tn and surrounding states

[scf84]

i have lost alot of fescue in my pastures due to this years drought. was 15 inches behind, but been getting some good rain now. gonna have to reseed alot with k31 and clover. when can this be done? i have desent luck in late march if we get rain, can i do this sooner?

 

[Bigfoot]

A snow in February is a good choice for seeding fescue. A freeze would be my second choice.

 

[dun]

I wouldn;t worry about the fescue but I would frost seed clover in mid feb depending on what your weather looks like for the weeks following

 

[ClinchValley]

It sure is bad isn't it SCF. This is the first drought i've delt with while taking care of a farm. I've been wondering how the fescue can make a come back. We have about 4-6 green blades in a square foot in a few of our pastures. Half of our big hay field looks like we are going to have to redo it this coming year, turned to bare ground with a few broadleaf's throughout. It was cut a little too close to the ground and got cooked to death.

Dun - Are you thinking the fescue should come back in the pasture fields?

I'm glad to see the rain but it has turned it into a soppy muddy mess. No grass to hold it together in many places.

 

[dun]

Dun - Are you thinking the fescue should come back in the pasture fields?

It always has here after droughts. By the second year (using MIG) to give it a chance it's been as good or better than it was pre-drought. Does take some spraying to control the broadleaf weeds, but even with reseeding that will be required.

 

[aaroninga]

I'm in the NE Georgia extreme drought area.
Drilled fescue and oats October 8th, came up around December 1st because of no rain.
Did my other half December 4th.
I'm told you're a lucky guy if you'd get a fescue stand planted after fall or during winter.
I'll also frost seed durana and patriot white clover in February.
Sure is a relief to be finally getting some rain!

 

[Bigfoot]

I've never seen a stand of fescue killed by drought. Like dun said, you'll want to spray it. Especially for the cool season weeds. They will have the comparative advantage, and they will be what chokes out your fescue.

 

[aaroninga]

Planting clover before fescue seedlings get established will also smother and starve it out.
I'm hoping my oats don't do that but figured I'll take what I can get established after drilling light oats and heavy fescue.

My neighbor has 60-80 acres of fescue and lost some but doubt it was caused by the drought. Some kind of disease I think.

 

[dun]

Planting clover before fescue seedlings get established will also smother and starve it out.
I'm hoping my oats don't do that but figured I'll take what I can get established after drilling light oats and heavy fescue.

My neighbor has 60-80 acres of fescue and lost some but doubt it was caused by the drought. Some kind of disease I think.

army worms maybe

 

[Ebenezer]

The end of drought is a good time to plant diluter species into existing fescue stands.

 

[aaroninga]

Yes damage from army worms later but he had an appointment with the county agent earlier. He told me he took off work to meet him but had to call him when he was couple hours late..... agent "forgot about the appointment".
I thought that's what appointment books were for!

 

[ClinchValley]

The end of drought is a good time to plant diluter species into existing fescue stands.

Clovers and such being diluter species?

 

[dun]

The end of drought is a good time to plant diluter species into existing fescue stands.

Clovers and such being diluter species?

Clovers and lespedza around here. Both of which come on strong later than fescue so the fescue stays dominant. For fescue I'm referring to that crappy old KY31 that everyone seems to be so much against. I'll admit when we first hit the fescue belt I hated the stuff. After several years of drought when it came back and improved each year afterwards I came to love the stuff but realized it does need diluting to be a really successful forage.

 

[skyhightree1]

The end of drought is a good time to plant diluter species into existing fescue stands.

Clovers and such being diluter species?

Clovers and lespedza around here. Both of which come on strong later than fescue so the fescue stays dominant. For fescue I'm referring to that crappy old KY31 that everyone seems to be so much against. I'll admit when we first hit the fescue belt I hated the stuff. After several years of drought when it came back and improved each year afterwards I came to love the stuff but realized it does need diluting to be a really successful forage.

my pastures are heavily fescue and I planted cinnamon and ladino clover but im finding years later the clover gets choke out by heavy fescue. That being said I save my money on replanting clovers in it. The cattle have no issues with it having much clover in my better stands. If it weren't for fescue my cattle would have starved over the dry years.

 

[dun]

If it weren't for fescue my cattle would have starved over the dry years.

Another convert!

 

[ClinchValley]

Its the same here Our good ground is thick fescue. When we took over here the pastures were FULL OF WEEDS. Mowed it often and sprayed heavy this last year. The weeds are in check but the clover is pretty much gone.

Are the clovers likely to come back at any rate?

Figure i am going to need to reseed them. Had lots of white clover but i don't like how it grows.

 

[skyhightree1]

Its the same here Our good ground is thick fescue. When we took over here the pastures were FULL OF WEEDS. Mowed it often and sprayed heavy this last year. The weeds are in check but the clover is pretty much gone.

Are the clovers likely to come back at any rate?

Figure i am going to need to reseed them. Had lots of white clover but i don't like how it grows.

I can only speak on my pastures and mine are thick and it hasn't grown back in years. If pastures are somewhat thin they will grow some. Look at some of the pics ive posted of my pasture stockpile and such.

 

[kilroy60]

Drought hit us extremely hard and then had army worms. Our pasture which is all fescue was gone. I did not reseed and feel that this will come back. I have always heard that the only time that you can plant fescue is in Sept. Not sure if that is true but I've never tried it any other time with any luck.

 

[OldCrow]

Sky/Dun,

I have had the opposite with Fescue. If it weren't for crabgrass the cattle here would have starved. I loved the old fescue but it seems the newer fescue doesn't hold up to drought near as well or at least that is my experience. The old would turn brown and come back when the rains came just like you talk about Dun.

Here is how I handle, location SE part of West TN, fescue for best results:

I like to plant in the fall and late as rainfall has been unusual the last few years. This gives the roots time to get a good hold before spring and really lets it take off. I don't like to cut it for hay the first year or let it get shorter than 4"-6" from grazing. My experience with this is that if I break either of those two rules a minor drought(Now typical) will cause a 10-15% loss and a major could cause up to 40% loss. I don't have the ability to switch pastures but I'm averaging about 2 acres to 1 cow/calf pair so it isn't getting pushed.

Like anything there are so many variables and management styles as well as location that can change results.

Usually crabgrass takes up the spots where the fescue dies. I like to sew clover the following fall over a heavy frost/freeze or snow. Has worked great for me.

 

[ClinchValley]

Thank you OldCrow.

Crabgrass kept ours alive this past summer. That's for sure. Do you ever cut CG for hay?