All Game Cover Seed Crops

The Traditional Game Cover Mixture combines a broad range of species which will give a full season of cover and a supply of food.

• A tried and tested mixture of species that provide feed and cover
• Sunflowers provide an attractive splash of colour
• Differing seed sizes mean it is best to broadcast rather than drilled
• Game Maize (treated), White Millet, Red Millet, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Kale, Sunflower, White Mustard, Forage Rape, Gold of Pleasure, Phacelia
• Sowing Rate: 10kg per acre. Packsize: 10kg

White millet is a popular choice as it provides cover and a source of food. Particularly attractive to English and French partridges.

• Produces a plentiful supply of small seeds for birds
• Often sown in conjunction with maize or kale
• It is vigorous and will grow to a height of up to 90cm
• Thicker leaved and higher seed production than red millet
• Sowing rate: 5kg acre.

Thousand Head Kale is a popular, tried and tested variety with good standing ability and winter hardiness.

• Thousand Head is a slender stemmed variety bearing leafy foliage. 
• Excellent winter hardiness providing forage for feeding after Christmas. 
• Can supply approximately 90 tonnes/ha of green forage matter.
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre.

Red Millet is best sown alongside other crops to provide a source of food which will help to keep birds in the covers. 

• Will produce a plentiful supply of small seeds for birds
• Often sown in conjunction with maize or kale
• Red millet is earlier maturing than white millet
• Susceptible to frost
• Sowing rate: 5kg acre.

Japanese Reed Millet is a stronger and hardier member of the millet family when compared to Red and White Millet.

• Stronger plant than others of the millet family
• Improved winter hardiness
• Mix with white millet to provide an excellent cover and feed crop
• Sowing rate: 5kg per acre.

A mix of white, red and Japanese reed millet. The white millet provides a source of food  whilst the Japanese reed millet provides cover.

• The strong reed millet plant provides long season cover for flushing
• White and red millet provides feed to hold birds in the cover
• Winter hardy allowing it to be used through the shooting season
• 40% White Millet, 40% Red Millet, 20% Japanese Reed Millet
• Sowing rate: 5kg per acre. Pack Size: 10kg

Fodder Radish is a quick growing cover crop which scavenges nitrogen, produces large amount of organic matter and improves soil structure.

• Quick growing, produces high organic matter in short periods
• Suppresses weeds and deep roots benefit soil structure
• Ideal as a green manure crop sown in early autumn
• Effective as a standalone green cover or in mixtures
• Sowing rate: 15-25kg / ha

Very popular for use in potato rotations to control soil borne pests and can be incorporated into moist soil to maximise biofumigation.

• Green manure crop with biofumigant properties
• Winter-hardy, easy to establish, cost effective
• Reduces wireworm and PCN populations and their effect on potatoes
• Suppresses Verticillium wilt and Sclerotinia in potato production
• Sowing Rate: 5kg / ha
• VITTASSO Brown Mustard Brochure

Ethiopian mustard is a fast growing frost hardy, brassica which produces a dense leafy canopy and acts as an excellent weed suppressor.

• Produces a dense leafy canopy to supress weeds
• Fast and easy to establish providing rapid ground cover
• Frost hardy cover crop ideal for use in later sowings
• Can tollerate and improve poor soil conditions 
• Sowing rate: 5kg / ha

Quinoa will provide cover and a plentiful supply of seed making it a popular crop for holding partridges, pheasants and attracting seed eating song birds.

• Produces a number of seeds to provide a valuable source of food
• Also attractive to many species of seed-eating song birds
• Often grown with kale as it begins to collapse with first frosts
• Available ready blended with Kale, see Overdrive Seed Mixture
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre. Pack size: 2 kg

A new variety with the potential to deliver high dry matter yields making it and ideal choice for dairy, beef or lamb producers.

• A taller stemmed variety with excellent resistance to lodging.
• High leaf to stem ratio.
• Available untreated or treated with Start-uP & Sepiret.
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre.

Buckwheat is a fast-growing annual crop, with a dense canopy for excellent weed suppression. Buckwheat scavenges phosphates, helping to reduce leaching. 

• Rapid establishment and growth make it an ideal short-season crop
• A dense canopy works efficiently as an excellent weed suppressant
• Nectar-rich, helping boost pollinators and other beneficial insects
• Scavenges phosphates from the soil for future crops
• Sowing rate: 50kg / ha

Caledonian Kale is the first variety to be bred with resistance to club root. A taller variety which gives easier access for birds underneath the leaf canopy. 

