Growing season

[plumber_greg]

Last couple of days I've been getting pastures ready. The temps and season is really early here like a lot of places.
I usually figure a May 1 turnout, but if this weather holds and it looks like it's probably gonna', I'll be turning out in 2 weeks.
The clover is 3 or 4 inches tall in places now, in a normal year it may not even have sprouted yet. Crown Vetch is the same way.
My question, what's gonna' happen this summer if mosisture, etc stay the same? Will we get 6 cuttings of clover in the hayfields?
The cool season grasses, mostly fescue and brome, have just exploded this week with temps in the high 70's. Are they gonna' have a longer dormant season? Or will they peter out and mature earlier in the fall, just cuz' they have grown too long?
I'd take anyone's thoughts, it may take some special planning for grass this summer or maybe none at all!!!!!!!
Never seen anything like it. gs

 

[Anonymous]

The more you take off the fields the more you have to put in. Extended growing means a need for more fert but also means higher gains.

 

[dun]

Always remember the killing freeze we can still get in April, a couple of years ago it was late April

 

[agmantoo]

plumber_greg

Regarding the fescue..... IMO you can keep it productive as long as you have adequate moisture. Never let the fescue go to seed! Keep it clipped. Have you fertilized the fescue by top dressing with nitrogen? If not and you plan to add nitrogen; I suggest that you make multiple applications, but with smaller quanties, over time.

 

[plumber_greg]

Dun, yes I remember that late April freeze. Here it got ot 0 for two days, I had been wearing shorts and mowed my yard several times. After the freeze here, things returned to normal. Turn out was maybe a few days late, but mostly things were ontime.
Agman, already fertlized, saw an early spring comin' and did it just before a rain. I always, and did this year, fertlize in the spring and again in the late summer. Always split it. I know you don't fertlize where you are and the way you operate, but do you agree with my method?
Hook, that is a thought I wanted, I hadn't thought of that. Good point.
Thanks gs

 

[Stocker Steve]

Always remember the killing freeze we can still get in April, a couple of years ago it was late April

Odds are a hard frost will burn it. That is up to the weather gods. You can turn cattle out, but feeding a little fiber on pasture may be your best move.

An interesting thing I found was that central MN can grow almost as much pasture (but not the super corn bred today) as some more expensive ground to the south. I think we get about the same amount of rain and just skip the summer slump in a good year. So to utilize a longer growing season you need to have more water - - does your soil have it ???

 

[plumber_greg]

Steve if by more water you mean holding capacity of the soil, ours have capacity in the top foot, after that it moves into and out of the clay about as fast as a glass absorbs the water when you take a drink. I'm not in the expensive ground to the south, too far south.
Are your pastures fescue? gs

 

[Stocker Steve]

Are your pastures fescue? gs

Native pasture is blue grass, timothy, and quack.

I mostly plant tall / meadow fescue mixes, along with some reed canary on low ground. I have tried some orchard grass when interseeding.

Tall fescue and OG can kill here in an open winter.