Herbal AD Mix for Heavy Soils 4 Year Ley
Ref: mixadm
Where the standard Herbal AD mix above is great for light land, there are some species ion this mix which may not survive as well on heavier or wetter soils. This 'Heavy Soil' equivalent mixture is an alternative choice which only contains species which will grow on these heavier soil types with poorer drainage, but still provides all the benefits of a deep rooting and diverse mixture.
Contents per Acre | % | kg | |
certified LOFA festulolium | 16.7 | 2.000 | |
certified DOLINA timothy | 16.7 | 2.000 | |
certified BARCLAMP dip. Hybrid ryegrass | 16.7 | 2.000 | |
certified PARDUS meadow fescue | 12.1 | 1.450 | |
certified CALIBRA tet. perennial ryegrass | 10.0 | 1.200 | |
certified Red Clover blend (Secretariat/Global/Avisto) | 9.6 | 1.150 | |
certified AURORA alsike clover | 4.2 | 0.500 | |
certified ABERSWAN white clover | 6.7 | 0.800 | |
certifed PUNA / ENDURE chicory blend | 3.3 | 0.400 | |
Ribgrass forage herb | 2.5 | 0.300 | |
Burnet forage herb | 1.7 | 0.200 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.