Adding Seed to Slurry

Shauny2010 · 11-01-2011 07:00PM #1

I'm planning on spreading slurry in the next available opportunity.
I'm thinking of adding some grass but mainly clover seed to the slurry by emptying a few bags of the seed down through the slats and then agitating it through the slurry before spreading.
Has anyone done this before, what type of results did they get ? or would it be a waste of money as the clover seed seems pricey at €115 for 20 kg

JOAT · 11-01-2011 07:47PM

Never tried adding the seed to slurry but a few years back we planted clover after first cut silage. spread them with the fertilizer and covered them in slurry. worked out well. Don't know about putting the seed down through the slats though. Would it be a better idea to maybe put a few handfuls into the filling hose just before filling the tank? I'd imagine there would be less waste of seed and I would think you would get a more even spread of seed over the whole field imo.

reilig · 11-01-2011 08:02PM

Biggest danger is that the slurry will smother the seed if its too thick. Also, its too early to be expecting seed to grow. Any slurry that you spread will be sure to get frost in the coming weeks which won't be very favourable for germination. Some of it will grow, but not as much as if you waited and mixed it with slurry that you're spreading later in the growing season when the ground gets warmer.

Muckit · 11-01-2011 08:12PM

Yes temperatures are the main thing. They're needs to be a minimum of 6C ground temp for grass seed to grow, but a minimum of 9-10C for clover.

It'I be a while before we get uniform ground temp that high. It'I depend what part of the country you're in too.

It's a dear commodity to take a chance on, I'd hold off for another few weeks at least

Shauny2010 · 11-01-2011 08:18PM

yeah good points , the weather is still very cold at the moment and it looks like were in for a wet spell too.
Might wait till after I take the first cut of silage in may then try it out.
Any recommendations for good seed suppliers? I read somewhere that you can get the clover seed in a pelleted form is that true or am I mistaken?

Muckit · 11-01-2011 08:23PM

Shauny2010 wrote: »

I read somewhere that you can get the clover seed in a pelleted form is that true or am I mistaken?

http://www.moregrassireland.ie/

There was a supplement in the farmers journal last summer from these guys. They do the pelletised seed your talking about. I've no experience of it though, so can't say if it's any good.

Shauny2010 · 11-01-2011 08:27PM

Muckit wrote: »

http://www.moregrassireland.ie/

There was a supplement in the farmers journal last summer from these guys. They do the pelletised seed your talking about. I've no experience of it though, so can't say if it's any good.

Thanks for that, I`ll give it a try later on in the year so I update if it was a success or not

iano93 · 11-01-2011 08:49PM

JOAT wrote: »

Never tried adding the seed to slurry but a few years back we planted clover after first cut silage. spread them with the fertilizer and covered them in slurry. worked out well. Don't know about putting the seed down through the slats though. Would it be a better idea to maybe put a few handfuls into the filling hose just before filling the tank? I'd imagine there would be less waste of seed and I would think you would get a more even spread of seed over the whole field imo.

Ya we'v done it the last 2 summers directly after first cut silage has worked out gr8

we mixed enough seed to do about 2 or 3 acres (any more and all the clover seed would just end up being spread unevenly) with granlime and put it out with the fertilizer spreader!!;) Its no good or wont work at all if your soil ph is not right total waste of time!!! then chain harrowed it and shes worked out mighty

blue5000 · 11-01-2011 10:51PM

Hi Shauney

if you're buying clover seed take a look here
http://www.cotswoldseeds.com/white_clover_leys.html

You'd need to be buying about 20kg to make it worthwhile as courier charge is a bit steep. Maybe you could ask around some of the neighbours and get a bigger quantity in. I bought kale from them last yr.

I don't know if the pelleted seed is any better, you get a lot more seed /kg uncoated and 12 months on there is no difference. P and K levels need to be good though for clover to take.

snowman707 · 11-01-2011 11:47PM

way too early to sow clover

mid may is the recommended time in an normal year

BeeDI · 12-01-2011 09:00AM

iano93 wrote: »

Ya we'v done it the last 2 summers directly after first cut silage has worked out gr8 we mixed enough seed to do about 2 or 3 acres (any more and all the clover seed would just end up being spread unevenly) with granlime and put it out with the fertilizer spreader!!;) Its no good or wont work at all if your soil ph is not right total waste of time!!! then chain harrowed it and shes worked out mighty

I did it similar and it worked good, but chain harrowed first, spread granlime seed mix with spreader secondly and finally light dose slurry. I reckon the seeds get better contact with bare soil if the horrowing is done before it is spread. Does that make sense I wonder?

reilig · 12-01-2011 10:02AM

I thought that the whole idea of sowing clover was to sow it on pasture rather on a meadow. Will the meadow grass not smother the clover the year following you sowing it?? Don't know enough about it. What's other people's view??

Adding Seed to Slurry

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