hand sown game crop?

[VSS]

No - We will be doing our new ones last week in May

I just try to have things at different stages of their lives to create different habitats

One more question: Do you spray off the existing sward before cultivating?

 

[sh1kar]

One more question: Do you spray off the existing sward before cultivating?

Yes but don't plough just direct drill in

 

[VSS]

Yes but don't plough just direct drill in

Thanks.
I don't have a direct drill, but I should think spraying off followed by a light pass with a cultivator, then broadcast and roll ought to do the trick.

 

[243 fallow]

You might be better of growing a straight or one particular plant , you should be able to spray off any weeds whilst it’s growing then, also you might want to fertilise it aswell.

 

[GWP]

Buck wheat could be usefull pheasants love it and deer wont stand to well in winter but plenty of food we had some grown as a part of a conservation project from we Jimmys crowd that was combined pheasants all over it

 

[bogtrotter]

Has anyone got any experience of using sunflowers as a game cover / wild bird crop?

Not as a crop but as part of the crop yes,
purchased as a game mix.

 

[jall55]

Yes but don't plough just direct drill in

We ploughed ours - to bring some moisture up - usually getting dry by end of May

 

[jall55]

You might be better of growing a straight or one particular plant , you should be able to spray off any weeds whilst it’s growing then, also you might want to fertilise it aswell.

Lot less useful - in my experience to the insects and birds
And if one bit fails - it all fails

 

[jall55]

Fodder raddish is also another good addition into the mix VSS

 

[gr cz527]

i have planted some holly and blackthorn and hawthorn along one edge already about 2 weeks ago. its quite exposed area so hopefully it will take.

You could also think about creating a thicket ? - plant some blackthorn / privet / box / holly / hawthorn etc etc

Once it gets going it will last for years and years with little work and great results - and a magnet for other wildlife too

 

[243 fallow]

Lot less useful - in my experience to the insects and birds
And if one bit fails - it all fails

We grow around 30 acres of straight maze, tried most of the mixtures and end up with more weeds than anything else, if it’s insects you want then maybe that’s the way to go but we are trying to keep birds on the shoot and if I’m honest once the maize has cobbed the whole place is alive with various song birds and of course the deer like it too.

 

[Craigsaun]

I run a small shoot on my own farm . I plant ‘ by hand ‘ about a quarter of an acre of maize and sunflower. I spray it off now , I will leave it for 10 days and then run over it a few times with a quod dragging an old section of a spike harow. I then broud cast the seeds by hand and run over it again with the spike Harrow. The other guns always have a good giggle, but they don’t giggle when they see the results . Very important to spray off first or the weeds will suffercate the seeds

 

[jall55]

We grow around 30 acres of straight maze, tried most of the mixtures and end up with more weeds than anything else, if it’s insects you want then maybe that’s the way to go but we are trying to keep birds on the shoot and if I’m honest once the maize has cobbed the whole place is alive with various song birds and of course the deer like it too.

I dont mind a few weeds in it to be honest - some of our stuff is now on its third year - the stuff on the second is looking amazing

I find that once you get some kale / gold of pleasure and chicory going they are pretty good at out competing weed burden

 

[243 fallow]

I dont mind a few weeds in it to be honest - some of our stuff is now on its third year - the stuff on the second is looking amazing

I find that once you get some kale / gold of pleasure and chicory going they are pretty good at out competing weed burden

We get swamped out with barn grass and it just seems to outgrow everything, we’ve tried mixtures in the past with little success, if it’s not weeds it’s slugs.

 

[BenBhoy]

thanks to evreyone for their replies. i will go away and speak to kings, brights etc see what mixes may be best. im sure my dad has a lawn seed spreader. need to see if i can get a petrol tiller for a weekend and look at how to best prep the area.

Can you put pigs on there behind electric? They'll do all the ground prep for you.

 

[jall55]

We get swamped out with barn grass and it just seems to outgrow everything, we’ve tried mixtures in the past with little success, if it’s not weeds it’s slugs.

Ah fair play whatever works for you

Barn grass is only an annual though isnt it ?

We have little slug damage thank goodness - the pigeons can hammer our is a cold winter - but to watch the hundreds ney thousands of finches and little jobbies on the mixes is to me what im doing it all for

 

[AGR]

You could also think about creating a thicket ? - plant some blackthorn / privet / box / holly / hawthorn etc etc

Once it gets going it will last for years and years with little work and great results - and a magnet for other wildlife too

I use the same

That's the best solution. If you can plant a cover crop that will last 2 years, you can plant the thicket into the cover crop in late autumn, and never need to do it again!

 

[AGR]

Ah fair play whatever works for you

Barn grass is only an annual though isnt it ?

We have little slug damage thank goodness - the pigeons can hammer our is a cold winter - but to watch the hundreds ney thousands of finches and little jobbies on the mixes is to me what im doing it all for

That barnyard grass grows fast and late and dies early after shedding a million seeds. Needs spraying as soon as, or it pulls easily if you have the labour!