Shantster
Member
I'm thinking of overseeding my existing pasture so that it contains horse friendly plants. Any advice re a suitable mix?
Horse Friendly Grass
- Thread starter Shantster
- Start date
Polos Mum
Well-Known Member
Look up boston seeds - they do a variety of mixes. (hard wearing for gate ways, herb mixes etc.)
But - some species will only grow in certain soil/ conditions so be prepared for half of what you sow not to do that well. If you can the best is to take hay from the field after it's gone to seed and therefore use seed from species that like to grow in your kind of soil.
But - some species will only grow in certain soil/ conditions so be prepared for half of what you sow not to do that well. If you can the best is to take hay from the field after it's gone to seed and therefore use seed from species that like to grow in your kind of soil.
ElleSkywalker
As excited as Kitty about to be a bridesmaid
Try the grass seed store (Google it) they have lots of different mixes and are very helpful if you want to check what would be most appropriate for your soil/horse type 
Tern
Well-Known Member
Don't plant clover or herbs.. clover will take over the world and they don't tend to touch the herb!
Shantster
Member
they don't tend to touch the herb!
Just seen on Grass Seed Store that they have a herb range for horse paddocks. Will they not eat this?
ElleSkywalker
As excited as Kitty about to be a bridesmaid
They will self medicate I think. I was advised by the grass seed store not to plant herbs at the min as my grass need thickening up and the ground drying out as herbs don't like overly wet ground. They are very very helpful
Polos Mum
Well-Known Member
OP do you have to/ plan to - spray for weeds? Most spray that kills ragwort etc. will also kill herbs and clover so don't bother paying for those if you'll be spraying at any point.
Some of mine love certain kinds of weeds/ hedge - so I do believe in self medicating - but never trying planting herbs specifically
Some of mine love certain kinds of weeds/ hedge - so I do believe in self medicating - but never trying planting herbs specifically
Shantster
Member
Sprayed last year for ragwort and weeds so hoping it has worked and that I might only need to do do a bit of spot treatment (spent years pulling up ragwort by hand and gave up!) May be good idea then to go for non-ryegrass grass mix?
Tern
Well-Known Member
I have had many friends who planted herb on ES' basis that they would self-medicate when infact they would not touch them and then field got overloaded by herb! Your call though.
Dry Rot
Well-Known Member
A very good question!
Breeding TBs wil need an entirely different grazing mixture to native ponies but I have yet to find a seed company that distinguishes between the two.
I am actually thinking of ploughing up an acre and leaving it to see what happens. In theory, it should revert back to native grasses probably with a lot of annual weeds from seeds dormant in the soil but there's only one way to find out!
Breeding TBs wil need an entirely different grazing mixture to native ponies but I have yet to find a seed company that distinguishes between the two.
I am actually thinking of ploughing up an acre and leaving it to see what happens. In theory, it should revert back to native grasses probably with a lot of annual weeds from seeds dormant in the soil but there's only one way to find out!
Casey76
Well-Known Member
If the ground has been recently (within the last 10 years - some suggest 20 years) been fertilized, then any new seed your sow will be out-competed by what is already present. This is because "horse friendly" grasses thrive on very poor ground, and other, e.g. rye grasses, thrive on well fertilized soil.