21/08/2026
Back in the 14.5-acre Oxfordshire hay field today.
This field was ploughed, cultivated and drilled back in the spring at 18kg of grass seed per acre, but unfortunately, with the incredibly dry conditions this year, virtually none of it has germinated.
The hope is that the original seed is still sitting there waiting for the right conditions, and with some proper autumn moisture we should finally start to see it come through.
To give it every chance, once the existing vegetation has been dealt with, I'll also be going across with the spring tine harrow and broadcaster, putting on another 150kg of grass seed across the field — just over 10kg/acre.
Unfortunately, the field has become heavily contaminated with weeds. I personally don't like using sprays unless they're genuinely needed, but in this case there's little alternative. Over the next few weeks we'll spray the existing growth off with glyphosate, before harrowing and overseeding.
Then, once the new grass is established, we'll reassess it in the spring and, if required, use a selective herbicide to target the problem broadleaf weeds while leaving the grass sward intact.
Hopefully with some decent autumn rain we'll finally see this field turn the corner, get good establishment through the winter, and go into spring with a much stronger, cleaner grass crop. 🌱🚜