• Taller variety to allow birds to move freely under the leaf canopy.
• Club root resistant, can be sown on sites suffering from brassica sickness.
• Available untreated or treated with Start-up & Sepiret.
• Specifically bred for UK conditions. High germination and early vigour.
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre.

Canary Grass (Phalaris aquatica) gives excellent long term nesting cover for partridges and pheasants.

• A perennial species which can last for 10 years.
• Perfect for poor quality sites where annual sowing is difficult or impractical.
• Can grow to 60cm in first year and over 150cm in following years.
• Requires sowing in wide rows to prevent it from becoming to thick
• Sowing rate: 2.5 kg/acre Pack Size: 2.5kg.

Cocker will provide a full season of cover as well as an excellent supply of seeds to keep the birds close to the covers.

• Suitable for Environmental Stewardship Schemes.
• Full season cover for up to two years.
• Butisan herbicide tolerant.
• Contains; Kale, Mustard, Fodder Radish and Linseed.
• Sowing rate: 16kg per hectare. Pack size: 8kg. 

Short stemmed, sturdy, broad-leaved and has a substantial seed head. Its shorter growing habit is ideal for exposed sites.

• Average height 1 - 1.25m.
• Very good standing power due to short growth habit.
• Ideal cover providing a warm holding area for birds.
• Sowing rate 12kg per acre.

Dwarf sunflowers are a shorter stemmed hybrid variety which provide better standing ability over conventional varieties.

• A stiff stemmed, shorter hybrid variety
• An effective feed crop for shoots in the southern half of the UK
• May require 'swiping' down to allow game birds to access the seeds
• Frequently sown as part of a game mix or with kale
• Sowing rate: 5kg acre. Pack size: 5kg

This fastest growing rye, POWERGREEN is a high yielding variety which can grow at the lower temperatures, making it ideal for late sowing or early harvests.

• Fast initial development, high tillering and high output
• Good growth in cold conditions, excellent winter hardiness
• High nitrogen uptake throughout autumn
• Sow in autumn for incorporation and use in the spring
• Sowing rate: 150kg / ha

Giant Sorghum is a cross between Sorghum and Sudan Grass Hybrid. It can grow over two metres tall providing excellent cover.

• Produces warm and dense cover that can grow 2-3 metres tall.
• Deep roots help it to withstand drought conditions
• Works well as a windbreak protect more vulnerable crops
• Sorghum is useful for flushing as it encourages the birds to lift above the cover
• Sowing rate: 12kg per acre.

A crop well suited to poorer and nutrient deficient soils. Fast maturing, free-branching plant producing seed attractive to birds.

• Useful mixture for exposed areas.
• Sow April/May for use from September onwards.
• Available mixed with Triticale, Barley and Linseed, see Partridge Mix.
• Annual specie providing cover up until Christmas.
• Sowing rate: 5kg per acre. Pack size: 5kg.

Golden Retriever game cover seed mixture will provide a full season of cover as well as steady supply of seeds to hold the birds in the covers.

• Excellent holding potential for pheasants and partridges.
• Tried and tested reliable mixture.
• Stomp Aqua herbicide tolerant. 
• Contains; Dwarf Sorghum, Dwarf Sunflowers, Fodder Radish and Millet blend.
• Sowing rate: 24kg per hectare. Pack size: 12.5kg. 

Goldeneye kale is a giant type bred for the game cover market, selected for the optimum combination of height and leaf production. 

• Leafy top, strong stem, good winter hardiness and good tolerance to disease, making it the ideal choice for game cover use
• Goldeneye achieves a higher vigour score than Caledonian kale and better club root tolerance.
• Sowing rate: 3kg per acre.

Very tall variety with excellent winter hardiness. A branching, umbrella shaped canopy creates plenty of room underneath for pheasants and partridges.

• Good winter hardiness and excellent feeding quality
• Fresh yields 15% higher than Caledonian and 10% higher than Bittern
• Tried and tested for many years and is still very popular today
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre.

Intermediate Sorghum as the name suggests grows to a height between the Giant and Dwarf varieties. 

