Ryegrass
– If alfalfa is the “Queen” of forages, ryegrass is the “King”. Perennial ryegrass is a bunch-type grass that is palatable with high nutritive value. It has a long growing season and excellent yields with good fertility.
What kind of grass seed do you use for hay field?
Forage Grass Varieties
Double Barrel Brome Grass and Double Barrel Orchardgrass
– Both are cool-season grasses suitable for making hay. Brome grass does well in arid climates and marginal soil conditions. Orchardgrass is considered more palatable than brome grass, and requires better soil and more active management.
How do you overseed a hay field?
Overseeding involves
using a seed drill or cultipack seeder
to sow seed during the growing season in an attempt to improve the composition of a pasture or hayfield. Simply broadcasting seed over the field usually gives poor results. Use a seeder to deposit the seed below the soil surface.
Is it OK to put hay over grass seed?
Spreading a
layer of straw
over a newly seeded lawn will help the seeds to germinate properly while protecting the seeds from wind, heavy rains, and birds or other hungry visitors. … Treating the hay before you spread it will eliminate most of the weed seeds so they don’t end up sprouting in the middle of your new lawn.
What is a good grass hay mix?
Legume/Grass Blended Hay
When considering establishing a legume/grass hayfield, aim for a field containing
around 1/3 grass to 2/3 legume
. There are several excellent combinations to plant. Some of the more popular combinations are orchardgrass/alfalfa and tall fescue/alfalfa.
How much will a 50 lb bag of grass seed cover?
“let’s see, a 50 lb bag is roughly 16”x 30”, or abou 3.33 square feet. An acre is 43,560 square feet so the bag of grass seed will cover approximately
0.0000657 acres
.”
When should I overseed my hay field?
Late winter’s warm daytime temperatures and freezing nights
are perfect for overseeding legumes into grass pastures or hay fields. The freeze-and-thaw cycle helps broadcasted seeds get into the soil. Overseeding saves time and money. A broadcast seeder can cover twice the ground of a drill.
How do you prepare a field for planting hay?
For hay,
mow the field with a rotary mower
to remove problem plants by cutting them before they set viable seed. Till to control tenacious, perennial weeds, such as bedstraw, and then seed. The best time to seed is in May or in the first three weeks of August, when seed will survive and compete with weeds better.
What is the best fertilizer for hay field?
Although P, K and lime can be added anytime,
nitrogen fertilizer
should be applied when pastures or hayfields will have the best opportunity to have a yield response. Usually a majority of the nitrogen applied as a part of commercial fertilizer is gone in 60 days.
Will grass seed grow if you just throw it on the ground?
If you simply toss the grass seed onto the soil,
you will end up with poor germination
. … If the seeds are not properly protected by existing grass or a thin layer of topsoil, they may dry before germination or be washed away by rain.
Do I need to cover grass seed?
Grass seed can grow if not covered, but it is usually beneficial to add a
layer of compost, topsoil or straw mulch
over the top of your seed to keep it moist and help with germination.
Is hay or straw better to cover grass seed?
Some prefer using
straw to cover germinating grass seeds
, while others strongly recommend hay. One advantage of straw is that it is seedless. This means that you will avoid introducing weeds into your growing lawn. In contrast, hay contains seeds, so you may see other plants growing among your grass seedlings.
What grass is bad for cows?
When the first frost hits, beef producers should be concerned for grazing cattle if the field contains
Johnsongrass
. Cattle may suffer from prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) poisoning caused by this grass, which by the way, is an excellent forage for cattle if properly managed.
Is hay necessary to grow grass?
Seeding a lawn needs the
right conditions and protection
for the seed to sprout into fresh, young grass. … Hay or straw protect fresh seeds from common problems, such as birds or scorching heat from direct sun, but using the wrong type of hay may cause new problems, such as unwanted plants growing in the lawn.
What is the best way to grow grass hay?
- Choose an appropriate field. …
- Plant the right seed variety. …
- Scout regularly. …
- Cut alfalfa at the best time. …
- Set yourself up for drying success. …
- Lean on moisture levels. …
- Be smart about bale storage.
What is the cheapest way to grow grass?
Seeding is
the cheapest option, but it takes longer to get results. Sod gives you an instantly plush lawn, but can rack up the cost in a hurry. The in-between option is sprigging, which is the planting of small pieces of sod that aren’t connected when you lay them down.
