spreading grass seeds

GERMAN ROCKS · 19-02-2012 07:04PM #1

is it a waste of time throwing out a few grass seeds on paddocks without ploughing them. have a few that a slow to grow because the grass seeds could be 20 years old but will eventually get around to reseeding them. just wondering if i throw out a half bag of seeds on top would it be only a waste. or whatabout straight clover. will be reseeding others this year and can only reseed so many in one year.

bob charles · 19-02-2012 08:12PM

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

is it a waste of time throwing out a few grass seeds on paddocks without ploughing them. have a few that a slow to grow because the grass seeds could be 20 years old but will eventually get around to reseeding them. just wondering if i throw out a half bag of seeds on top would it be only a waste. or whatabout straight clover. will be reseeding others this year and can only reseed so many in one year.

IMV a waste of money, grass seed will be 60 an acre at least this year. Why are you limited to how much you can reseed, is it stocking rates or just getting the time and money to do the job properly, if its the latter and you are on nice level ground consider direct drilling the grass seed will also killing off the old growth, you could stunt the existing grass with Gramoxone if you want to do a half arsed job and then seed, but IMV you should always try to do a proper reseed

blue5000 · 19-02-2012 08:13PM

It's too early yet, works best after a cut of silage with slurry after the grass/clover seed

5live · 19-02-2012 08:39PM

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

is it a waste of time throwing out a few grass seeds on paddocks without ploughing them. have a few that a slow to grow because the grass seeds could be 20 years old but will eventually get around to reseeding them. just wondering if i throw out a half bag of seeds on top would it be only a waste. or whatabout straight clover. will be reseeding others this year and can only reseed so many in one year.

Complete waste of time. Once temperatures rise the grass there already will grow and shade out any grass seeds that manage to germinate. As bob charles said, a waste of 30 euro an acre

GERMAN ROCKS · 19-02-2012 08:41PM

i know its too early. was thinking of doing it around april. would spread it with urea mixed in. yes due to stocking rate. i will need the rest of the grass. can only have realistically 10 acres at a time out for reseeding

GERMAN ROCKS · 19-02-2012 08:42PM

5live wrote: »

Complete waste of time. Once temperatures rise the grass there already will grow and shade out any grass seeds that manage to germinate. As bob charles said, a waste of 30 euro an acre

ya will probably leave it now. just an idea i was thinking today.

Finno59 · 19-02-2012 08:56PM

dont do it with urea, the ammonia which urea changes to is toxic to germinating seeds and would kill them.
Mix it with normal fertilizer and try and do it if land is poached followed by a roll.

Good loser · 19-02-2012 10:08PM

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

ya will probably leave it now. just an idea i was thinking today.

I like the idea. Graze it tight in March with light stock. Put out the seed around Mar 20 with 100 kg to acre of 0.10.20 i.e. no nitrogen. Graze with light stock from April 20 ish for 3 weeks. Normal from then on but don't cut this year.

Juniorhurler · 19-02-2012 10:21PM

I have a three acre paddock that I am planning on reseeding shortly. I am going to try avoid ploughing if possible. I am planning on spraying it off, giving it a few runs of the dish harrow in different directions to cut it up, spreading the seed with the wagtail, chain harrowing and rolling. Has anybody else evr done it this way? If it works great and if not three acres won't break me and I will know for the future.

redzerologhlen · 19-02-2012 11:33PM

Juniorhurler wrote: »

I have a three acre paddock that I am planning on reseeding shortly. I am going to try avoid ploughing if possible. I am planning on spraying it off, giving it a few runs of the dish harrow in different directions to cut it up, spreading the seed with the wagtail, chain harrowing and rolling. Has anybody else evr done it this way? If it works great and if not three acres won't break me and I will know for the future.

The contractor I work with does 90% of the reseeding this way and it seems to work grand. Only difference is he uses a seed broadcaster on top of the chain Harrow. It's awful stoney around here so that's the reason for doing it that way.

Indubitable · 19-02-2012 11:51PM

I am tempted to throw grass seed into the slurry tanker and see how it works out.

reilig · 20-02-2012 10:25AM

Indubitable wrote: »

I am tempted to throw grass seed into the slurry tanker and see how it works out.

It won't work too well. When it gets damp it will come out in balls. You'll have an extrememly uneven cover.

yellow50HX · 20-02-2012 10:35AM

have done that with rotovator/power harrow last aug, nice cover there now. dont know anyone around here with a disc harrow but if it breaks up the top layer even enough it should be ok

PMU · 20-02-2012 12:20PM

Indubitable wrote: »

I am tempted to throw grass seed into the slurry tanker and see how it works out.

put it in tank before agitating, its been done before and it works

cj maxx · 20-02-2012 12:52PM

Juniorhurler wrote: »

I have a three acre paddock that I am planning on reseeding shortly. I am going to try avoid ploughing if possible. I am planning on spraying it off, giving it a few runs of the dish harrow in different directions to cut it up, spreading the seed with the wagtail, chain harrowing and rolling. Has anybody else evr done it this way? If it works great and if not three acres won't break me and I will know for the future.

would a chain harrow do for the pre-seed rather than a disc one ?

Juniorhurler · 20-02-2012 01:27PM

cjmc wrote: »

would a chain harrow do for the pre-seed rather than a disc one ?

The research suggests that the optimum cover for grass seed is 30mm. The chain harrow will never generate this depth of cover, at least not the one that I have.