• Grows to a height of around 1.5 metres.
• Useful as a windbreak around other game cover crops
• Tall cover provides birds with protection from overhead predators
• Similar to maize but does not produce a cob
• Sowing rate: 10kg per acre.

Interval is a hybrid variety, produced by crossing rape and kale together. Creates a thick, leafy canopy only a short period of time.

• Fast growing properties of rape with the greater leaf canopy of kale.
• Winter hardy for a full season of cover.
• Grows to a height of 80-100cm.
• Sowing Rate: 2kg per acre. 

Keeper Kale will provide excellent cover and maximum protection for your birds.

• A shorter variety with excellent lodging resistance
• High leaf to stem ratio, providing excellent leaf cover
• Winter hardy and tested for germination and vigour to ensure the maximum establishment
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre.

The name says it all! Kwik Fix provides rapid cover for late sown or for patching failed spring sown game cover crops.

• Ideal mixture to replace or patch failed spring game cover.
• A unique combination of the fastest growing game cover species.
• Can provide cover up until Christmas.
• 80% Fodder Radish, 20% White Mustard
• Sowing rate: 5 kg per acre. Pack size: 10kg.

Labrador is designed to be used on cooler or more exposed northern sites. Features Triticale which is resistant to rabbits.

• Ideal for use on cold or exposed northern sites and will tolerate difficult soil types.
• Full season cover for up to two years.
• Creates ideal habitat for brood rearing.
• Contains; Triticale, Mustard, Kale, Linseed and Quinoa.
• Sowing rate: 40kg per hectare. Pack size: 20kg. 

A combination of four rapidly establishing species to give season-long cover. Will provide cover of 2-3 feet in height.

• A versatile and easy cover to establish in all areas.
• A rapidly establishing and maturing mixture providing winter cover.
• Used as a patching crop when spring crops fail, will tolerate drought conditions.
• 75% Forage rape, 14% White Mustard, 11% Fodder Radish
• Sowing rate: 5 kg per acre.  Pack size: 10kg.

A high yielding, shorter stem variety - a popular option for spring sowings to help control black grass and broad leaved weeds.

• Very quick and early to mature, generating excellent yields
• Strong reputation for producing high yields in following wheat crops
• Performs well on thin soils. Not frost hardy
• Provides interest well into the winter, particularly sown with other species
• Sowing Rate: 50kg / ha

Mix of two differing heights of sorghum. The Dwarf Sorghum gives birds protection from predators and Giant Sorghum acts as a windbreak.

• Creates thick and sturdy cover which will last for a full season
• Best sown from May-June
• 90% Dwarf Sorghum, 10% Giant Sorghum
• Sowing rate: 10kg per acre. Pack size 10kg

An excellent combination of winter hardy cover provided by the Kale and high quality feed provided from the Quinoa.

• Winter hardy cover of kale and feeding potential of quinoa.
• Quinoa provides high protein feed with kale keeping the birds dry
• Kale will provide cover for two seasons.
• 50% Quinoa, 50% Goldeneye Kale 
• Sowing rate: 2.5kg per acre. Pack size: 2.5kg.

Phacelia is a prolific seed producer, very fast to establish and an excellent source of pollen and nectar. This makes it attractive to both insects and wild birds.

• A popular green manure crop which is an excellent weed suppressor
• Establishes fast and matures within 10-12 weeks
• Produces a large root mass making the plant an excellent soil improver
• Will produce a multitude of flowers - loved by bees and other insects
• Sowing rate: 5-8kg / ha

Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is similar to Canary Grass (Aquatica) however it is much hardier.

• A perennial species which can last for 10 years
• Suitable for exposed northern sites - good frost and winter hardiness
• Strong stems and thick leaves provide reliable cover for ground-nesting birds
• Similar to conventional canary grass with improved hardiness 
• Inoculated with rhizobia
• Sowing rate: 2.5kg per acre Pack Size: 2.5kg

A fast establishing, maturing mixture ideal for patching failed crops or where a later sown crop is wanted. 

• Provides cover and potentially seeds within 16 weeks of sowing
• Rescue mixture for failed crops 
• Rapid establishment
• 50% Buckwheat, 15% Fodder Radish, 15% White Mustard, 10% Gold of pleasure, 10% Texsel Greens
• Sowing rate: 5kg per acre. Pack Size: 10kg 

Setter game cover seed mixture is a traditional mixture which combines a broad range of species. Provides two full seasons of cover.

