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Hide Species Guide

Explore Our Species Guide

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Grass

Bentgrass

Common Bentgrass is a perennial grass with fine leaves, The seed head is delicate and attractive, opening loosely from late spring through to autumn. Older swards in heavily grazed or trampled areas may form dense, low growing clumps.

Bentgrass Species Guide  Buy Bentgrass Straight

Grass

Canary Grass

Originally a native of the Mediterranean region, it has been cultivated for many years for its yellowish seed and more recently to provide cover for game birds.

Canary Grass Species Guide  Buy Canary Grass Straight

Grass

Cocksfoot

A densely tufted, bluish green species, it can grow up to 1 metre in height and can create tussocks. The dense one sided panicle is said to resemble the shape of a cocks foot.

Cocksfoot Species Guide  Buy Cocksfoot Straight

Grass

Creeping Red Fescue

Often known as Strong Red Fescue, this common grass, as its name implies, has creeping rhizomes . It has a more vigorous creeping habit than some similar species which can help to create a dense, hardwearing turf or sward. These shallow creeping roots help it to remain green even in drier soils.

Creeping Red Fescue Species Guide  Buy Creeping Red Fescue Straight

Grass

Crested Dogstail

Traditionally a grazing grass, which helps to fill out the base of the sward. This compact tufted perennial is found in abundance in sheep pastures. It is not aggressive and grows well late into the season when other grasses are giving up. It has good winter greenness but is inclined to produce wiry stems if not cut or grazed.

Crested Dogstail Species Guide

Grass

Dwarf / Turf Perennial Ryegrass

Dwarf ryegrass is a specifically bred strain of perennial ryegrass, selected for its shorter growth habit and its ability to produce low growing tillers and subsequently a thicker sward than standard ryegrass species.

Dwarf / Turf Perennial Ryegrass Species Guide  Buy Dwarf / Turf Perennial Ryegrass Straight

Grass

Festulolium (Hybrid)

Festulolium is a natural hybridisation of ryegrass and fescue species, combining the stress resistant genes of fescue with the bulky yield of ryegrass. To provide a more resilient species, with a better tolerance of drought or water logged soils, while still providing high yielding, very palatable forage.

Festulolium (Hybrid) Species Guide  Buy Festulolium (Hybrid) Straight

Grass

Hybrid Ryegrass

This form of ryegrass is perhaps one of the best grasses available to the intensive farmer. The hybrid ryegrass is a cross between the Italian and perennial forms of ryegrass and shares characteristics of both. The dominant parent determines how the variety performs in the field. Most hybrid varieties are dominant with Italian genes and the best cultivars provide the same or similar high yields as Italian ryegrass. But as they also contain some of the persistent genes of the perennial ryegrass parent they last longer. This longer lasting and high yielding silage grass has one further advantage: the genes of the perennial ryegrass parent produces a plant with more tillers and more leaf which gives increased ground cover, making them better for aftermath grazing.

Hybrid Ryegrass Species Guide  Buy Hybrid Ryegrass Straight

Grass

Italian Ryegrass

This is a short lived grass lasting for two years. It is very high yielding and reliably provides up to 18t DM per hectare on soils that suit it. (All ryegrasses yield less on light soils, especially in low rainfall areas.) It has a very open growth habit with fewer tillers than other grasses. It is therefore better suited to cutting than grazing. Italian ryegrass has been the subject of plant breeding for many years, which means there are a wide range of varieties available commercially.

Italian Ryegrass Species Guide  Buy Italian Ryegrass Straight

Grass

Meadow Fescue

One of the larger fescues this is a valuable grazing grass which can also be made into hay. Recent thinking has altered the Latin so that the flat leaved fescues (meadow fescue and tall fescue) have been given their own genus, separate from the finer leaved fescues.

Meadow Fescue Species Guide  Buy Meadow Fescue Straight

Grass

Meadow Foxtail

A tufted perennial which is widespread throughout the British Isles. It is commonly found in low lying areas, particularly in river meadows. It is noted as one of the earliest growing grasses in the spring.

Meadow Foxtail Species Guide  Buy Meadow Foxtail Straight

Grass

Perennial Ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass is the most commonly grown productive grass in the UK, used particularly for livestock grazing and forage. It has been the subject of plant breeding for over 60 years, ensuring there are a wide range of perennial ryegrass varieties available commercially.

Perennial Ryegrass Species Guide  Buy Perennial Ryegrass Straight

Grass

Red Fescue / Chewings Fescue

Also known as chewings fescue, this is a fine leaved, tufted grass. It is distinguished from creeping red fescue by its absence of creeping rhizomes. It remains dark green throughout most of the season.

Red Fescue / Chewings Fescue Species Guide  Buy Red Fescue / Chewings Fescue Straight

Grass

Reed Canary Grass

This is a perennial grass species, with creeping roots (Rhizomes). In some parts of the world such as America and Canada, the species may be grown for livestock forage. In the UK reed canary grass is generally used to provide cover for farmland birds or game cover.

Reed Canary Grass Species Guide

Grass

Rough Stalked Meadow Grass

Rough stalk meadow grass is a very common species throughout the UK and Europe. It can be found in lowland pastures, river meadows and waste ground. Recognisable from its tufted habit and erect culms. It is generally leafy towards the base, and will fill out the bottom of the sward as it tolerates partial shading.

