Seeding the Fields

May 4, 2022

Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we’re expecting rain throughout most of today with temperatures in the low 60s - good weather for all the seeding we've done in the hayfields and pastures.

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 clovers - all great for producing quality hay for my horses. These fields are well-maintained and regularly treated with agricultural lime to correct any acidity in the soil, eradicate any noxious weeds, and raise the overall health of the land. I also have several enclosed paddocks, where my horses graze. Yesterday, all these areas were aerated and over-seeded by my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, using high grade mixes from Hancock Farm & Seed Company, a four-generation family-owned business based in Dade City, Florida.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

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

: 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.

: Our spreader features an opening system with split levers that allow distribution control.

: Our seed is from Hancock Farm & Seed Company, a 44-year old business that grows its own seed and ships directly from its Florida facility.

: Among the seed varieties we’re using is this custom mix that includes orchard grass, tall fescue, and Timothy.

: We also have a variety of other seeds including Happy Hen Forage Seed Mix, Wildflower Seed Mix, Turkey Plot Seed Mix, and Horse Pasture Grass Seed Mix.

: This seed contains Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Timothy, and orchard grass.

: Chhiring fills the spreader with the first batch of seed.

: And then he heads out to the middle field. The best day to overseed is when there is little to no wind, so the application can be done as evenly as possible.

: 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.

: The other end of the tractor has our trusted Kubota L1154 front loader that helps us transport so many things around the farm, including more bags of seed, which cuts down plenty of time going back and forth to the Equipment Barn.

: The ground was already aerated with our tow-behind Pro-Aerator. I am glad to be able to have all the farm equipment we need. Here, one can see the holes left behind by the aerating tines.

: And here is one of the soil plugs. The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction. Compacted soils have too many solid particles in a certain volume or space, which prevents proper circulation of air, water, and nutrients.

: Chhiring starts by going around the field clockwise from the outer edge working inward. He also overlaps his passes, so he doesn’t miss any areas.

: Overseeding 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.

: Here, one can see the seed coming out of the spreader and onto the ground below. These seeds will get a good watering with today’s expected rain.

: Looking closely at the ground, one can see the tiny seeds.

: Once Chhiring is done with one side, he moves onto the other. This middle field takes less than an hour to overseed.

: And here’s my stable manager, Helen, with my Fell pony Banchunch, to check out how everything is going. It’s just a short visit however – Banchunch doesn’t like to stop for long. He’s ready to keep on trotting.