Seeding the Hayfields

July 25, 2024

Now that the first cut of hay is completed for the season, it's time to reseed the fields in preparation for a second cut later this year.

When I moved to this farm, I designated three separate areas as hayfields and planted them with a mixture of timothy, orchard grass, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and clover - all great for producing quality hay for my horses. Earlier this week, ahead of some expected rain, all these areas were aerated and over-seeded by my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, using good quality, high grade seed mixes.

Enjoy these photos.

: This is the largest of three hayfields at my farm. I specifically wanted to use my fields to produce good, natural hay for my Friesians, Fell Pony, and five Sicilian donkeys.

: In June, my outdoor grounds crew baled our first cut of hay. My foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, is our resident hay expert and has done an excellent job managing the process of cutting, fluffing, raking, and then baling the hay.

: Once collected from the fields, the bales are brought to my stable hayloft and stacked.

: And then it’s time to reseed the fields, so they can be cut again in autumn. Earlier this week, Chhiring took advantage of the pending rains to over-seed the areas.

: First, the ground is aerated with our Land Pride tow-behind aerator. I am glad to be able to have all the farm equipment we need to care for our fields.

: Here is a view of the attachment from the back. On top are weights that maintain the downward pressure of the aerator as it is moving.

: The tines on an aerator are prongs that are driven into the ground to create holes that improve soil health and lawn health. These solid tines break up compaction and improve air pockets. These do not remove soil cores.

: Here, one can see the holes left behind by the aerating spikes.

: The aerator creates a pattern as it goes making it very easy to eee where the ground has been aerated.

: My seed is from Hancock Farm & Seed Company, a 46-year old business that grows its own seed and ships directly from its Dade City, Florida facility.

: Among the seed varieties we are using is this custom seed blend that includes orchard grass, tall fescue, and Timothy. Good quality grass is important for horses. It helps provide proper fiber requirements and keeps their digestive systems healthy.

: This is a 3-point spreader, which can be attached to a variety of tractors to spread seed or fertilizer. Chhiring hooks it up to the center rear of our Kubota M4-071 tractor.

: The spreader features an opening system with split levers that provide distribution control.

: Broadcast spreaders distribute seed in a fan-like pattern in all directions and cover a wider area per pass than drop spreaders. As the tractor moves, the fan throws the seed that falls out of the bottom of the spreader.

: Chhiring starts by going around this field counter clockwise from the outer edge working inward. He also overlaps his passes, so he doesn’t miss any areas. The other end of the tractor has our trusted Kubota L1154 front loader that helps us transport so many things around the farm and cuts down plenty of time going back and forth to the Equipment Barn.

: Over-seeding is a process where grass seed is added to an already existing area which after germination serves to increase the density of the grass plants. This process reduces the aging process or natural decline of the turf.