The Reseeding/Stitching Discussion Thread.

Reggie. · 28-01-2017 9:37am

Mooooo wrote: »

Ah reseed wouldn't put ground out of action for 8 months, perhaps 2 weeks burned off and 8 weeks after seeding back grazing with an early reseed anyway. Depending on what it's replacing the reseed may well grow a good bit more in the first year than the old sward would. Overseeding may have more of a roll in paddocks which may have been poached alright, have you ever done it on such paddocks reggie?

No haven't started reseeding yet so no real experience as yet but overseeding is mainly done after the silage is cut or fields well grazed.

Only last year (april) we reseeded 5 acres the standard way. Two runs of the powerharrow and then the seed Barrow.

Then fertiliser and rolled. It took the grass about 3 or 4 months to come up enough to graze and we haven't been able to travel that field since with machines due to the soil being too soft. Every time we tried to enter we tore it apart.

Hoping that maybe it will harden up over the winter. Could only grazed calves on it last year as as soon as cows went it they poached the hell outta it. The soil couldn't take any sort of weight due to the powerharrow runs. Could just be an isolated case mind.

Limofarmer · 28-01-2017 12:00pm

Reggie. wrote: »

No haven't started reseeding yet so no real experience as yet but overseeding is mainly done after the silage is cut or fields well grazed.

Only last year (april) we reseeded 5 acres the standard way. Two runs of the powerharrow and then the seed Barrow.

Then fertiliser and rolled. It took the grass about 3 or 4 months to come up enough to graze and we haven't been able to travel that field since with machines due to the soil being too soft. Every time we tried to enter we tore it apart.

Hoping that maybe it will harden up over the winter. Could only grazed calves on it last year as as soon as cows went it they poached the hell outta it. The soil couldn't take any sort of weight due to the powerharrow runs. Could just be an isolated case mind.

Used min till here last year . Leaves ground much easier to travel and much quicker turn around than most other methods . Contractor used a gutter with front grubbed as per pic .
It was seeded In mid may and was grazed in early July and went on to be grazed twice after that and also took surplus bales of it . It now has a cover of 900 on it again .
In any reseed regardless of method seed bed prep is important .

locha · 28-01-2017 12:02pm

In the last two year have reseeded circa 40 acres. Year 1 ploughed - NEVER again. We used to have the field in tillage and still my heart was broken with stones. Last year, spray, graze, disc harrow x 2 Power Harrow, roll, seed, roll. Great job. The main thing was that the disking broke up quite a bit of the scraw in advance of the power harrow. Also I think if your not ploughing the grass has to grazed to the absolute butt. I got horses and sheep from neighbours in and you could have played snooker on the field when they were done.

Limofarmer · 28-01-2017 12:07pm

locha wrote: »

In the last two year have reseeded circa 40 acres. Year 1 ploughed - NEVER again. We used to have the field in tillage and still my heart was broken with stones. Last year, spray, graze, disc harrow x 2 Power Harrow, roll, seed, roll. Great job. The main thing was that the disking broke up quite a bit of the scraw in advance of the power harrow. Also I think if your not ploughing the grass has to grazed to the absolute butt. I got horses and sheep from neighbours in and you could have played snooker on the field when they were done.

We burnt it off and then let every animal in the place into it as soon as it started to wilt . . Grazed it to the clay . Then left it 3 weeks too allow the roots of the grass die and hence loose its grip on the soil and then leaves it easy to work with .

Keepgrowing · 28-01-2017 4:03pm

Here we graze bare, spray and on day 5 spread fert and drill with Atchison seeder.

Mooooo · 28-01-2017 6:47pm

Depends on the ground I guess. On ground that gets wet, provided drainage is done already, I reckon Plough is best. Did one field with heavy disc and was the wrong call. Wouldn't have done much mintill here.

Reggie. · 28-01-2017 7:17pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Depends on the ground I guess. On ground that gets wet, provided drainage is done already, I reckon Plough is best. Did one field with heavy disc and was the wrong call. Wouldn't have done much mintill here.

