Pastoral Improvements

22/09/2026

“The mustard has been fantastic for the bees in early spring.”

David keeps hives on his Bay of Plenty avocado orchard, and he’s been pleased with how they’re building up ahead of avocado flowering.

He puts that down to the diverse range of food sources available. In his experience, the hives have never been so healthy or got going so quickly in spring.

When you’re planning an orchard seed mix, think about when it will flower as well as what’s in it. What’s available early in the season? Where are the gaps? And how will your mowing schedule fit around flowering?

That’s a useful starting point for choosing a mix for your place.

Get in touch with the Pastoral team. We’re happy to have a yarn about your orchard and help you choose seed to suit your conditions and flowering goals.

17/09/2026

About a quarter of the mowing time. That’s what David reckons he’s spending compared with keeping his avocado orchard looking like a park.

On his Bay of Plenty orchard, he wants to use less herbicide and is seeing more bee and insect activity in the orchard floor.

He’s also monitoring predator insects in the trees and exploring releases to help keep thrips in check.

Thinking about changing what grows between your rows? Start with what you need it to do. Cut back on mowing? Add more flowering plants? It also needs to work around machinery access and your orchard jobs.

Give the Pastoral team a bell. We’re happy to talk through your setup, what you’re aiming for and which seed mix could suit your place.

17/09/2026

“Very good per cow production off average cows.”

That’s how Ben Cameron describes the results he gets from chicory on his family farm, where they’ve been farming the same land for 123 years.

He rates it for the milking cows, and it’s also a big part of his calves’ summer diet.

“Very good feed for calves. They do well and they’re healthy grazing it.”

Ben uses Pastoral’s chicory because it does the job at a cost that stacks up. As he puts it, you could plant a more expensive chicory “and it won’t look any different.”

Planning your summer feed? Start with which stock you’ll be feeding, when your feed gap hits and how the crop will fit into your grazing rotation.

Give the Pastoral team a bell. We’re happy to talk through your plans and help you work out whether chicory will suit your place, with seed that fits your budget.

15/09/2026

“About eight years ago I thought I’d wrecked my farm.”

When Mike’s whole farm turned yellow, applying more nitrogen didn’t fix it. With a mortgage and his livelihood on the line, he needed to understand what was happening beneath his feet.

That experience changed his approach: from applying nitrogen to grow grass, to feeding the soil biology that supports grass growth.

“It’s a massive shift in thinking.”

Mike has spent years figuring out what works on his farm. Our part at Pastoral has been supplying the diverse seed mixes he’s using in these paddocks.

Every farm is different. Choosing a seed mix starts with understanding your soils, your stock and what you want to achieve.

Thinking about your next sowing? Start with what you need the mix to do:

Fill a seasonal feed gap?

Add more diversity to your pasture?

Support soil health over time?

Then consider your drainage, summer conditions and how you’ll graze it. The right mix needs to suit your country and your system.

Have a look at Pastoral’s seed range, or give our team a bell. We’re happy to talk through your paddocks, what you’re trying to achieve and help you choose a mix that’ll suit your place.

10/09/2026

Looking for a diverse pasture mix built for performance?

12-Way Pasture Mix combines a range of grasses, legumes and herbs to support hardy and resilient pastures, quality feed and improved soil health.

Learn more:
https://pastoralimprovements.co.nz/products/12-way

10/09/2026

Looking for a pasture mix designed with your horses in mind?

Calm Healthy Horse Mix combines carefully selected grasses to support healthy horses and productive, long-lasting pastures.

Learn more:
https://pastoralimprovements.co.nz/products/calm-healthy-horse-mix-1

07/09/2026

What do you do with a paddock that’s struggling before the season has even begun?

For Mohi, diverse crops have become a practical “foot in the door”—particularly in sick or barren paddocks where conventional grasses struggle to establish and hold on.

The difference is visible: establishment, height and a wider range of plants contributing above and below the soil.

It’s one farmer’s experience, and every paddock needs its own plan. But sometimes seeing a diverse crop growing is what changes the conversation.

Got a paddock that needs a different approach this spring? Talk to a Pastoral Improvements agronomist on 0800 NZSEED, or download the seed guide through the link in our bio.

06/09/2026

Resilience isn’t only about surviving dry conditions. It’s also about how much input a pasture needs to keep performing. 🌱

Murray started with the 20 Seed Variety before moving into Reboot. What stood out to him was the difference in fertiliser inputs compared with the conventional pasture elsewhere on the farm.

In Murray’s words, they’ve put “hardly any fert” on the Reboot and 20 Seed Variety by comparison.

That’s one farmer’s experience—not a recommendation to simply remove fertiliser. Nutrient decisions should still reflect your soil, production targets and wider farm system. But it raises a useful question: could greater species and root diversity help you get more from what’s already available?

Thinking about Reboot or the 20 Seed Variety this spring? Talk to a Pastoral Improvements agronomist on 0800 NZSEED, or download the seed guide through the link in our bio.

03/09/2026

Every grazing, something different comes forward.

Across this 12-hectare diverse pasture, the mix changes with the conditions. As temperatures reached 25–30°C, plantain and chicory were showing through while the grasses, annuals and oats continued playing their part.

The farmer’s measure of success? Cows sitting down, content and chewing their cuds.

That’s the practical value of matching species with different seasonal strengths and root structures: a pasture designed to keep contributing as conditions change.

Every farm is different. If you’re planning a diverse pasture mix this spring, talk it through with a Pastoral Improvements agronomist on 0800 NZSEED, or download the seed guide through the link in our bio.

02/09/2026