Pasture improvement

3 posts
Mon, 07/16/2012 - 16:48 #1

Member for

12 years 5 months
davidskipper
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 07/16/2012 - 16:30

Pasture improvement

Hope some one can give me some advice. My wife & I have just purchased 7.5 acres in Millthorpe NSW. Its my chance to get away from the rat race ( Sydney ) and start to plant out the property for future established trees & possibly put in some vines while everyone else in Australia seems to be ripping them out. Eventually we will build & have this as our Rural getaway. We love the region & its surroundings.

Whilst i know the hard work that needs to be put in Im excited & enthusiastic. The vacant land is bare with slight undulation & is covered is thick tussock grass. I want to till the entire block and turn the existing turf back in & then sow with some form of seed to pasture improve so that i end up with a good hardy grass that is appealing to the eye & that is easier to maintain than what is already there. Could someone suggest the best grass seed or crop to sow in this circumstance. Millthorpe like Blayney gets quite cold during winter with plenty of frost.

Appreciate any feedback that i can get.

Regards Skip.  

 

Charlie looking to sow purely for grass to be mowed at this stage. We are planting vines & an orchard initially. Any advice on best grass types appreciated.

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Thu, 07/19/2012 - 14:21 #2
charlie
Last seen: 12/26/2018 - 09:21
Joined: 05/31/2011 - 09:44

Hi Skip,

Welcome to Farmstyle and thanks for asking the question. Before I can give you some pasture advice, do you plan to run any livestock on the 7.5 acres or are you looking to sow a grass that you can simply mow and keep tidy?

Regards,
Charlie 

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Thu, 07/26/2012 - 17:01 #3
charlie
Last seen: 12/26/2018 - 09:21
Joined: 05/31/2011 - 09:44

Hi Skip,

Before you sow a permanent lawn / pasture you will need to take the paddock through a clean up phase. This phase will allow time to prepare the soil, increase soil nutrients, reduce weeds and for the old pasture to break down (creating a better seed bed). This process should ideally start a minimum of 12 months out from when you plan to sow the grass. Your paddock preparation should start this summer (spray out or cultivate), then sow the clean up crop in autumn 2013 with the plan of sowing the paddock down to grass the following autumn.

The clean up crop should ideally be broad leaf (lupins, clover), enabling grass weeds to be easily and cheaply sprayed out, reducing the seed bank. The crop does not have to be grazed it can be mowed or mulched back into the soil.

When it comes time to sow the paddock prepare a firm, fine seed bed. Mix the seed with some fertiliser, broadcast it out over the area and then harrow or roll, providing good seed to soil contact. For the area you wish to have as lawn I suggest the following mix:

Turf type tall fescue 90%
Chewings fescue 5%
Creeping fescue 5%
Broadcast at 50-75kg/ha, commercial lawn sowing rates are 300-500kg/ha. (N.B this grass mix cannot be grazed by livestock as the tall fescue contains high levels of endophyte, a fungi that lives in the cell wall of the plant providing it with insect protection but also causing animal health problems.) 

This mix will provide a durable, drought tolerant, winter active lawn. Keep it mowed between 5-10cm in height.

For in-between the rows of your orchard or vineyard consider sowing tall fescue (different to the turf type tall fescue)  - Flecha or Resolute at 25-30kg/ha. This fescue is winter active / summer dormant and should not compete with the grapes / fruit trees for summer moisture. During the autumn and winter you can cut and throw the grass under the vines or fruit trees as mulch.

Hope this is of assistance. If you wish to reply click on the blue answer question button and your reply should appear below this.

Charlie 

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