A Proven Combination
The main reason for sowing mixtures of grasses
and clovers together is to increase yield. A
single grass alone will nearly always be lower
yielding and vulnerable to failure due to pest or
disease attack or the effects of unusual seasonal
weather. Therefore, a mixture of seeds is
preferred over single grass sowings especially
for leys which are expected to last for more than
one year.

Really high yields from mixtures of grasses and
clovers are due to better seasonal distribution of
growth; grasses give high yields during May
and June; clovers produce theirs in July. Equally
as important is that a combination of grass and
clover provides the optimum balance between
bulk yield and feed value. Grasses tend to have
higher annual yields but are lower in protein
than clovers. Animals grow faster and do better
on a mix of clover and grass.

Sensible Approach
There are many grasses and legumes which can
be found throughout the UK but there are only
a handful of species which are used for forage.
The reason for this is simple. A suitable forage
plant must produce a reasonable yield and be
nutritious to livestock. The list of suitable plants
is short. Ryegrasses, cocksfoot, timothy along
with red and white clover are the most notable.
These species can be reliably sown together and
are quite easy to manage as a temporary ley.

The mixture on this page is a good all rounder
and a good choice for those in traditional mixed
farming areas.