That's just it. The ground dictates the method. Our land is heavy with plenty of stones. So plough and powerharrow are a pain

Mooooo · 28-01-2017 7:19pm

Once had a stone rake and 3 dumper trailers taking stones off 7 acres and still had to go pick8ng after it. Dumpers were a disaster only compacted the ground

larthehar · 28-01-2017 11:10pm

We had a very stoney plot of land so for a trial i tested discing and guttler in one field and guttler only in the other.. i had granline out after sprayer to break down the sod.. i found intially the guttler only leapt out of the ground but in the second season the disced field was streets ahead with growth, thickness at butt and weeds.. it seems that the more the shake up the soil the better the performance..

Sami23 · 29-01-2017 12:39am

Mf310 wrote: »

Username John wrote:

For your reseeding, I would - spray - cover the ground in dung, and slurry maybe if you could get it - plough - 3 ton lime / acre - power harrow - spread seed with wagtail - light harrow (or drag a bush over it) - I wouldn't be too pushed on rolling... none of ours ever gets rolled... if rain coming, I definitely wouldn't bother...

Just when you mention about the rolling there i find ya couldnt roll a field enough Any reseed that goes on here gets 2 rolls

Would you have much water in the roller ?

White Clover · 29-01-2017 12:43am

Sami23 wrote: »

Would you have much water in the roller ?

As much as you can put into it!

Green farmer · 02-02-2017 2:37pm

Thanks for all the input lads. Spoke to the contractors, and they'd be more inclined to disc the field and power Harrow after. They said some fields they've done in the area tended to throw up alot of stone. they also gave me ideas about how to import in pig slurry and how to organise it , which I had previously thought wouldn't have been an option, and seeing how field turned out, before reseeding. Overall from what they suggested and the good advice you've given me here, I'm going to let it all soak in and see what pans out, at least now I've options and a few signposts to direct me, Thanks again

Green farmer · 09-02-2017 6:54pm

Just an update lads. Going to give the field 2T an acre of lime. It's covered with moss between the grass so going to see what kind of response comes from that. Looked into the pig slurry and between the cost of paying the piggery for transport and a contractor to spread it, wasn't working out much cheaper then fert, so going to give it something like 10 10 20 between grazings. Then next autumn going to look at the reseeding by disc Harrow as the soil is too shallow for ploughing.

Username John · 09-02-2017 7:49pm

Green farmer wrote: »

Just an update lads. Going to give the field 2T an acre of lime. It's covered with moss between the grass so going to see what kind of response comes from that. Looked into the pig slurry and between the cost of paying the piggery for transport and a contractor to spread it, wasn't working out much cheaper then fert, so going to give it something like 10 10 20 between grazings. Then next autumn going to look at the reseeding by disc Harrow as the soil is too shallow for ploughing.

Will it get dung this autumn Green?

I think a bit of slurry would do a better job than bag fertiliser for one go...
I should also say, i have nothing to base than on, other than my own thinking

Green farmer · 09-02-2017 8:51pm

Username John wrote: »

Will it get dung this autumn Green?

I think a bit of slurry would do a better job than bag fertiliser for one go...
I should also say, i have nothing to base than on, other than my own thinking

Lads might be able to advise as I've zero slurry experience, but was looking up teagasc research that said 1,000 gallons of good pig slurry is the same as one 50kg bag of 19 7 20 or €26 at prices a year ago. So in my case, reckon would be nearly as cheap to buy Fert, less the hassle.

pedigree 6 · 09-02-2017 9:00pm

Green farmer wrote: »

Lads might be able to advise as I've zero slurry experience, but was looking up teagasc research that said 1,000 gallons of good pig slurry is the same as one 50kg bag of 19 7 20 or €26 at prices a year ago. So in my case, reckon would be nearly as cheap to buy Fert, less the hassle.

The difference between slurry and fert is the Organic Matter in the slurry.
Obviously dung will have higher OM again than slurry.
Basically OM is the stuff that holds onto the nutrients in your soil and stops it from leaching and provides food for worms and the worms make it more plant available.

Organic matter is good stuff.:)

charolais0153 · 09-02-2017 10:11pm

pedigree 6 wrote: »

The difference between slurry and fert is the Organic Matter in the slurry.
Obviously dung will have higher OM again than slurry.
Basically OM is the stuff that holds onto the nutrients in your soil and stops it from leaching and provides food for worms and the worms make it more plant available.

