Fescue

[bncsimps]

I need your advice. I recently purchased 23 acres in northern AL; I plan to convert to pasture for my small cow/calf operation. The acreage is currenly laying dormat; a fella had it planted in corn last year. I realize the optimum planting period for fescue has passed; but I was wondering would it hurt to go ahead and seed it now??? There is no pressure to graze it right away...so time is not a factor. Looking forward to reading your responses.

bks

 

[Cowdirt]

I need your advice. I recently purchased 23 acres in northern AL; I plan to convert to pasture for my small cow/calf operation. The acreage is currenly laying dormat; a fella had it planted in corn last year. I realize the optimum planting period for fescue has passed; but I was wondering would it hurt to go ahead and seed it now??? There is no pressure to graze it right away...so time is not a factor. Looking forward to reading your responses.

bks

If you can get the seedbed prepared well soon, the timing is about right for spring seeding of fescue where you live. However, you need to realize that spring seeding of cool season grass in your area is more of a crap shoot than in the fall. It all depends on the weather/rain but that's also true only to a lesser extent in the fall. You could hardly pick a time when seeding costs will be higher than they are now. Fertilizer is rediculous right now.

 

[Nowland Farms]

bks,

If I were you I would just wait to plant in the fall. Several years ago I planted a field of MaxQ.

I started in July and killed every thing green with a spraying of roundup. Came back in during August and sprayered anything I missed or didn't kill the 1st time. Prepared the seedbed and planted in October. The field sat there 3 weeks before I got a rain of the planted field.

4 years later I have a nice field of MaxQ Fescue that produces some excellent quality hay. I have good bottom land and got 4.96 round 4'x5' rolls per acre of hay last May.

 

[hillrancher]

The rule of thumb for planting in my part of the world is you can plan in months that has a R in it. As stated before fall is better to plant fescue.

 

[brandonm_13]

You can plant it now, but you need to make sure your phosphorus level is good(or you'll have to shell out some mucho dinero for some) that way the roots will get deep enough before the summer hits hard. Lime would probably be another good thing to look into. While most of it takes a while to break down, some of the finer particles will break down faster, bringing the pH up and making more nutrients available(that is if your pH is low, which it always seems to be around here).