[Twotwo]

My 3 acre field needs rejuvenating. It has been badly treated over the years by horses. I’ve had sheep on it for 3 years and although it’s improved I feel it and the sheep would benefit from over seeding it - It wouldn’t be realistic to plough it up and start again-
The sheep will be off it from early September until  1/2 January pre lambing - 1/2 March post lambing.
It is heavy clay !! Southern England with Down sheep, I’m not organic but try to use minimum chemicals etc
I think a herbal ley sounds good but need your thoughts on different types etc

[Clay]

Do you know the ph of your field? Often a field will come good if it is heavily grazed and lime added to increase the ph to between 5.8 to 6.3, this may save you money. Even if it does not come good the correct ph will be if benefit to a new herbal lay. 

[Fleecewife]

We had a similar problem with part of our land.  We consulted an agricultural seed company and they sent someone out to assess our field.  The visit didn't cost us a groat.  At the appropriate time we received a sack of a great seed mixture, specific to our land and our needs.  That field area is about 2 1/2 acres.  We broke up the surface with a rake, which left small slits with soil visible.  Then we sprinkled the seed evenly over the whole area, by hand, just before it rained and washed the seeds down into the slits.  The improvement took a while to see but it was well worth it, and the cost was not high.  We felt that it was worth finding out from someone who knew what he was talking about, and there was no purchase pressure.

[Fleecewife]

I oversewed a few of my fields a couple of years back with an Organic Species Rich Grazing Mix.  It made a huge difference and makes good grazing and hay.  I used a tine rake and slitters on the ground as preparation and then a seed spreader over the top before rolling it in.  I particularly like the yellow rattle which seems popular with pollinators and gets guzzled in the hay too.

There is some information that Yellow Rattle may be toxic to grazers.  It sounds as if they tend not to eat it green, but will eat it in hay, as with Ragwort.  So if you want to graze your field, forget Yellow Rattle

[macgro7]

To be honest I think all you need is to introduce paddock rotation - divide your field in 4.
Gaze each for a week so the other ones have three weeks to recover. It works miracles to the land

[Twotwo]

I tried dividing in 4 last year but found the grass didn’t keep up in the dry summer, this year I have rotated every 4 weeks but found the rough grass runs away to seed. As you can imagine on clay it can be very wet and very dry! It’s finding the correct balance but also the best grasses/herbs to maintain condition on the sheep / lambs nearer the end of the summer.... every year is of course different! I will get a soil sample done- any suggestions who to use ?

[Fleecewife]

Our grass overall improved greatly when we reduced our stocking density.