Wildflowers can make a colourful display for many months, and can provide an appealing alternative to a lawn.
Using a mixture that contains grass seed will help the area that's been sown look a bit healthier during the winter months when the perennials and annuals are not in flower. However, seed mixes containing grass will require a bit more maintenance, especially during the early years.
Spring focus should turn onto managing existing grassland and assessing which fields need to be re-seeded or over seeded.
To ensure that you are using the correct grass seed mixture for your management system, get in touch with a Wynnstay specialist.
A key factor in producing quality forage is a carefully planned reseeding programme revolving around the core principle that you should aim to reseed 15% of the farm each year.
It is estimated that reseeding costs £250/ acre, making it a major investment, which requires attention to detail throughout the process. The starting point to this is selecting the right grass seed mixture which will suit your end requirements.
Quality grass is a cost-effective part of feeding and regular reseeding ensures that the required nutritional value of the ley is maintained. New leys can help deliver a 33% increase in yield in the first year compared to a typical old sward, and in a drought year this can increase up to 50%.
After spending the winter months writing fertiliser plans, budgeting and attending technical meetings, my phone is now starting to ring with questions around nitrogen application.
