N/Mississippi need to re-seed some new pasture...suggestions? i have fescue, some bermuda on place..maybe bahia?

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RNW

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taking in some overgrown land that was pastured about 10 years ago. bushogged/clipped for 2 years and have some various grasses....some bermuda/fescue/dalisgrass..Want to overseed with some perenial..maybe annual grass/grasses for pasture. any suggestions appreciated. i'm in North Mississippi, close to Oxford.
 
What does well in north Mississippi ? In N Alabama we mostly have fescue and orchard grass pastures, some Bermuda . No bahia this far north that be I know of .
 
@RNW, based on your location and what you currently have (It's not outside my comfort range to make a recommendation, but its close. (I don't care to cross the river but have and will.) You are within what I think of as the "transition zone" (from CSG to WSG). As you have both now (fescue-CSG and Bermuda-WSG) I would plant separate pastures of each. I'd use a novel-endophyte variety of tall fescue and an improved variety of the Bermuda. I'd include a legume such as alsike clover with the tall fescue and possibly perennial peanut with the Bermuda. (I'd sprig the Bermuda as the perennial peanut is only propagated by sprigs and I feel sprig varieties of Bermuda are overall a little better than seed varieties, but both have their place). You can seed annuals of the opposite season of the perennial grasses in their off seasons.
 
Mark, way too far north for perennial peanut, I would suggest crabgrass here, along with the Bermuda. Agree that separate pastures of CSG and WSG are easier to manage, but I think with upper level management, mixed pastures will produce more total forage and more total livestock gain.
 
RNW, what's growing there now is what wants to grow in your environment. What if you improve management, grazing, fertilization, adding legumes, weed control to the existing pasture. My bet is you will be very happy with what you end up with, at a much lower cost.
 
RNW, what's growing there now is what wants to grow in your environment. What if you improve management, grazing, fertilization, adding legumes, weed control to the existing pasture. My bet is you will be very happy with what you end up with, at a much lower cost.
I totally agree with you on this no matter where its at. For a few years we tried a lot of suggestions and spent a lot of money. Started managing what i had naturally and im much happier.
 
Mark, I have several hundred acres of fescue that has a small warm season component, Johnson grass and dallisgrass. I graze this lightly a couple of times during the summer, avoiding the fungus fescue. I am trying to increase the summer component by unrolling Johnson grass and dallisgrass hay in those pastures. It's been a slow process. I am making the cool season/warm season pasture deal work, but am trying for more year round pastures. My warm season pastures get over seeded with ryegrass. That works nicely. Getting increased warm season perennials in my fescue is more of a challenge.
 
Mark, way too far north for perennial peanut, I would suggest crabgrass here, along with the Bermuda. Agree that separate pastures of CSG and WSG are easier to manage, but I think with upper level management, mixed pastures will produce more total forage and more total livestock gain.
Thanks for the info on perennial peanut. I don't know its range real well. I saw it as a possible solution for @Warren Allison but was wondering if it might be too far north for the peanut. Turned out that his partner (forgot his name) was actually baleing perennial peanut! It hadn't occurred to them to use the peanut in conjunction with the grass, they were looking at a heat tolerant alfalfa as a possibility. I think they chose the peanut in the end, although I may be wrong on the decision.

I've always suspected the mixed pastures would produce more (where they can be effectively mixed AND managed as a mix). At a minimum, the mix is harder to manage. It seems that the OP might be new to pasture management, so I was thinking simpler management. Doesn't mean a mix won't work. I didn't ask, but the total acreage and number of pastures that are going to be created will be a factor. If less than 4 pastures are to be created, I would probably lean towards a mix. If 4 or more are created, I'd give serious consideration to creating separate CSG and WSG perennial pastures.
 
taking in some overgrown land that was pastured about 10 years ago. bushogged/clipped for 2 years and have some various grasses....some bermuda/fescue/dalisgrass..Want to overseed with some perenial..maybe annual grass/grasses for pasture. any suggestions appreciated. i'm in North Mississippi, close to Oxford.
What you have is what a lot of people in north Ga have. Bermuda and fescue. And some have orchard grass too. Some may sow some perennial rye in it. If I were you, I'd just maybe sow some clover in what you have, and just make sure you test and fertilize and lime to specs.
 
Mark, I have several hundred acres of fescue that has a small warm season component, Johnson grass and dallisgrass. I graze this lightly a couple of times during the summer, avoiding the fungus fescue. I am trying to increase the summer component by unrolling Johnson grass and dallisgrass hay in those pastures. It's been a slow process. I am making the cool season/warm season pasture deal work, but am trying for more year round pastures. My warm season pastures get over seeded with ryegrass. That works nicely. Getting increased warm season perennials in my fescue is more of a challenge.
Increasing the warm season perennials will be/is a challenge in a stand of fescue. I suppose you could get the dallisgrass to increase, but my choice would be to add some Bermuda. I'm not quite sure of your location if you'd want to fix that in your avitar. A question for you, and a reason for the question. Have you taken a soil test? The reason being is that the Bermuda (maybe not so much the dallisgrass) is going to want soil that is a little better than what the fescue needs as a minimum. The fescue will do better and be a bit more competetive than the WSG you are desiring to increase than you'd like. I suspect if you enhance the soil nutrients, your attempts to add WSG to the field may be a bit more productive. Also, "tie one hand of the fescue behind its back" for awhile. Graze it close before seeding and if you can, lightly disc the pasture. This will hinder, but not kill, the fescue and allow the WSG more of a chance to establish/increase.
 
Mark, agree with you on soil fertility. Our Johnson grass and dallisgrass has done well in areas, but we have been woefully inept in our soil sampling. This is very fertile Black Belt prairie soil, which you may not be familiar with. Due to its history, I am convinced it is low in phosphorus, which we are gradually improving. Will keep you apprised of the developments. We are currently utilizing 50% CSG and 50%WSG with overseeded ryegrass, in different pastures, and it's working nicely, but I think improving the WSG component in the fescue will give a lot of flexibility. It does take more management, though.
 

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