How you prepare paddocks for reseeding primarily depends on soil type, stones in the clay and machine availability. Research has shown that all methods, when completed correctly, are equally effective. The key points for all methods are:
Soil test.Spray off old sward.Graze sward tightly or mow. Apply lime.Choose method.Apply fertilizer.Fine, firm seedbed with good seed to soil contact is essential.Roll after sowing.A reseeding demonstration co-ordinated by Kelliher Feeds, Tralee and Teagasc Kerry showed six different machines for reseeding belonging to local farmers and contractors. The demonstration of the various machines was on the farm of Michael Foley, Ballagh, Beaufort, just outside Killarney.
As well as the reseeding machines, there were a number of machines belonging to local farmers and contractors that can be used when preparing a field for reseeding. I was present at the farm walk to hear what was discussed and I got local photographer Valerie O’Sullivan to go back to the field four weeks after the farm walk to see the progress of the young seedlings. While the weather was dry for sowing and ground conditions were hard, the seeds germinated well as they received rain at the right times in the weeks following sowing.
Start of the walk
John Lynch, from Kelliher Feeds, outlined the plan for the day, Oliver McGrath, from Teagasc Kerry, explained the benefits of reseeding, Ger Courtney explained that soil fertility is important to get right if reseeding and Karen Dukelow discussed the basics when carrying out reseeding.
Dave Barry, from Goldcrop, explained the differences between the various grass varieties and why it was important to pick the right varieties from Irish recommended lists.
John Lynch and Dave Barry then took the 200-plus farmers present out into the fields to look at various machines for reseeding.
Reseeding machines
There were a number of min-till reseeding machines in action and, because ground was dry and hard, some were struggling to make any impact but for the purposes of the demonstration they carried on. The first was a machine called a Moore Unidrill, operated by contractor Donal Browne. The drill cuts a slit, drops the seed under air pressure and then the seed is pressed in using the rollers at the back. You must remember with one-pass machines like this, there are a number of factors involved:
You may have to do it twice.Setting depth is important: half-inch is ideal, but it should be no more than an inch deep.You need rain.Results can be variable.Not suitable in dry hard ground.You may need to use slug pellets.The second machine in action was a Vredo overseeder brought to the demo by Lynch & McCarthy:
Operates like the Moore Unidrill.Ideally, you don’t want space between rows. Slugs can be a problem.The third machine in action was an APV overseeder or grass harrow with no cutters brought to the demo by FarmHand & Don Holland, Tralee. This type of machine can be used for:
Overseeding into existing sward.Broadcasting seed.Tines cultivate soil.Come in and then roll hard.John O’Connor displayed his power harrow with seeder combination. John had a Pöttinger power harrow that had an APV grass seed box. The slower the forward speed of the machine, the better the finish. If you go too fast, you can get a rough and patchy field. Rolling is necessary after sowing.
Usually two runs and sow on second run – go slow.Can be used after the plough or disc but not essential.Ideal heavy disc and then two runs of power harrow.Few stones will come up.Mike Barrett from Ardagh, Co Limerick, had a Güttler sowing machine The Güttler has a dual-action ripper board, which offers a levelling action in ploughed fields and an aggressive tine action when direct seeding. This is followed by two rows of thick sprung tines. Once the tines have passed, the seed is sown by broadcasting the seed low to the ground to minimise seed loss. It is rolled in using the Güttler ring roller.
Donal Casey, from Firies, had a Carre Praire Combi grass harrow. The Carre can be used for slitting, levelling, scarifying paddocks and seeding as an option. There is lots of scope for adjustment on each element and the Carre can be aggressive, if necessary. It creates good tilth for successful overseeding and it is an excellent dead grass remover – it slits to between three and four inches. The Carre is a single pass three-in-one machine.
Jack Kennedy
Samco land leveller
John O’Connor had a section of the field ploughed and then John Foley from Killarney was working a Samco leveller. Dave Barry described land levelling as essential if you want to remove air pockets and humps and hollows that don’t look like they are present but are definitely there after ploughing. Don’t plough deep and bury the best soil.
Heavy discs
A popular cultivation, instead of ploughing, is to use a bank of heavy discs to cut the top three to four inches of the field. It might take two or three runs of the discs to get the top soil into good shape. This is followed by a power harrow and seed box combination, which sows the seeds on the first pass. This can be particularly effective on land you don’t want to plough.
Tines
Kieran O’Shea, from Beaufort, had a set of tines on display similar to those used by the Einbock machine. The Einbock reseeding machine was scheduled to take part in the demonstration but, unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of the operator’s control was not able to make the event.
Alstrong aerator
Also on the day, there was an Alstrong aerator in action.
This 8ft roller and aerator combination weighs in empty at 2.7t and up to 4.7t when full of water.
You need a tractor over 100hp to pull it but it can be used on grassland or ploughed ground and the toughened teeth dig into the grassland, leaving a slit 4in to 5in deep.
