2024 Spring Seeding

[ClinchValley86]

What are yall doing with your heavy use winter feeding areas to get them back in shape? I usually let the seedbank do its thing, but am considering some seed this year. Drill or broadcast, whatever will work. Lookin for suggestions.

This is pasture/hay ground that has seen 10 to 15 bales per acre unrolled this winter. Pretty plugged up in spots. Fescue, OG, bluegrass, white and red clover seed already present.

Not sure whether to skip straight to warm season seed or try a cool season annual. I'm unsure of what works.

Might get baled for hay, might be grazed.

 

[Dave]

The field the cows winter on there is a good size patch growing nothing. I am thinking over seeding with Festolium (a fescue rye grass cross). There is an area down by the river which was a gravel bar many years ago. It is rocky and dry. I have some "super arid" Tall Fescue that I am going to try there. I will include some RedClover on both of these patches. My corral totals about an acre and a half. Once we brand there is nothing in there all summer. It grows up in weeds. We wean in there because marching around on weeds helps keep the dust down. I am thinking of supplementing the weeds with either annual rye grass or oats. There are some smaller spots in the front field that hold water from the flood irrigation. Every thing gets drowned out in them. I have been thinking about using Creeping Meadow Foxtail in those spots. That seed is difficult to find and expensive when you do find it. I am thinking just a small amount for an experiment.
Teh fields get cut for hay in late June and the weaned calves graze the regrowth stating in late August through Sept-Oct.

 

[WFfarm]

Our winter pasture is one of 6 rotational pastures. We broadcast seed clover, timothy and oats, then lightly drag and cullipack. By the time the cows rotate back into this pasture there is a nice new stand of growth and a developing sod.

 

[Logan52]

I feed most of my rolls on a steep rocky hillside with a level ridge on top and somewhat level bench below. I sometimes use rings but usually roll it out down the hill. I have no trouble getting grass to come back but it is weedy with horseweeds and ragweed that gets really tall. I try and bushhog it in late June. By fall it is back in decent grass and ready for another year. The soil is really high in organic matter after years of doing this and is some of the most fertile land I have. Have thought of resting it for a couple of years to thicken the grass stand, but never have.

 

[BFE]

You might try crabgrass. That's what I'm going to try this year. I believe we've kind of discussed this in another thread before.

 

[ClinchValley86]

You might try crabgrass. That's what I'm going to try this year. I believe we've kind of discussed this in another thread before.

We sure have. And that's been in the back of my mind.

I'm pretty sure it'll fill in just fine if I do nothing, but wondered what others were doing. Seed has been wasted money for me thus far on account of weather. And it very well may turn dry again this spring. Hopefully not. Let's all do the rain dance.

When would you do the CG seeding? This particular field has very little warm season action due to thick fescue. But last year's dryness and this winters foot action has hopefully set the fescue back a bit. Doesn't seem to be much that'll compete with it and do well.

 

[BFE]

I'm going to seed in some high traffic/dry lot areas sometime from now to early spring while it's soft, hopefully the hoof action will put it in.