How do I OVERSEED my pasture?
1. When?
Overseeding can be done year around if there is enough rain and sun. Spring and Autumn are usual, but it is best done in Autumn when moisture levels are good and before the clocks alter to maximise daylight hours for photosynthesis.
2. How do I Prepare the ground?
Graze or cut hard and harrow the existing sward vigorously before sowing in order to reduce competition and open up new space and soil for the new seeds. Several passes with the harrows at slightly different angles may be necessary. The type of Harrow you use is dependent on what you have available and what your ground conditions are like, including the density of sward and moisture levels in ground. It is cut or grazed hard prior to seeding, to ensure existing plants don’t throw shade on germinating seedlings, with grazing being preferable, so that organic matter is taken away and not covering the soil, preventing seed to soil contact.
3. How does mulching fit in to this ?
Overseeding is not mulching with hay sweepings. This is a completely different process and used to improve land more generally and is performed on bare, often compacted earth.
4. What do I use to put the seed on the ground?
When sowing the new seeds, be wary of sowing too deeply with aggressive direct drills - Sowing herbs or other small seeds too deeply is the number one cause of poor establishment! A quick emergence will help the new seeds compete with the old sward. Alternatively, broadcast (throw) the seed, followed by an additional harrow. I always use a spring tine Harrow for the last Harrow.
If not direct drilling, as many of us don’t have the acres that farmers do or the access to that kind of machinery, then you can broadcast seeds with your hands and a bucket, a hopper and tractor or quad, a wheeled hand pushed implement or a handheld electronic Whizz. The Whizz is my favourite as you can also use it for bagged fertiliser.
https://youtu.be/qF2toaLei-I
5. What do I do after sowing and harrowing?
After sowing, Animals can be left on the area for 3-4 days after sowing to further keep on top of the old sward (soil conditions allowing) but must be removed before the new seeds germinate. You can very lightly roll, but only very lightly as you don’t want to squeeze all oxygen out of the soil or compact it so that delicate root systems can’t penetrate well. Incidentally, this is where sheep are wonderful and far preferable to rolling, in ensuring seed to soil contact with their little feet, while maximising aeration. They are also great for grazing hard prior to seeding.
6. How will I know when it’s ready to graze?
Before reintroducing horses, carry out the ‘pluck or rip test’. If you can pull up the new seedlings by the roots, allow seedlings further time to establish better root anchorage. The interval between sowing and leaving the new seeds to establish will normally be 5 - 6 weeks.
When the new seeds are sufficiently established, graze lightly for several days (or cut/top), before removing the animals and allowing the area to recover for 2 - 3 weeks.
7. How do I ensure the sward stays resilient?
Resume normal grazing after this period, managing the grazing by splitting larger fields into paddocks and rotationally grazing. Fencing off and resting recently grazed areas rested will help the grass recover more quickly.
8. Should I fertilise to give it a boost?
Do not fertilise areas that have been overseeded for at least 6 weeks after sowing. Applying fertiliser immediately after overseeding will only benefit the existing sward and may cause that grass to smother out the newly emerging seeds, which cannot utilise the fertiliser.
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