How to Choose Grass Seed for your Horses Paddock.
You may have taken on a new field. Your existing horse paddock may be worn out, full of weeds or in some cases maybe badly poached. The obvious remedy is to sow some grass seed but which mix and how to choose that mix. We will explain how to choose grass seed for your horses. Before making the decision about the Grass Seed for your Horses Paddock you need to consider the following things. To see our wide range of mixtures designed to create healthier pastures and our great free wild flower seed offer click HORSE PADDOCK MIXES Soil Testing Many horse owners have land that is worth £1,000 of pounds but have never done a soil test. What ever seed mixture you sow will not compensate for poor soil. Testing can be done for less than £60.00 and the results could save you a lot of money over the next few years. We do not offer a soil testing service ourselves but have set out the benefits and give some links to companies who do in the following link. Soil Testing. Drainage Grass seed grows best on alkaline soils. These are predominately chalk/limestone soil types. Here the conditions will be light and the drainage good. Many horse paddocks though are on heavy clay soils and drainage can be a problem. If heavy soils and poor drainage is an issue then not resolving it will give new grass ley's little chance. The British Grassland Society and Shirley MacMillan have put together some excellent notes on this subject at http://www.britishgrassland.com/system/files/uploads/Gateways%20low%20res.pdf Weed Control It may well be that you have an existing field that has become over run with weeds such as buttercup and clover. If you do not have a strategy to control these weeds then it may jeopardise any new sowing. Weeds can be controlled in three main ways.
- By regular mowing and sowing more grass.
- By hand pulling the weeds.
- By agrochemical control.
Conclusion on how to choose grass seed for your horses
- Check the soil, check the drainage and check the weeds.
- Decide if you want to go down the ryegrass or non ryegrass route.
- Decide if you want hay production or grazing.
- If sowing a new ley then choose one between 12 and 14 kilos of seed per acre.
- Then look to find one with right species in at a fair price.
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