danw 1,748 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 For once I am pleased we are organic, we took the decision 6 years ago to plant permanent covers and they are at a stage where they now need thinning means one less worry this year Hi what permanent covers have you planted .Wolfie we planted areas of snowberry,dogwood,gorse,blackthorn,lonicera and hazel then followed it with rows of canary grass,artichoke and chicory.though the areas of chicory and canary grass need renewing occasionally. Quote Link to post
alimac 882 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 Danw you must have a very understanding boss that actually over see the short term expense for the long term benifits.. Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 Danw you must have a very understanding boss that actually over see the short term expense for the long term benifits.. To be honest mate it,s all about being organic we cant spray at all/ cant use fertiliser/ cant use dressed seed, because cover crops are so hungry continual re-establishment on the same ground leads to a massive shortfall in nutrients and as such failed/poor crops to cure that would mean putting drives in rotation with clover establishment in-between I wouldn,t want to lose a drive for a season just because there is a lack of N so there really was no choice. 1 Quote Link to post
pro keeper 111 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 the maize didnt come very well so a patching up job is needed, i am going to use kings winter cover mix with utopia added to it, i am trying to see the positives where the maize didnt take as luck would have it is ideal for flushing points!! or a good wind break, i will be spinning food through anyway, the millet is slow and my sorgum has just started Quote Link to post
Blakloks 5 Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 For once I am pleased we are organic, we took the decision 6 years ago to plant permanent covers and they are at a stage where they now need thinning means one less worry this year Hi what permanent covers have you planted .Wolfie we planted areas of snowberry,dogwood,gorse,blackthorn,lonicera and hazel then followed it with rows of canary grass,artichoke and chicory.though the areas of chicory and canary grass need renewing occasionally. Would any of these be suitable for planting in a hardwood to try and hold birds it needs cover in the winter months Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 For once I am pleased we are organic, we took the decision 6 years ago to plant permanent covers and they are at a stage where they now need thinning means one less worry this year Hi what permanent covers have you planted .Wolfie we planted areas of snowberry,dogwood,gorse,blackthorn,lonicera and hazel then followed it with rows of canary grass,artichoke and chicory.though the areas of chicory and canary grass need renewing occasionally. Would any of these be suitable for planting in a hardwood to try and hold birds it needs cover in the winter months Not sure about gorse but the rest would be ok just have to watch the snowberry and lonicera though cause they are quite invasive but if managed would be fine Quote Link to post
killbilly 17 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) the maize didnt come very well so a patching up job is needed, i am going to use kings winter cover mix with utopia added to it, i am trying to see the positives where the maize didnt take as luck would have it is ideal for flushing points!! or a good wind break, i will be spinning food through anyway, the millet is slow and my sorgum has just started Did you start your Maize under plastic?? - Just wonderin cos with the summers were getting I think its the only hope of a half decent result later in the year. Edited August 30, 2012 by killbilly Quote Link to post
"Earth!" 503 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 the maize didnt come very well so a patching up job is needed, i am going to use kings winter cover mix with utopia added to it, i am trying to see the positives where the maize didnt take as luck would have it is ideal for flushing points!! or a good wind break, i will be spinning food through anyway, the millet is slow and my sorgum has just started Did you start your Maize under plastic?? - Just wonderin cos with the summers were getting I think its the only hope of a half decent result later in the year. would take alot of plastic to do most keepers maize pal.. wish i had fenced mine in as some kind kunt has driven a few of my fields and maize.. Quote Link to post
killbilly 17 Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 the maize didnt come very well so a patching up job is needed, i am going to use kings winter cover mix with utopia added to it, i am trying to see the positives where the maize didnt take as luck would have it is ideal for flushing points!! or a good wind break, i will be spinning food through anyway, the millet is slow and my sorgum has just started Did you start your Maize under plastic?? - Just wonderin cos with the summers were getting I think its the only hope of a half decent result later in the year. would take alot of plastic to do most keepers maize pal.. wish i had fenced mine in as some kind kunt has driven a few of my fields and maize.. I'm not talkin about a gardeners cloch here - I'm takin bout strips of plastic laid out along lines of sown maize over many acres. Nearly all the Maize grown commercially here is produced like that cos of our climate. Maybe its different in Southern parts of the UK which are obviously warmer and drier then over here. Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 the maize didnt come very well so a patching up job is needed, i am going to use kings winter cover mix with utopia added to it, i am trying to see the positives where the maize didnt take as luck would have it is ideal for flushing points!! or a good wind break, i will be spinning food through anyway, the millet is slow and my sorgum has just started Did you start your Maize under plastic?? - Just wonderin cos with the summers were getting I think its the only hope of a half decent result later in the year. would take alot of plastic to do most keepers maize pal.. wish i had fenced mine in as some kind kunt has driven a few of my fields and maize.. I'm not talkin about a gardeners cloch here - I'm takin bout strips of plastic laid out along lines of sown maize over many acres. Nearly all the Maize grown commercially here is produced like that cos of our climate. Maybe its different in Southern parts of the UK which are obviously warmer and drier then over here. you mean like this 1 Quote Link to post
killbilly 17 Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Thats exactly what I mean Dan Quote Link to post
pro keeper 111 Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 No chap i didnt , maize does grow well round here but not this year of course, i ended up will only 50% maize this year and the rest millet and winter cover which has come very well thank god, my millet is just flowering i see today. its been a hard year this 1 Quote Link to post
killbilly 17 Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 No chap i didnt , maize does grow well round here but not this year of course, i ended up will only 50% maize this year and the rest millet and winter cover which has come very well thank god, my millet is just flowering i see today. its been a hard year this 1 Well here its a case of battling slugs 24/7 and the worst summer ground conditions I've ever known. You can't even get machinery into alot of fields along with moisture levels sky high in the oats,barley etc. Much of the Kale that survived the slugs has simply rotted:( Quote Link to post
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