There was a good roll-up to a field day hosted by Granite Borders Landcare (GBLC) on Saturday at Steinbrook Hall, ranging from well-seasoned local graziers to treechangers seeking some free advice to getting the most out of their slice of Tenterfield.
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Tamworth-based NSW DPI pasture development officer Sarah Baker said landholders should start planning now if they want to sow pasture in autumn 2022.
"Plan early, not the week before," she said.
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This allows for soil testing and adjustment, weed and pest control and budgeting, before thousands of dollars are invested in seed. Depending on the varieties to be sown the seed may also have to be ordered well in advance, and tropical grasses are increasingly becoming an option in the mix.
Part of the budgeting includes planning for those sown paddocks to be mostly out of use for the first 12 months.
Ms Baker referred attendees to the DPI's online publication Temperate Perennial Pasture Establishment Guide, although the exchange of local experience at such field days is always valuable.
Local Land Services agronomist Georgie Oakes said not to discount the value of native grasses, as feed and for helping to keep weeds at bay.
She said it's important to look after them and that they can be a good indication of what to plant in certain areas (especially if they've survived the past couple of trying years). It's therefore vital to be able to identify them, so that plants with similar growing requirements can be chosen. She then provided tools to help.
To be notified of upcoming field days you can become a life member of GBLC for $10.
