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119225190#Comment_119225190

Agreed, also a ryegrass reseed in ground like that will look good for 1 or 2 years but after that it will yellow and die out quickly.

yosemitesam1

Cocksfoot, Timothy and meadow fescue should probably make up 60-70% of the mix. Ryegrass for the rest, unless you were going to do a big drainage job and horse out the fert.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119225489#Comment_119225489

Has DLF got a mix like that?

Iloverain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119224679#Comment_119224679

what method do you find best? Disc?

blue5000

Why are you ploughing it? Surely the most fertile soil is on top? Agree with above posts about Timothy and fescues, they will last longer than ryegrass on peat.

Lime Tree Farm

But definitely not cocksfoot, I hate that old variety

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119225578#Comment_119225578

No idea. Probably need to get a custom mix made up as a rep will probably just want to pawn off a standard mix.

Alsike clover should be included also and smaller leafed varieties of white clover would be better to the larger leafed varieties for persistence

foxy farmer

I'm a great believer in ploughing. If it's an old field ploughing will loosen up the ground and you'll have 6-8" of ground that will soak water better. I had a field here last Yr that hadn't been ploughed in almost 50yrs. Very wet in places. Ploughed up the pan only had about 4"of sod in places grey white clay and stones. I had visions of it being a total disaster. We took a chance growing fodder beet on it and it grew a fine crop. Ploughed it up again and Reseeded it late April and its growing grass fine. Will be cut for bales for while.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119226664#Comment_119226664

That second plough to break all up & bring best back up is supposed to be ideal

foxy farmer

Yeah the man on the plough this spring went down as deep as the man last year. You'd see the rotten sod coming up again. I was advised to roll it with a Cambridge type roller as opposed to a smooth roller as if it got wet and dried again it'd go like concrete.

My own thinking is the marl/hard white pan holds the water and slows the leaching of nutrients hence the great response . A run of a subsoiler or mole plough would probably of benefit as well.

limo_100

Sorry to bring up this old thread but am getting ready to plough up 4.5acres of heavy peaty soil that has being ploughed for bird cover over the last 7years and now it's time to go back to grass? Anyone any ideas on what type of grass seed to go with? was thinking maybe Tipperary grass 4 or 4A. Don't think I'd like to go with cocksfoot and Timothy as I don't think production in these grasses about be good enough.

Reggie.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120495424#Comment_120495424

Soil test first. Your soil could be goosed from the 7 years

limo_100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120497650#Comment_120497650

Have it being tested this week but I'm gonna plough on anyway as the results could take a month, will be liming and 3bags 10-10-20 hopefully should be ok. I wish I had some FYM for it to plough down would be great for it

Reggie.

Drummond do a mix for difficult soils

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120497709#Comment_120497709

Would it be great to plough it down or would it be a waste? I'm going ploughing 5 acres here too and I have some FYM. Great stuff on bad ground but does ploughing it down just bury it too deep for grass roots?

Reggie.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120509419#Comment_120509419

Once you plough shallow you should be OK. If it's well rotten then it wouldn't interfere with a disc harrow either