Overseeding rate

[susie]

I'm going to overseed a mix of Orchardgrass, tall fescue and tetraploid annual rye into my pastures this Fall, but I'm going to buy the seed soon.
Just wondering how much I seed I should buy/ acre-- I'm going to broadcast spread it after grazing it short and roughing it up a little with the dragger.
My pastures are just ok, just killed some moss and will be putting on some lime in the next couple of weeks so hoping to get some improvement with the addition of some new seed too.
Thanks!

Susie

 

[dun]

I have no idea what the seeding rate for the ryegrass is. The eaisest way to figure seed requirements is ot know hat the recommended seeding rate in a pure stand is for your area. In our area it's 10 lbs/acre for fescue and 12 lbs/acre for OG. For a 50:50 mix you sould seed 5 lbs/acre fescue and 6 lbs/acre for OG. You just figure the percentage of each that you want in the stand and calculate hoe many pounds that is. For broadcasting I increase the final amount of each by around 50%. In the above example that would make the fescue 7 1/2 lbs/acre and OG 9 lbs/acre.
I'm not sure I explained that very well but hope it gives you the idea anyway.

 

[skyline]

Seeding rate for a pure stand of ryegrass, depending on who you ask, would vary from about 25 lb/acre to about 40 lb/acre.

 

[bigbull338]

as said 25 to 40lbs of rye grass pre ac.

 

[susie]

The seed is already mixed, not sure of the ratio of what to what, it's about half price of what the stores carry it for. A guy who goes down to Oregon and picks up bads of seed by the truckload, has it specially mixed to what the conservation district in our area recommends.

I'm kicking around 75 pounds per acre, would that be total over-kill? I want to do enough to make a difference.

Thanks!

 

[1982vett]

I looked up seeding rates on the three you mentioned. Tall fescue is 20 - 25, orchard grass is 8 - 12, and tetraploid annual rye is 20 - 25. Add these together and you get 48 - 62. But these are seeding rates for a pure stand of each in a prepaired seed bed.

You mentioned it is already mixed for the conservation district or maybe the person you are getting the seed from can help. I think they could give you better guidance than I could. Only thing I can tell you is that broadcasting takes more seed to get a stand than using a pasture drill and that conditions in here are a lot different .

When I overseed pasture with ryegrass, I always figured 10#/acre as some alwasy volunteers. I used a pasture drill last year and got a thick stand.

 

[Jogeephus]

Just my opinion, but I think the 75 would be overkill. But you might want to take into consideration your ground conditions. If you got a thick sod or thatch layer you will need a higher rate. Personally, I would pull the drag first or better yet mount your spreader and then add 20 feet of chain to your draw bar and attach this to the drag. Then pull the drag on a dry run first and see now much of the bare dirt you are disturbing. If you see a lot of "scratched" dirt you could back the rate down to a lower rate but if you don't see much scratched dirt then go with a heavier rate. Key is getting it to the dirt. Amount you can get to the dirt will really determine amount you need. 40 lbs broadcast should give you an excellent stand in most situations. Mounting the two together and doing it simultaneously will save you some fuel money. Good luck and good grazing.

 

[susie]

Just got a reply from the conservation district- they said 50 pounds/acre when overseeding. So I guess I'll go with that. Duh< I guess I should have thought to ask them that-- I didn't figure they'd answer on a Sunday tho-- getting the seed later on today.

Thanks for the replies!

Susie

 

[hayrack]

Just wait until you see the price on orchard grass and it will help you decide how much you need.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Seed is rediculous here for Tifton
BAH-TIF9-40 SUPER SALE - Certified Tifton 9 Pensacola Bahiagrass Seed - 40 LBS. - Improved Pasture Seed $249.00 for 40lb's and they pay some cattleman $50 per ac. to harvest their seed before you turn your cattle out on the pasture.

 

[susie]

Wow!
I paid 55 dollars for 50 pounds of Orchardgrass, endophyte-free fescue and ryegrass . I bought 200 pounds thinking I'd overseed at about 50 lbs/acre. or slightly more (only have 4 1/4 acres total property, about 3 and something in pasture)

Susie

 

[KNERSIE]

Just got a reply from the conservation district- they said 50 pounds/acre when overseeding. So I guess I'll go with that. Duh< I guess I should have thought to ask them that-- I didn't figure they'd answer on a Sunday tho-- getting the seed later on today.

Thanks for the replies!

Susie

A little late on this,but I overseed very thick kikuyu pastures with rye grass every fall. From experience if you're not going to disc you need tp broadcast 25kg/ha, run cattle over it to rough it up bit and fertilise as soon as the rye grass hairs is about 3" tall.

25kg/ha is 55lbs/2.5 acre

 

[skyline]

Wow!
I paid 55 dollars for 50 pounds of Orchardgrass, endophyte-free fescue and ryegrass . I bought 200 pounds thinking I'd overseed at about 50 lbs/acre. or slightly more (only have 4 1/4 acres total property, about 3 and something in pasture)

Susie

Ouch....

 

[susie]

Well, I might not spread it all this Fall , and I'll have it on hand. Around here at the feed store, comparable seed is 45 $ for 25 lbs.

Susie