Herbal Over-Seeding Mixture 70% Organic
Ref: mixhosorg
Deep rooting herbal leys are becoming more and more popular due to recent droughts and awareness of diminishing soil and forage quality. There is also the increasing realisation that these diverse swards are more beneficial to livestock and are more sustainable than traditional ryegrass-based leys. Whilst sowing a herbal ley into a clean seedbed is preferable, this over-seeding mixture can be used to successfully convert existing pasture into a herbal ley. br> br>Ensure the existing pasture is cut or grazed tightly and that it is free of aggressive weeds or grasses. Care should be taken to open up the existing sward by harrowing or similar, providing access to the soil and space for the newly sown plants to establish. This mix can then be broadcast or shallow drilled before rolling, several times if possible.
Contents per Acre | % | kg | |
ORGANIC Sainfoin | 31.0 | 1.550 | |
certified GARANT ORGANIC red clover | 16.0 | 0.800 | |
certified RIVENDEL ORGANIC white clover | 12.0 | 0.600 | |
certified LEO birdsfoot trefoil | 5.0 | 0.250 | |
certified AURORA alsike clover | 10.0 | 0.500 | |
certifed PUNA / ENDURE chicory blend | 7.0 | 0.350 | |
Ribgrass forage herb | 5.0 | 0.250 | |
Burnet forage herb | 2.0 | 0.100 | |
Yarrow forage herb | 1.0 | 0.050 | |
certified WINNETOU ORGANIC timothy | 5.0 | 0.250 | |
certified NASHOTA ORGANIC perennial ryegrass | 6.0 | 0.300 |
Alsike Clover
Alsike clover is a short term perennial that fixes nitrogen. It is a true clover, not a hybrid as the name suggests. Compared to many annual clovers it can be the slowest to flower after a spring sowing.
Birdsfoot Trefoil
Birdsfoot Trefoil is a legume, it grows from a basal crown, with numerous stems that can vary from prostrate to erect in growth habit. In some parts of the country it is called the 'eggs and bacon' plant.
Birdsfoot Trefoil Species Guide Buy Birdsfoot Trefoil Straight
Burnet
Burnet is a forage herb, It is noted for having deep tap roots, which helps it remain green on thin, dry soils. It is also early to grow in the spring, contributing to forage in late March to April.
Chicory
Chicory is an eye catching, mineral rich forage herb that has a long taproot capable of penetrating to great depth, breaking through plough pans and leaving the soil aerated, aiding drainage and crop root development. It’s frequently used in combination with other species as a soil improving species and is commonly used as an addition to grazing leys due to its high protein content and its ability to fatten lambs. It is also a known anthelmintic species.
Medium Leaved White Clover
White clover is one of the most common legumes in the UK. This species can be recognised by its creeping growth habit. Its creeping stolons help to fill in gaps in the sward, putting down roots at each node. White clover varieties can be categorised into small, medium and large leaf sizes. Generally the smaller the leaf size, the more persistent and prostrate the plant will be, the small leaf type will tolerate closer grazing from sheep and tends to sit lower at the base of the sward, the small and medium leaf varieties are used for grazing mixtures. Using mixtures of white clover varieties helps to ensure that at least one can tolerate and contribute to what ever management regime is being imposed at a given time. The medium leaf varieties are very adaptable, generally they can be used for both grazing and cutting mixtures. They combine a good tolerance to cattle or sheep grazing and can contribute to cutting yields, while still being more persistent than the large leaf varieties. There are also variations, which can be classed as small to medium in terms of leaf size. Common medium leaf varieties are aberherald & aberdai, while the variety aberpearl is classed as small to medium leaf in terms of size.
Medium Leaved White Clover Species Guide Buy Medium Leaved White Clover Straight
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
Red Clover
Red clover is one of the most popularly used true clovers in the UK. Once established it’s capable of rapid growth and shows reasonably good persistence up to three years, although ongoing breeding work is being carried out to increase plant persistence. The highest yielding strains of red clover are called 'double cut' varieties, normally providing quick regrowth after cutting and several flushes or cuts per season. The 'single cut' strains of red clover, notably the variety altaswede provide one large cut per season, flowering approximately 2-3 weeks later than the 'double cut' strains.
Ribgrass (plantain)
Ribgrass is a very popular perennial forage herb which is commonly mixed with sheep's parsley, yarrow and burnet to increase diversity and lift trace elements from deep within the soil profile. It can be mixed with regular grassland species to increase grazing quality, and with deep roots it is also popular in mixtures for lighter land. It is also known as Plantain or narrow leaf plantain.
Ribgrass (plantain) Species Guide Buy Ribgrass (plantain) Straight
Sainfoin
Sainfoin is extremely palatable to livestock and has very good nutritional balance. It can be grazed or fed as hay or silage. It suits the thin soils and limestone rich downlands found in some areas of the UK. Loosely translated sainfoin in French means 'Healthy Hay'.
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.
Yarrow
Yarrow is a small seeded forage herb which is commonly mixed with sheep's parsley, burnet and ribgrass to increase diversity and lift trace elements from deep within the soil profile, as a specific herbs mixture, or part of a diverse grass ley. It has been noted to improve circulation and blood flow in livestock.