Interseed?

[tdc_cattle]

Not sure that's the right term in this situation. Due to a couple of circumstances I had to leave ten acres of fescue overstocked and they have it ate down to the ground. I think I'll get them pulled off this weekend. Not much chance to get much growth out of the pasture in the next few months.

Anything I can plant there now to get forage off of it sooner? Maybe not sooner but improved this fall? Fescue should come back. Wheat is my only thought but maybe to early for that.

 

[Banjo]

sudangrass

 

[Ebenezer]

Browntop millet

 

[tdc_cattle]

Will the fescue come back if I plant Sudan or millet?

 

[Ebenezer]

Better chance on millet than sudangrass as millet is quicker and gone while sudangrass will be around until frost. Also depends on how thick you drill. Opinion only.

 

[tdc_cattle]

I really don't want to have to re establish the fescue. We've got good moisture right now but July is usually hot and dry. So I think I could get something up. I've still got one pasture to turn them out on that they haven't been on yet. They have to be hauled to it which is why they haven't been on it already. I'll think about millet.

 

[Ebenezer]

If you have a heavy notill drill to get adequate depth and cover, inoculated cowpeas would be a good option as they would be releasing N about the time that the fescue could use it. Just don't go heavy on seeding.

 

[kenny thomas]

If you have KY31 fescue, which is probably what you have, do not be the least bit concerned about killing it out unless you are spraying the ground with roundup. When fall comes it will be back with vengeance. That's why its there to begin with because its so hardy.

 

[tdc_cattle]

If you have a heavy notill drill to get adequate depth and cover, inoculated cowpeas would be a good option as they would be releasing N about the time that the fescue could use it. Just don't go heavy on seeding.

I do have a nice heavy notill drill. But its a 30' and the gate to this pasture isn't wide enough. Nrcs rents one with a $100 minimum.

What about forage soybeans? Pioneer dealer has some he ordered in for someone then didn't get taken that he'd sell me at a decent price.

 

[Ebenezer]

Forage SB would work just like cowpeas and probably are more available out of the SE USA. Good idea. Not arguing, but I do believe that you can hurt KY31 fescue with abuse if nature and/or environment gives it a double whammy. Not a total loss but a severe drop. We have a variety of soils and differences in historic erosion of some of the same soil types. It does not take much drop in fines, especially clay, to make fescue of any sort a bit more fickle. If your soil is heavy on clay or silt you have an advantage.