How you prepare paddocks for reseeding primarily depends on soil type, stones in the clay and machine availability. Research has shown that all methods, when completed correctly, are equally effective. The key points for all methods are:
Soil test.Spray off old sward.Graze sward tightly or mow. Apply lime.Choose method.Apply fertilizer.Fine, firm seedbed with good seed to soil contact is essential.Roll after sowing.A reseeding demonstration co-ordinated by Kelliher Feeds, Tralee and Teagasc Kerry showed six different machines for reseeding belonging to local farmers and contractors. The demonstration of the various machines was on the farm of Michael Foley, Ballagh, Beaufort, just outside Killarney.
As well as the reseeding machines, there were a number of machines belonging to local farmers and contractors that can be used when preparing a field for reseeding. I was present at the farm walk to hear what was discussed and I got local photographer Valerie O’Sullivan to go back to the field four weeks after the farm walk to see the progress of the young seedlings. While the weather was dry for sowing and ground conditions were hard, the seeds germinated well as they received rain at the right times in the weeks following sowing.
Start of the walk
John Lynch, from Kelliher Feeds, outlined the plan for the day, Oliver McGrath, from Teagasc Kerry, explained the benefits of reseeding, Ger Courtney explained that soil fertility is important to get right if reseeding and Karen Dukelow discussed the basics when carrying out reseeding.
Dave Barry, from Goldcrop, explained the differences between the various grass varieties and why it was important to pick the right varieties from Irish recommended lists.
John Lynch and Dave Barry then took the 200-plus farmers present out into the fields to look at various machines for reseeding.
Reseeding machines
There were a number of min-till reseeding machines in action and, because ground was dry and hard, some were struggling to make any impact but for the purposes of the demonstration they carried on. The first was a machine called a Moore Unidrill, operated by contractor Donal Browne. The drill cuts a slit, drops the seed under air pressure and then the seed is pressed in using the rollers at the back. You must remember with one-pass machines like this, there are a number of factors involved:
You may have to do it twice.Setting depth is important: half-inch is ideal, but it should be no more than an inch deep.You need rain.Results can be variable.Not suitable in dry hard ground.You may need to use slug pellets.The second machine in action was a Vredo overseeder brought to the demo by Lynch & McCarthy:
Operates like the Moore Unidrill.Ideally, you don’t want space between rows. Slugs can be a problem.The third machine in action was an APV overseeder or grass harrow with no cutters brought to the demo by FarmHand & Don Holland, Tralee. This type of machine can be used for:
Overseeding into existing sward.Broadcasting seed.Tines cultivate soil.Come in and then roll hard.John O’Connor displayed his power harrow with seeder combination. John had a Pöttinger power harrow that had an APV grass seed box. The slower the forward speed of the machine, the better the finish. If you go too fast, you can get a rough and patchy field. Rolling is necessary after sowing.
Usually two runs and sow on second run – go slow.Can be used after the plough or disc but not essential.Ideal heavy disc and then two runs of power harrow.Few stones will come up.Mike Barrett from Ardagh, Co Limerick, had a Güttler sowing machine The Güttler has a dual-action ripper board, which offers a levelling action in ploughed fields and an aggressive tine action when direct seeding. This is followed by two rows of thick sprung tines. Once the tines have passed, the seed is sown by broadcasting the seed low to the ground to minimise seed loss. It is rolled in using the Güttler ring roller.
Donal Casey, from Firies, had a Carre Praire Combi grass harrow. The Carre can be used for slitting, levelling, scarifying paddocks and seeding as an option. There is lots of scope for adjustment on each element and the Carre can be aggressive, if necessary. It creates good tilth for successful overseeding and it is an excellent dead grass remover – it slits to between three and four inches. The Carre is a single pass three-in-one machine.
Jack Kennedy
Samco land leveller
John O’Connor had a section of the field ploughed and then John Foley from Killarney was working a Samco leveller. Dave Barry described land levelling as essential if you want to remove air pockets and humps and hollows that don’t look like they are present but are definitely there after ploughing. Don’t plough deep and bury the best soil.
Heavy discs
A popular cultivation, instead of ploughing, is to use a bank of heavy discs to cut the top three to four inches of the field. It might take two or three runs of the discs to get the top soil into good shape. This is followed by a power harrow and seed box combination, which sows the seeds on the first pass. This can be particularly effective on land you don’t want to plough.
Tines
Kieran O’Shea, from Beaufort, had a set of tines on display similar to those used by the Einbock machine. The Einbock reseeding machine was scheduled to take part in the demonstration but, unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of the operator’s control was not able to make the event.
Alstrong aerator
Also on the day, there was an Alstrong aerator in action.
This 8ft roller and aerator combination weighs in empty at 2.7t and up to 4.7t when full of water.
You need a tractor over 100hp to pull it but it can be used on grassland or ploughed ground and the toughened teeth dig into the grassland, leaving a slit 4in to 5in deep.
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