SOWING GRASS SEED

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1934, Page 22 (Supplement)

SOWING GRASS SEED

CARE IN SOIL PREPARATION CONSOLIDATION ESSENTIAL. AUTUMN SOWING ON COAST. The importance of having a well consolidated seed bed if permanent pasture is to be established is stressed by Mr. J M. Smith, Department of Agriculture. He states:— “Too great emphasis cannot be laid on tire necessity for having a firm, well consolidated seed bed. A loose seed bed is an obvious weakness on many farms, and a good strike of grass will never be obtained on a loose surface. One needs only to watch the headlands where .the turning teams tramp the ground hard to see the advantages of consolidation. There the grass strikes well and comes away green and healthy, whereas on the loose patches the strike is poor and the grass yellows and looks sickly. The roller should be used liberally in the preparation. First on the furrow after ploughing, again after discing, and lastly both before and after sowing. Sow on a rolled surface and then roll the seed in, harrowing lightly merely to save a crust forming on the surface of the ground. “Grass ' seed must not be covered, (deeply. Just as long as it is covered is all that is required, and there is then no delay in the seed coming through the ground. Where it is impossible to get a roller, say, on a sidling, an endeavour should be made to consolidate with sheep if 'they are available, or failing sheep, with young stock. “Autumn sowing proves most satisfactory in the coastal regions of Taranaki, while inland and on the higher levels spring sowing is favoured. As a rule with the autumn sowing the weed question can be dealt with, while the ground is usually warm and the grass will come away nicely. In the higher districts the early frosts, which are often severe, occasionally damage a young grass paddock, and spring sowing is adopted. “Preparatory cropping is all right, but much cropping prior to grassing out has two disadvantages, namely, an increase in the weed content of the soil and a loosen-

ing up where consolidation is desired. “Quite a good plan being adopted by many is to sow down after rape. A spring sown rape crop is grazed off and the area disced and the grass seed surface sown. This procedure gives a good firm soil, and one that is greatly enriched at the surface by animal droppings. “The sowing of manure with the seed is strongly recommended. Everything that can be done to rush the seedling grass plants away should be done, for the seedling stage is perhaps the most critical one with a pasture plant. The s6wing of manure on the young pasture is quite sound, but some manure should also go with the seed. Avoid the use of straight out superphosphate, as super lying in direct contact with seed may damage the germination. Basic super and green bone or.bonedust mixed in equal parts and sown at the rate of 2% to 3 cwt. per acre makes a good manure .mixture to sow with the seed. “If the young stand shows any signs of yellowing, this may be due to excessive wet conditions, or it may be due to lack of fertility in the surface soil, in which case an early application of superphosphate should be made. “The early grazing of a young grass paddock requires careful attention. Young stock, and preferably sheep, should be used, and above all things avoid the cutting of a young permanent pasture paddock for hay or slage. The growing hay or silage crop overshadows many of the late striking and small seedling plants, with the result that these die out and a weak open pasture results.”