Over seeding pastures

[Rob30]

Has anyone tried overseeding pastures this time of year. I am in Ontario. It is to late for seed to germinate this fall. However I believe it would be like frost seeding. Frost seeding is difficult because the ground gets to spongy in the spring. To me it seems natural to seed now. This is when grass seed would naturally fall off the grass stems.

[agmantoo]

I am overseeding (broadcasting and drilling) pasture now but I live in NC. It was dry the last few months and I have not gotten the growth on the pastures that I needed. Therefore, I am now sod drilling triticale into the poor growth fescue. With the slits in the soil left by the drill I will broadcast fescue seed and improve the fescue stand when the seeds germinate in the slits. The triticale will be the nurse crop for the fescue and the cattle will graze the triticale this winter. I would have preferred to get the fescue planted 4 weeks ago but I did not want to rip out the establish grass and the ground was to hard to drill due to drought.

[Wags]

The grass seed farmers around here ("grass seed capital of the world") all say the latest possible date to plate is Oct 15th. Most were done at least a month ago. If the grass isn't about an inch high before the first hard frost you will lose the vast majority of it. I've got lawn that was planted on the 9th and we are crossing our fingers that it wasn't too late.

[agmantoo]

Wags, I certainly acknowledge that a lot of seed come from your area! Most of the purchased grass seed I use comes from Oregon. I hope you get a better deal on it than I do after the cross country shipping is added.

[Ole Man Legrand]

Broad cast it on a light snow the last of FEB.You can see where you have been and the snow takes the seed right in to the ground. Fescue seed is pricey here $55. for 50lbs. Jay

[Wildwood Flower]

Just a note..."Fescue" is a dirty word here in Oklahoma. Apparently there is some bacteria that clings to it and interferes with hormones of grazing animals. We've had several mares abort, colts still-born, or not gives milk because of it. (We raise quarter horses.)

I don't know if it is the same in other parts of the country. We have a very humid climate.

[clsmith15]

It's a problem here in GA too. Pregnant mares should be taken off fescue 3 months prior to the foaling date.

[agmantoo]

Endophyte is the name of the fescue problem. For cattle if you have clover or another forage planted with the fescue there is seldom a problem. There is nothing that I am aware of that will survive extremes and produce as much forage as fescue while providing as extended grazing period. I have never had a significant problem with the infected type of fescue with my commercial herd of Angus. From what I have read there are 40 million plus acres in fescue in the US.

[Ole Man Legrand]

We always take the brood mares off fescue 6 to 8 weeks before foaling, and feed orchad grass hay. I never had a problen after that . I did lose 2 foals before I learned,back in 1960 . Jay

[Paul Wheaton]

If you are going to plant fesue that will be grazed, look into "maxQ" - it has an endophyte that is ruminent friendly.

[Paul Wheaton]

Oh yeah, about overseeding - I think that that can work, but it seems that it doesn't work for most people who try it because they are just trying to plant the same variety that is already not working. Or the problem is something with the soil and that if you correct that, then the existing grass will spring to life and all will be well!

Let me try to say this one more time: lots of folks through perfectly good seed on awful soil and nothing happens. A big waste of good money and good seed and valueable time.

[FarmboyBill]

IF it does snow here, during daytime, then a hard wind will come in with it. If it snows late at night, generally the wind dosent come with it. If it snows here, then generally, the snow will be entirly gone in a days time. I work in Tulsa. If it snows one day, and I come home that day and try to seed, #1 either the snow is gone, OR #2 The wind is blowing. I have some rock in my pasture and hay ground so I cannot use a drill, and when I use a hand seeder, it blows away. Here, I would rather try to seed it in the EARLY spring after a good 1in rain. The ground stays damp for a longer period of time, and ive got a space to try to find a day that it isnt blowing, which it generally isnt after a day or 2 after a rain. It blows itself out.

[Rob30]

Well I guess that settles it I will wait until spring.
I can't seed in Febuary. I still have 2 ft of snow on my fields at that time. I am thinking late March-April. Seed ing early in the morning when the ground is still frozen. I'll be using a modified grain drill with the grass seed diverted into the grain tubes. Hopefully by then I'll have a 4 wheeler to tow the seeder. My tractor leaves wheel marks even when the ground is frozen.