Reseeding a Silage field after cutting

50HX

If its good dry ground you could get away with 400kg stock.

The skin is only forming again so the lighter the animal the better...thats in an ideal world of course

limo_100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123570657#Comment_123570657

How long do you find it takes for the ground to form a good skin? 12months?

50HX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123570929#Comment_123570929

Anything up to a year. Avoiding mcpa use if at all possible...that stuff really cuts the ground up

jfh

would anyone care to give me an idea of cost of reseeding 18 acres, i'm putting a rough cost here if anything looks off, please let me know, was going to go straight after silage is cut so no spraying off.

lime 2.5t/acre@€30/t =1350

fertiliser 3.5 bags to acre, 50kg bag 31.20, so 1953 (prob get this cheaper if buying large bags)

seed 14kg/acre @ €3.30, =€831

tilling, think teagasc have €70/acre, €1260 would this be close?

post emergence spray, €15/acre , = €270

so reseeding 18 acres would cost roughly €5664

appreciate any feedback

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123636915#Comment_123636915

What seed are you using that’s less than €50 an acre? Most grass seed is double that.

Post emergence spray if trying to save clover is €30-€40 per acre depending on amount of weeds present plus contractor charge for spraying so nearer to €50 per acre than €15.

What are you tilling with? Two runs of a disc and a run of a power harrow will be over €100/acre and that’s the minimum you’d get away with.

Are you sowing yourself or using contractor? If contractor add another €30-€40 an acre depending on the machine being used.

The fact you’re going in after silage doesn’t eliminate the need for spraying off either. How are you going to stop the old grasses from competing with the new grass if not killed off?

jfh

thanks dbk1, gave me the boot up the ass i needed, i rang my merchant to get a better idea,

Lime 40T @35/acre spread = €1400

fertiliser 3 bags of 10:10:20 @ €31 = €1684

23 bags of seed @ €70 = €1610

tilling @€100/ acre = €1800

post emergence spray = €760

so closer to €7254, that's not factoring in spreading the fertiliser or spraying.

do you think i could need to go with a glyphosate before cutting silage or else leave it 3 weeks after cutting to spray off, i was hoping the post emergence spray would kill of the weeds & the new grass would be establised before the old grass comes back.

bogman_bass

best value grassseed I can find is mcguinnesses at €63 a bag and free delivery

50HX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123637265#Comment_123637265

If you are goin to that expense make sure to spray it off completely.

You need a clean bed with minimal competition for the new seed to take off, competing against existing grass & weeds is money down the drain

limo_100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123638440#Comment_123638440

Find dlf good value I got dld 4n grazer at 73euro a bag locally but there 14kg bags very happy with it also Jesus just grows like a weed after being cut 2 weeks ago was fully covered with a good cover on it after only 6days couldn't believe it and that's after both cuts this year

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123639147#Comment_123639147

Did you plough or disc the ground before putting in the 4N?

funkey_monkey

I've a few predominantly silage fields that are a bit tired. They are getting lime this year and next year I was thinking about stitching in a fresh seed to rejuvenate the sward.

Is the stitching a good job or does the existing grass out compete or? I'd like to avoid ploughing as the ground is quite stony.

50HX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123639729#Comment_123639729

You need to be grazing it v v tight in order for stitching to work properly.

Why not spray off & a v light discing & powerharrow then & avoid the plough?

Cavanjack

Going to spray off a field that was cut for silage two weeks ago. Am I as well graze it first or spray and then graze? Or not graze at all. Going to disc and power Harrow before sowing.

limo_100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123639691#Comment_123639691

I ploughed it. Was doing some drainage work and also hedges so there was mulch everywhere so was best to plough it. But I have no stones there I didn’t pick 5 in 5acres. The other farm when we get to start it in a few years is all stones so that should be fun. I know it’s probably easier to not plough it but I think it does a better job on it.

there’s the regrowth after 8days and I have had cattle on it since it was cut just to clean up around the hedges. It’s getting slurry so cattle will stay on it until that’s put out