let go to seed for optimum growth?

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pdubdo

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I'm in south central Oklahoma with native grass/weeds pasture. I'm rotating cows on and off an 8 acre area, trying for optimum grass growth and trampling down brushy weeds. It's slow work but maybe making progress? They've been off for about 5 weeks and grasses are back up to 12"+ and prob about to go to seed. I know it's hard to know without specific grass types, but is there a general rule for optimum grass health as far as letting the cows graze it now vs letting everything go to seed then put them back on? Maybe 30% is Johnson grass. haven't done a good job of surveying the other species.
 
pdubdo said:
I'm in south central Oklahoma with native grass/weeds pasture. I'm rotating cows on and off an 8 acre area, trying for optimum grass growth and trampling down brushy weeds. It's slow work but maybe making progress? They've been off for about 5 weeks and grasses are back up to 12"+ and prob about to go to seed. I know it's hard to know without specific grass types, but is there a general rule for optimum grass health as far as letting the cows graze it now vs letting everything go to seed then put them back on? Maybe 30% is Johnson grass. haven't done a good job of surveying the other species.

Hopefully, Kenny Thomas or someone that is more knowledgeable than me will weigh in on this, but if it is a desirable grass, I would let it go to seed and then clip it to encourage new growth.
 
Well, if the brushy growth is type that makes seed, you have to consider those seeds are usually more hardy than grass seed so you'll have them come back too. I always try to let Bahia go to seed once per year tho, then spray for weeds. I never had any luck with cows being able to trample brush down so I spray..

A lot of what you do depends on rain too. It's dry as a bone here, but if you have some in the forecast, top mowing it now and then getting good moisture should make your grass really pop with new growth.
 
pdubdo said:
I'm in south central Oklahoma with native grass/weeds pasture. I'm rotating cows on and off an 8 acre area, trying for optimum grass growth and trampling down brushy weeds. It's slow work but maybe making progress? They've been off for about 5 weeks and grasses are back up to 12"+ and prob about to go to seed. I know it's hard to know without specific grass types, but is there a general rule for optimum grass health as far as letting the cows graze it now vs letting everything go to seed then put them back on? Maybe 30% is Johnson grass. haven't done a good job of surveying the other species.

Grasses like sorghum-sudans and JG need a decent stubble to return to the growth mode after clipping (by grazing or mechanical means). Grasses are in the growth stage, once the "growth soil temperature" is reached continuing until they enter the boot stage....bulges forming on stems containing seed pods. At that point they quit growing and start the maturing process. Subsequent clipping, at the boot stage preferably, maximizes the available plant matter and resets the plant to the growth mode. Per what I have read including the TAMU agricultural research centers at Renner and Overton, Tx.

You can prove it to yourself. Just get 2 plants and measure the height and digestible matter and record the date. Clip one at 4" minimum and let the other mature....adjacent plants would be most reliable for level playing field....monitor as desired.
 
Ever hear the comment that I wish my pasture would grow like my yard? You mow the yard when it gets only a few inches high. Keep grass in a tender growing stage just like you do the yard. Taller of course.
Grass has one goal in life each year. To mature and produce seed. Then it will slow down growing. Unless it is a plant that needs to seed each year, keep it fresh and growing.
 
There are some generic grass growth "S curves" out there:

- slow growth initially after grazing or cutting sets it back
- then faster growth as it gets going by collecting more solar energy due to more leaf area
- followed by slowing growth as it matures and starts to set seed
- then no growth at some point

MIG rule of thumb for areas that get some rain is 21 to 28 days is a fast rotation and over 40 days is a slow rotation. Weather and results will vary.
 

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