Underkeeper314 0 Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Can anyone advise the best gamecrop for chalky soil? Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 (edited) What do you want from the crop is it to hold or flush? do you want feed value or not? is the site exposed? are you organic? is it in a stewardship scheme? Do you want an annual or perennial crop? If I where you I would phone Nick Gladstone at Hurrel and mcleans http://hmseeds.co.uk/ He is a good bloke really knows his stuff Edited February 6, 2011 by danw Quote Link to post
rowey 1 Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Chicory. Grows on any soil. Year round cover and good nesting material. Nice small strip of maize or tritacale with it works wonders. Quote Link to post
mudman 14 Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 yellow blossom clover also thrives on chalky soil, compliments chicory very well, perrenials but neither have any feed value. Another vote for Hurrels as well, good set of people, not so well known as a firm but they supply alot of the seeds to the more high profile game cover merchants. Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Having spent some time trialling chicory and yellow blossom clover we found it much to thick for partridge and they didn't like using it so much as pheasant. If you get the new hurrels gamecrop booklet it is my landy pictured in a crop of yellow blossom clover Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 yellow blossom clover and chicory this was taken after Christmas. Quote Link to post
mudman 14 Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Its also a total b*****d to beat through ! The estate I go to sprayed off tracks through the cover to make it easier on us later in the season and open it up to the birds a bit more. If it could be guaranteed to grow then nothing beats kale, but it is so vulnerable that perennial such as chicory amd yellow clover are becomng much more popular. Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 We are organic so spray is out and makes kale nearly impossible to grow. clover and chicory is good but does need a nurse crop the first year the chicory should come for the following 3 seasons and as both the clover and chicory are leguminous they are re-fixing nitrogen all the time Quote Link to post
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