• Full season cover for up to two years.
• Very reliable mixture with excellent holding and feed potential.
• Combines; Phacelia, Sweet Clover, Millet Blend, Maize, Mustard, Kale, Buckwheat and Sunflowers.
• Sowing rate: 25kg per hectare. Pack size: 12.5kg. 

Spaniel is a summer sown, drought tolerant game cover mixture which is easy to establish. Combines four different seed species.

• Drought tolerant mixture which can be sown in the summer months.
• Can be used for patching failed spring sown crops.
• Easy to establish, can be broadcast directly into cereal stubble.
• Combines; Mustard, Fodder Radish, Interval Rape/Kale, Carbon.
• Sowing rate: 10kg per hectare. Pack size 5kg.   

High protein content and high dry matter yield. Late flowering variety that will perform well whether sown for summer, autumn or winter use. 

• Good winter hardiness.
• Clubroot tolerant.
• Sowing rate: 2.5kg per acre.

Spitfire Hybrid Forage Rape is a rape and kale hybrid, is a good companion to use with other fast establishing brassicas. 

• Provide cover for a whole season
• Very vigorous and quick growing, ideal for replacing failed crops or patching
• Good disease and bolting resistance
• Sowing rate: 2.5kg per acre.

Triticale produces long straw with an excellent resistance to lodging. Impressive root development extracts nutrients from deep in the soil profile.

• A wheat/rye hybrid cereal providing good cover and feed in low fertility areas.
• Clean crop with a low susceptibility to fusarium and ergot 
• Resistant to attack from rabbits
• Higher grain yield than other leading varieties
• Sowing rate: 100kg / ha

Springer game cover seed mixture is ideal for areas which are difficult to sow on an annual basis. A blend of Perennial Chicory and Triticale.

• Triticale provides feed for the first year, Perennial Chicory gives permanent cover.
• Chicory is drought tolerant and will grow to a height of up to 1.5m.  
• Triticale is resistant to damage from rabbits.
• Contains: Perennial Chicory and Triticale.
• Sowing rate: 40kg per hectare. Pack size: 20kg.

Sunflowers are another great option when it comes to cover crops, whether used straight or in a mixture to produce combined benefits.

• Standard tall variety.
• Excellent nectar rich flowers provide food for pollinators.
• Dead flower heads provide an ideal overwintering habitat for pollinators. 
• Frequently sown as part of a game cover mixture or with Kale.
• Sowing rate: 5kg per acre.

Texsel greens are a fast growing, shiny leaved brassica developed from Ethiopian mustard. Very easy to establish and provide frost hardy cover.

• Produces a broken canopy, ideal for flushing birds.
• Texel Greens are fast and easy to establish.
• Frost hardy cover crop.
• Ideal for suppressing weeds.
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre. Pack Size: 2kg. Treated seed.

Vittasso Brown Mustard is a highly versatile game cover crop - easy to establish, quick growing and winter hardy.

• Sow from late July onwards to produce a dense, leafy canopy.
• Winter-hardy, easy to establish, cost-effective.
• Can be sown as a rescue crop for failed spring sowings.
• Can grow up to 1.5 metres dependent on sowing period.
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre (5kg per ha).

White mustard is an ever popular choice for game cover. Very easy to establish and grows rapidly, providing cover until the first winter frosts. 

• Can be sown alone or as a companion to other species
• Ideal for early cover, killed off by frost will create shelter for birds
• Quick growing - ideal for patching failed spring cover crops
• Also opular as a green manure crop
• Suitable for Countryside Stewardship (CSS): AB2 
• Sowing rate: 15kg / ha

A blend of Winfred Hybrid Brassica and Forage Rape. A vigourous and quick growing seed mixture making it ideal for failed crops.

• Provide cover for a whole season
• Vigorous and quick growing, ideal for replacing failed crops or patching
• Good disease and bolting resistance
• 50% Winfred Hybrid Brassica and 50% Forage Rape
• Sowing rate: 2.5kg per acre.

New and unique game cover crop which combines the excellent cover of kale with the easy and rapid establishment of mustard. 

• Produces amazing cover in a short period of time
• Excellent frost tolerant cover by November
• Can be used for new sowing or for patching failed crops
• Best sown in June or July.
• Sowing rate: 2kg per acre. Pack size: 2kg