Rough Stalked Meadow Grass Species Guide  Buy Rough Stalked Meadow Grass Straight

Grass

Sheeps Fescue

The finest leaved and least aggressive fescue, it is found throughout the UK. It is hardy and drought resistant and will with-stand heavy grazing or close cutting, however it has a low forage yield. It is a useful species for providing a low growing, low maintenance green cover on difficult soils. It is one of the earlier fine fescues to flower in the spring.

Sheeps Fescue Species Guide  Buy Sheeps Fescue Straight

Grass

Slender Creeping Red Fescue

This densely tufted or mat forming species has a creeping growth habit, sending out rhizomes. It can form a close turf with bristle like, dark green, glossy leaves. It has uses in agricultural and amenity situations.

Slender Creeping Red Fescue Species Guide  Buy Slender Creeping Red Fescue Straight

Grass

Smaller Catstail / Small Timothy

A leafy perennial species found throughout the UK. It grows on low lands to foothills and can be found in old pasture and hedgerows. Normally thought of as a smaller, lower yielding relative of Timothy. Although valued as a forage plant for livestock, it can also form a useful compact turf.

Smaller Catstail / Small Timothy Species Guide  Buy Smaller Catstail / Small Timothy Straight

Grass

Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass

Found throughout the UK in meadows and traditional pastures. It is said to be one of the greenest grasses found growing in the early spring, and is an indicator of land that is well drained and in good heart. The species itself is palatable, and nutritional to livestock, often called one of the traditional 'sweet grasses'.

Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass Species Guide  Buy Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass Straight

Grass

Sweet Vernal Grass

An early flowering grass, strongly scented with coumarin, when cut as part of a hay crop it is this plant that gives hay its sweet smell. It is an adaptable plant, found growing in a wide range of habitats, with a high stem to leaf ratio.

Sweet Vernal Grass Species Guide  Buy Sweet Vernal Grass Straight

Grass

Tall Fescue

Tall fescue is found throughout the UK, it has similar features to meadow fescue, however it is distinguished by being taller, and coarser, with a rough upper leaf and margins. The well developed root system means it is tolerant of drought, damp and frost, which has created interest among plant breeders, looking to cross highly productive ryegrass and resilient fescue species as festuloliums. Recent thinking has altered the Latin so that the flat leaved fescues (meadow fescue and tall fescue) have been given their own genus, separate from the finer leaved fescues.

Tall Fescue Species Guide  Buy Tall Fescue Straight

Grass

Timothy

Possibly the most important and flexible grass species which is used both environmentally and agriculturally. It is a very common species found in pasture throughout the UK. It retains its verdure longer than most grasses and although similar to smaller cats tail, it is larger in size with wider leaves and a longer spike like panicle.

Timothy Species Guide  Buy Timothy Straight

Grass

Westerwold Ryegrass

Westerwolds is the highest yielding ryegrass with similar forage quality to the well known Italian ryegrass. This is an annual form of ryegrass which is very fast to establish, producing a silage crop just 12 weeks from sowing. It is the only grass to produce a stem and seed head from a spring sowing, making it suitable for the production of hay for horses, from a spring planting.

Westerwold Ryegrass Species Guide  Buy Westerwold Ryegrass Straight

Bentgrass
Canary Grass
Cocksfoot
Creeping Red Fescue
Crested Dogstail
Dwarf / Turf Perennial Ryegrass
Festulolium (Hybrid)
Hybrid Ryegrass
Italian Ryegrass
Meadow Fescue
Meadow Foxtail
Perennial Ryegrass
Red Fescue / Chewings Fescue
Reed Canary Grass
Rough Stalked Meadow Grass
Sheeps Fescue
Slender Creeping Red Fescue
Smaller Catstail / Small Timothy
Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass
Sweet Vernal Grass
Tall Fescue
Timothy
Westerwold Ryegrass

SFI Update

As the long list of jobs slowly starts to dwindle, our attention turns to 2024. We are already receiving plenty of phone calls to discuss the options and possibilities of the ...

Government Rules Relaxed to Allow Farmers to cut or graze diverse Environmental Margins & Mixtures in face of the current drought conditions

Last week, Defra set out more support for farmers to help them deal with the impacts of the exceptionally dry weather. Rules have been relaxed to allow farmers to cut or graze ...

Establishing Countryside Stewardship Mixtures

Top Tips for Establishing Countryside Stewardship Mixtures. The rewards available through the Countryside Stewardship Schemes are becoming increasingly attractive to farmers and ...

Countryside Stewardships

This is a new land management scheme that aims to replace environmental stewardship (ELS & HLS), the English Woodland Grant Scheme and the Catchment Sensitive Farming ...

How we can help you achieve your EFAs

A recent CAP update presentation from Andersons farm Business Consultants made us aware of various areas where we can help farmers in terms green cover and catch crops (green ...

Changes to Organic Seed Mixtures

In order to comply with the latest organic guidelines in the UK, our mixtures are updated to increase organic content from 65%, to 70% of the total mixture. You can also request ...

Native seed vital in ELS/HLS mixes.

When our customers order mixtures for ELS and HLS prescriptions they often ask us whether our seed is 'native'. This is because Natural England stipulates the ...

Recent Videos

LegumeLegacy: Doctoral Researcher Ellen Baekelmans
LegumeLegacy: Doctoral Researcher Linn Huser
FIRST HAND CASE STUDY GS4 Legume & Herb Rich Sward with David Illsley
FIRST HAND CASE STUDY Legume & Herb Rich Soils with Soil Farmer of the Year, Stuart Johnson
FIRST HAND CASE STUDY: Bespoke chicory mix with Jeremy Davis
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