GALLOP: Southern Horse pasture Blend - Low Sugar Native Pastures

Description

Our GALLOP Southern Horse pasture blend is a mix of cool and warm season grasses. We do this so at any point in the year the climate will be optimum for at least one of the grasses in the mix. All these grasses have either a medium to high drought tolerance once established and all grow across a range of soil types.

An elevated content of nonstructural carbohydrates such as fructose in pasture grasses is found to be one of the main causes of laminitis / founder in horses and ponies. The recommended thresholds to avoid equine laminitis are to keep NSC’s below 10 g/100g of the fodder. In all introduced cool season grasses , like Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), excess carbohydrate is stored in high amounts as simple sugars such as fructose and glucose,

Native Australian grasses however store carbohydrates as starch. The horse can digest this in a non-harmful way. For example, the Weeping grass and Wallaby grasses easily fall under this threshold having fructose levels of less than 0.2 g, glucose of less than 0.2 g and total sugars of less than 1.0 g/100g!

Grasses in the mix

Silky Bluegrass (Dichanthium sericeum)

This grass prefers warmer, drier sites. It is adapted to a broad range of climates and soil types.
This grass has a high drought & heat tolerance, moderate frost tolerance and most importantly a high grazing tolerance
It has a high leaf to stem ratio and is palatable to stock especially when young.

Redgrass (Bothriochloa macra)

It survives well in harsh dryland conditions where less hardy grasses usually fail.
Redgrass is commonly found in association with Wallaby grass and Silky Bluegrass.
Redgrass grows on a variety of soil types but is best on heavy clay. It prefers slightly acid to neutral pH soils, but can tolerate moderate alkalinity.
It will germinate only under warm conditions, that is with air temperatures consistently above 25⁰C

Burra Weeping grass (Microlaena Stipoides var. Burra)

Weeping grass is one of the only native grasses that can grow in little to no direct sunlight making it perfect for shaded areas.
It has high drought tolerance, medium salt tolerance, high shade tolerance and high frost tolerance.
This grass is also self-seeds well and because it is perennial you can let it go and thicken up over time.
Weeping grass also grows on a range of soils but prefers sandy soils with a slightly acidic pH level.

Mixed Wallaby Grass species – (Rytidosperma Setaceum/Fulva/Ariculata/Eriantha/Caespitosa)

Wallaby Grasses are one of the most resilient native grasses.
They have high drought tolerance, high heat tolerance, high acid soil tolerance and high frost tolerance
Wallaby Grasses can grow on most soil types from sandy soils to soils with varying levels of clay, and are also tolerant to soils that are alkaline.

Unfortunately due to quarantine restrictions this mix is not available to Western Australia.

Product Mix updated as at 28/09/21

SOWING

SOW RATE
6-8kg per acre	15-20kg per ha

SOWING GUIDELINES

For best results try to ensure that the seed bed is weed free. Native grasses are slow growers and effective weed control is highly desirable.
It is also incredibly helpful to know the pH levels of your soil so take soil sample to test your soil pH level, following test kit instructions.
While the soil is under preparation, it is a good idea to sow a few seeds into a sterile seed raising mix to be kept moist until germination. This will allow for easier identification of lawn seedlings once the lawn is sown.
Before sowing, the soil surface should be loosened with either a rake or harrows to ensure adequate seed to soil contact.
No fertiliser is necessary. in particular, avoid any phosphate-based fertilisers. The addition of organic matter however will add to a successful result.
Spread the seed evenly over the prepared surface and rake it in, so it is lightly covered. Seed sown deeper than 15 mm may not germinate.
Where possible, try rolling the area as it lightly presses soil particles together and ensures grass seeds are in contact with the soil. This will eliminate air pockets that could interfere with seed germination and growth and a rolled seedbed also holds moisture longer.
If there is access to irrigation, for the first three weeks, water approximately 2-3 times a week, taking into account the weather. Where there is no access to irrigation, sow from autumn to spring coincided with rain. It is important after sowing grass seed to ensure seeds do not dry out.
Use the sown seed sample to help identify grass seedlings from weeds.

BEST TIME TO SOW

Irrigation	Sow all year round
No irrigation	Sow from autumn to spring coincided with rain

Unfortunately due to Quarantine restrictions this product is not available to Western Australia

Distribuation Map

Additional Sowing Agent

What is a Vermiculite mix?

Our seed mixes all include vermiculite, a commonly used product in the horticultural sector in its exfoliated form. There are a few reasons we mix our seeds with vermiculite:

Native grasses come in all shapes and sizes which generally makes them harder to mix and distribute evenly. Vermiculite is a proven method for creating consistent mix that is substantially easier to sow.
Vermiculite is ideal for the germination of seeds because its water holding capacity make it a excellent medium for direct contact with the seeds. Vermiculite helps create a humid micro climate around the emerging seedlings preventing scorching or drying out
Vermiculite is a great soil improver due to its aeration properties. This increases your soil structure and gives your seedlings a helping hand to have good root growth
Vermiculite’s exchange properties can absorb excess nutrients and release them slowly to the plants via the finest root hair