Organic matter is good stuff.:)

Ag science book says no organic matter. And that organic matter only comes from the straw. :rolleyes:

pedigree 6 · 09-02-2017 10:46pm

charolais0153 wrote: »

Ag science book says no organic matter. And that organic matter only comes from the straw. :rolleyes:

Don't mind that book. :pac:
It's organic matter going in the cow and it's organic matter coming out.
All stuff that grows and rots is organic matter.

Edit: Burn that book.

Reggie. · 18-02-2017 4:21pm

Hi guys. Can people post up any of the main irish seed merchants that they know in thier areas. Googling them but not really getting anywhere

Mooooo · 18-02-2017 4:53pm

Reggie. wrote: »

Hi guys. Can people post up any of the main irish seed merchants that they know in thier areas. Googling them but not really getting anywhere

Goldcrop would be one, most coops would have em too. Tipperary seeds another I think. Is mastercrop glanbias?

charolais0153 · 18-02-2017 4:57pm

I get seed from seed direct. Is .they mix it to whatever way you like.

yosemitesam1 · 18-02-2017 5:07pm

Seedtech down this way

dh1985 · 18-02-2017 5:10pm

Mc Guinness seeds, slane

pedigree 6 · 18-02-2017 6:00pm

Don't forget Germinal Seeds.

CloughCasey1 · 18-02-2017 11:21pm

Lad near Enniscrone does Sinclair McGill seed. Got seed to suit our dry ground in '15 from McGuinness in Slane. They were very helpful and knew their stuff but will be going back to Sinclair McGill next month again. Abaolute dynamite.

Dunedin · 11-03-2018 9:27pm

Is slurry a good job spread on to the ploughed scrapes before I rotavate it.

It’s ploughed since last wee of August but weather broke.

Will be tilling and sowing at first opportunity once weather takes up, whenever that might be!!??

Sami23 · 12-03-2018 8:08am

Dunedin wrote: »

Is slurry a good job spread on to the ploughed scrapes before I rotavate it.

It’s ploughed since last wee of August but weather broke.

Will be tilling and sowing at first opportunity once weather takes up, whenever that might be!!??

Absolutely

Reggie. · 15-04-2018 2:26pm

Hi guys.

Just to start off. Any info i put up here is my own personnel experience from stitching with the grass harrow and all opinions are my own. There will be other people coming in with more experience than myself in certain areas so things may be edited. With the year thats in it ill concentrate with poaching repair and seeds.

The first bit of knowledge i will pass on is that there is NO such thing as a "One stop shop for Reseeding". many people will be very prone/biased to one system or another but in my experience one system that suits one farm may fail in the farm next door. No idea why but that is my real world experience.

Biggest thing to remember is that any reseed can fail for a number of reasons. Poor seed, bad seedbed, too much rain or too little, slug attack or frit fly attack.

Reggie. · 15-04-2018 2:47pm

Right lets start off with the Recommended seed Lists.

Every year the Dept release a list of recommended grass types that should be used to produce the best Silage/Fodder/Milk Yield or Thrive from Grazing.
Its this list that most grass seed companies base their different grass mixes off.
This is why you might notice that certain grass varieties may be changed in certain bag mixes every year.

The important to know that you can request your own mix if you have a certain preference to certain varieties or for example if you wish to have a higher percentage of clover in the bag mix or wanted 3 grass varieties instead of two. These mixes may occur an extra charge per bag tho.

Never be afraid to contact the local Seed Company Rep to discuss your needs and get the latest updates on the grass seeds that are preforming well in the real world. The Good Reps will call out to your farm to walk the ground with you and should advice you.

The link below is the seed list for 2017 and has a few explanations in the introduction.

http://agritech.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/GrassandWhiteCloverRecommendedListVarietiesforIreland2017210317.pdf

Reggie. · 15-04-2018 3:26pm

The two main types of grass seed are Diploids and Tetraploids.

Diploid
Higher tiller density
Denser swards less liable to poaching
Lower seed rate due to smaller seeds

Tetraploid
Higher quality
Generally more drought tolerant
More palatable (higher intake)
Lower tiller density therefore more open swards
Larger seed size therefore higher seeding rate
More upright growth habit (generally, with larger
leaf size)

Most overseeding mixes are made from Tetraploids as they are more aggressive growing grass varieties and will out grow the old grass in the swarth if given a chance.

http://specseed.co.nz/downloads/SpecialtySeeds-DiploidvsTetraploid.pdf

The Reseeding/Stitching Discussion Thread.

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