Juniorhurler · 20-02-2012 01:29PM

yellow50HX wrote: »

have done that with rotovator/power harrow last aug, nice cover there now. dont know anyone around here with a disc harrow but if it breaks up the top layer even enough it should be ok

I have a 10ft disc/dish harrow that is about the place as long as I remember. The auld fella remembers pulling it with a super major, but it is still a great machine to have about the place.

cj maxx · 20-02-2012 01:33PM

Juniorhurler wrote: »

The research suggests that the optimum cover for grass seed is 30mm. The chain harrow will never generate this depth of cover, at least not the one that I have.

thanks

redzerologhlen · 20-02-2012 02:07PM

The way we do it is give it 4 runs of the disc normally and every time we disc it we do it from both sides as in cross it. The top 3 inches is well broken up then and give it a good run of the chain Harrow to level it, spread the seed then and chain Harrow again and then roll. It works perfect and no need to power Harrow. The only time we ever had to plough was really hard ground that the discs wouldn't sink into.

GERMAN ROCKS · 20-02-2012 04:34PM

why are people so against ploughing?

reilig · 20-02-2012 04:39PM

cjmc wrote: »

would a chain harrow do for the pre-seed rather than a disc one ?

Chain harrow is perfect to prepare the ground for a reseed. I have done it many times with great success. I posted all details onto a thread last year or the year before. Chain harrow is great if you have stony ground because it won't being up stones or on bad ground (like mine) where you won't break the hard skin on top and make your land untraversable

reilig · 20-02-2012 04:40PM

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

why are people so against ploughing?

I can't plough. My land has only got 2 to 4 inches of soil. If I plough I'll bring up all the daub and it will grow nothing!!

For other people, i think ploughing to reseed is just too expensive when you can reseed just as good with a one pass system.

bob charles · 20-02-2012 05:59PM

Juniorhurler wrote: »

The research suggests that the optimum cover for grass seed is 30mm. The chain harrow will never generate this depth of cover, at least not the one that I have.

Well whoever researched that, their conclusions are bullocks, thats an inch and a quarter deep. I wouldnt like to be waiting for the seed to appear. As a rule of thumb for the sowing depth for all seeds sow 4 times their own size. For grass seed a dust of earth over them is all thats needed

cj maxx · 20-02-2012 06:23PM

so . would this do a good job (plucked from various threads )
spray to kill grass
graze bare
chain harrow in several directions
lime
spread seed mixed with fertiliser (no nitrogen )with a spinner sower (low revs and sowing the width of the tractor to ensure no missed runs)
roll

now just should i lime it (how much?) and should i harrow it lightly then roll after seeding . i dont have slurry hence the fertiliser
cheers

dar31 · 20-02-2012 07:48PM

bob charles wrote: »

Well whoever researched that, their conclusions are bullocks, thats an inch and a quarter deep. I wouldnt like to be waiting for the seed to appear. As a rule of thumb for the sowing depth for all seeds sow 4 times their own size. For grass seed a dust of earth over them is all thats needed

nail on the head, there bob

blue5000 · 20-02-2012 08:09PM

Juniorhurler wrote: »

The research suggests that the optimum cover for grass seed is 30mm. The chain harrow will never generate this depth of cover, at least not the one that I have.

What research would that be now? If you sowed clover 30mm deep it might never come up.

lab man · 20-02-2012 09:43PM

lads, i ploughed an powerharrowed twas a great job but i'm new to seeding. ive 2 questions,
the field i reseeded, i baled last year same yr as seeding the bales were black when opening them, why is this? but the cows still ate them, but left a good bit of waste.

2nd,I am renting a place but dont want to go to the expense of plough an harrow could i just throw the seed into the slat tank aggitate and spread without burning off the ground,
thanks L.

Juniorhurler · 20-02-2012 10:37PM

blue5000 wrote: »

What research would that be now? If you sowed clover 30mm deep it might never come up.

Sorry lads typo there, that should be 20mm deep on the advice of my Glanbia advisor

JOAT · 21-02-2012 12:00AM

Juniorhurler wrote: »

Sorry lads typo there, that should be 20mm deep on the advice of my Glanbia advisor

I think 20mm is still way too deep. I have had a few places where the rock was only a few mm's below the surface, gave it a right lash of dung and slurry (only on the really bad patches) and the seed grew away. I was always of the conclusion that grass seed doesn't actually need to be covered and will grow perfect if just planted on top of the surface with a few mm if loose soil for the roots to get a hold

sheafield · 21-02-2012 01:04AM

Followed Reilig advise last year when re-seeding 4 acres. First reseeding ever done on our ground and worked very well.
I limed ground with gran lime a few weeks before starting, sprayed, grazed tight and then ran chain harrow that was weighed down with a few sleepers. Put out another bag/acre of gran lime. After about 3-4 harrow runs we mixed seed and fert and spread with spinner and then harrowed and rolled. Really happy with job and going to do more this spring.
Any advise on sprays would be welcome however, only aspect I missed out on last year as unsure what and when to spray.

Attie · 21-02-2012 02:33AM

JOAT wrote: »

I think 20mm is still way too deep. I have had a few places where the rock was only a few mm's below the surface, gave it a right lash of dung and slurry (only on the really bad patches) and the seed grew away. I was always of the conclusion that grass seed doesn't actually need to be covered and will grow perfect if just planted on top of the surface with a few mm if loose soil for the roots to get a hold

Joat
Few years ago my late father reseeded a lawn after building new house reseeded with a fiddle their were a few blocks lying around edge of said lawn, seed went onto blocks and it grew good'o and not just for a few weeks :eek: think it would be still growing only found job for blocks.
Ever since have used no more than a roller to bury seed and works for me.
And as for lime don't think it needs to be buried as well I usually let the rain take it to the roots it's cheaper that way.

spreading grass seeds

Comments