When the rain stops sow summer green manure seeds

Plant green manure seeds from now on to get a fleshy green crop for summer incorporation. May and June are the ideal months to get any bare earth covered with fast growing green ...

Autumn seeded leys and N fertiliser in spring?

Young ryegrass/red clover leys that were sown in the autumn can look like they are nitrogen deficient in their first spring. Some farmers opt to apply N fertiliser in early April ...

Roll leys to encourage tillering

The time to roll grass leys is before the growing season starts in earnest. Rolling swards with either a flat or Cambridge roller encourages grass to tiller so increasing ...

How much N fertiliser?

Nitrogen, in the form of nitrate, is the most important nutrient for high yields grass. To ensure its effectiveness levels of other key elements - phosphate, potash and calcium - ...

What is fodder beet? An excellent winter feed crop

This week has seen a number of questions from customers about fodder beet - a crop that can be described as  between a sugar beet and a mangold.  This crop was once ...

Make seedbed preparation easier with grass leys

Growing arable crops continuously can have a serious impact on soil condition. In these circumstances soil can lose structure and organic matter, becoming more compact and harder ...

Benefits of species-rich pasture demonstrated

Farmers, academics and seed merchants - including Cotswold Seeds - are brought together in a new video explaining the benefits of species-rich pasture. These ...

Use root crops to finish lambs over winter

Many livestock farmers plant brassica root crops over winter to supplement winter grazing. To make the most of this highly nutritious crop - and finish lambs quickly - is fairly ...

Which grass leys are good for early spring growth?

Temperature, day length and the amount of sunlight all have a direct influence on how much early growth you can expect from grass leys. Species choice is also vital with early ...

Planting after maize - species choice crucial

If looking for a forage crop to establish late in the year, after maize for example, then the choice of species is crucial.  Late sowing can be difficult for non-aggressive ...

Last chance to overseed tired leys

For low cost pasture improvement, the time to overseed is early Autumn, the key time to broadcast or drill seed into existing leys.  Overseeding can cost as little as ...

Herbal Leys

Lucerne ideal to follow whole crop silage

Farmers about to harvest whole crop silage can consider drilling lucerne at this time of year. With whole crop being clamped this month there is a window of opportunity ...

Nitrogen prices make clover the sensible option

Input prices are rising far faster than inflation and, shockingly, fertiliser is now twice as expensive as it was five years ago. This, combined with the volatility of market ...

Turnips bridge the 'hungry gap'.

Despite the severity of the recent winter weather, turnips near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, are still providing sheep with plenty to eat before spring grass comes ...

'Sort out your Soil' - Practical Guide to Green Manures

With rising nitrogen prices and an ever-increasing requirement to farm in an environmentally sustainable way, green manures are fast becoming a viable way to cut input costs, add ...