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.

Uses

Used in diverse grazing mixtures and occasionally pure stands.

Persistence

A perennial species, it will persist longer in the sward with good grazing management.

Strengths

Ribgrass is a mineral rich plant, with deep drought tolerant, soil conditioning roots. It has a high protein content of around 20%, which helps meat and milk production.

Frost Tolerance

Generally frost tolerant.

Sowing Rate Advice

4kg per acre / 10kg per ha.

A particularly small seed, many seeds per kg. occasionally planted as a specialist pure stand sward.

Mixture Sowing Rate Advice

0.1 - 0.2kgs per acre / 0.25 - 0.5kgs per ha.

A small seed, so even at low rates as a mixture component, a reasonable number of plants are seen in the sward.

Ideal Sowing Time

Sow from April until early September.

Management

Heavy trampling or constant grazing could damage the plant in the sward and reduce plant numbers. However it does not have the same woody growth issues as chicory as it matures.

Distinguishing characteristics

Seed
The seed is oblong in shape with rounded, curved edges. It varies from a light to dark brown colour. It is less than 2mm in length.

Seedling
The seedling develops two distinct cotyledons, they are long and thin, much longer than the first true leaf. The first true leaf is lance shaped, tapering to a blunt point, the mid vein starts to become prominent.

Flowering Plant
Generally a dark green colour. The large lanceolate leaves have a number of prominent veins, hence the name of the species. The flower head is a brown to black oblong cylinder, with delicate, white stamens, almost creating a halo effect. The plant grows from a distinct basal rosette of leaves.

Additional Info

Flowers from April - August. Average seeds per kg - 500,000. Average protein content 13-14%.

Works well with

Commonly mixed with sheep's parsley, yarrow and burnet to increase diversity and lift trace elements from deep within the soil profile.

Buy Ribgrass (plantain) Straight

You can find Ribgrass (plantain) in the following mixtures

• Herbs Mixture
• Herbal Over-Seeding Mixture
• Herbal Over-Seeding Mixture 70% Organic
• Simple Herbal Ley - Four year Grazing/Cutting/AD Ley
• Light Land Legume & Herb Rich Sward (GS4/SAM3)
• Simple Herbal Ley - Four Year Grazing/Cutting/AD Ley 70% ORGANIC
• 'HERBAL' Grazing Ley - Four Year Drought Resistant Ley
• ‘HERBAL’ Grazing Four Year Ley 70% ORGANIC
• Herbal Heavy Land Ley - for Medium and Clay Soil
• Herbal Heavy Land Ley - for Medium and Clay Soil - 70% ORGANIC
• ‘LAMINS’ Drought Resistant Four Year Grazing Ley Dry, Light Land
• ‘LAMINS’ Drought Resistant Four Year Grazing Ley 70% ORGANIC
• Herbal AD Mix 4 Year Ley
• Herbal AD Mix for Heavy Soils 4 Year Ley
• Chicory Grazing Ley - Three to Four years
• Chicory Grazing Ley - Three to Four years - 70% ORGANIC
• Natural Pony Paddock - with Herbs & No Ryegrass
• Natural Pony Paddock - 70% ORGANIC
• Final Trimester High Nutrient Boost - Strip Grazing
• Worming Paddock Mixture
• Heavy Land Legume & Herb Rich Sward (GS4/SAM3)
• Heavy Land Legume & Herb Rich Sward (OP4/SAM3) 70% Organic
• Light Land Legume & Herb Rich Sward (OP4/SAM3) 70% Organic
• Diverse Over-Seed Heavy Land or Cutting Mix
• Diverse Over-Seed Heavy Land/ Cutting Mix 70% Organic
• Herbal Cutting/ Silage Ley (SAM3)
• Herbal Cutting/Silage Ley (SAM3) 70% Organic

History

Most of the plant breeding has been done using New Zealand strains.