G'day Farm 1,

The innoculant is only to maximise lucerns nitrogen fixing properties, the
seed, often sold as alfalfa, sprouts readily and quickly. Try some on the
window sill. As a bush regenerator, I see the pasture issue differently I
suppose. Stock will eat it when there is little choice, as in bad times,
which seems to be all we get lately. It's exellent for erosion control.which
can be critical in some degraded pastures and neglected creek beds.

Wishing you some good rain,

China
Wingham
NSW

"China" wrote in message
G'day Farm 1,

The innoculant is only to maximise lucerns nitrogen fixing
properties, the
seed, often sold as alfalfa, sprouts readily and quickly. Try some
on the
window sill.

Alfalfa does sprout quickly and readily but that is in a controlled
situation where lots of water is available and where the growing media
is favourable.

If the dam that the OP mentioned is anything like most that I have
seen where a similar description would apply then I'd expect the
lucerne to have a tough time. Fine silt, no soil structure and at
this time of year probably getting on to being very dry. Lucerne has
the advantage of being deep rooted (in one case I've ehard of the
roots goign down 26 ft!) but it grows best with irrigation and in
goodish soil.

As a bush regenerator, I see the pasture issue differently I
suppose. Stock will eat it when there is little choice, as in bad
times,
which seems to be all we get lately. It's exellent for erosion
control.which
can be critical in some degraded pastures and neglected creek beds.

I think you are talking about stock eating regenerating bush???? If
you are then you'd be interested in what our cattle did with a very
large old tree (snow gum) which fell here a month or two ago. They
got right in amongst the branches and ate as much of the leaves as
they could get their mouths to. And this is with good pasture
available to them. They did a great job of cleaning up before we got
to it with the chain saw.

Wishing you some good rain,

Thanks. This is the first year that I can remember when the soil has
already been dry before the leaves of the deciduous trees have even
emerged. Doesn't look good for a top season.

Say hello to Mt George for me next time you are out that way.

Keep a lookout a pic link to webshots or where ever, & I'll post some pics
of the dam & points of interest.
I'm in the upper reaches of the Mary River Qld, one of its tributaries,
Harper Creek which my overflow would eventually feed after another one or
two properties.

Over the last few days the dam has dropped about 4", & I wonder if it might
be leaking. It's not been hot, dry & windy... *shrugs*.
Maybe next year or so I would like to have the dam scooped out a bit better
as there's a bit of an island in the middle which may have been
intentionally built there or it may been slurry run-off from one side as the
shed I'm living in, as it has poor guttering that looked like Niagara Falls
during the recent deluge.

I'm told that the rains of '99 had the place pretty well flooded, covering
the road to a height of a regular road sign height, say, a few metres.
Don't know what it was on this farm however.

There are some established fruit trees, & only one horse on the block did
quite a bit of damage from scratching its back or whatever. Also the root
stock of some was rampant, disguising the "real" tree.

Pics coming soon.
Rob



"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"China" wrote in message
G'day Farm 1,

The innoculant is only to maximise lucerns nitrogen fixing
properties, the
seed, often sold as alfalfa, sprouts readily and quickly. Try some
on the
window sill.

Alfalfa does sprout quickly and readily but that is in a controlled
situation where lots of water is available and where the growing media
is favourable.

If the dam that the OP mentioned is anything like most that I have
seen where a similar description would apply then I'd expect the
lucerne to have a tough time. Fine silt, no soil structure and at
this time of year probably getting on to being very dry. Lucerne has
the advantage of being deep rooted (in one case I've ehard of the
roots goign down 26 ft!) but it grows best with irrigation and in
goodish soil.

As a bush regenerator, I see the pasture issue differently I
suppose. Stock will eat it when there is little choice, as in bad
times,
which seems to be all we get lately. It's exellent for erosion
control.which
can be critical in some degraded pastures and neglected creek beds.

I think you are talking about stock eating regenerating bush???? If
you are then you'd be interested in what our cattle did with a very
large old tree (snow gum) which fell here a month or two ago. They
got right in amongst the branches and ate as much of the leaves as
they could get their mouths to. And this is with good pasture
available to them. They did a great job of cleaning up before we got
to it with the chain saw.

Wishing you some good rain,

Thanks. This is the first year that I can remember when the soil has
already been dry before the leaves of the deciduous trees have even
emerged. Doesn't look good for a top season.

Say hello to Mt George for me next time you are out that way.

Here are those pics I spoke of to give an idea what I was on about

http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l124/rpmorrell/dam/

cheers
Rob

"Rob & Shel" wrote in message
...
Many thanks Farm1,

A bed frame sounds really good..... I'll incorporate one into a "jetty
jumping" jetty. Also, I'm planning to make a floating anchored duck
island & house in the middle of the dam.

Rob


"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"Rob & Shel" wrote in message

However the gully water was really flowing quite fast into the dam
dragging
loose leaf litter & small sticks etc. I figure this gully needs
small
filtering walls of rocks.

That'd work or old tyres. Old tryes will slow the flow and can be
planted out as they silt up with useful plants. I woulnd't really
recommend bulrushes on the top side of the dam as these sodding
things take over.