No single “recipe” for what and how to plant is possible. Selection of species and varieties to be planted and planting procedures form a “best fit” prescription for each operation. Climate and soil type are the primary factors controlling which kinds of forages should be considered.
Deciding whether to plant a single species or a simple or more diverse mixture is an important consideration. Advantages of a single species include greater flexibility and specificity in weed control, perhaps maximizing yield potential and adding the potential to harvest seed as an alternative source of revenue. As a mixture becomes more diverse, it more closely resembles the native vegetation. Distribution of growth and therefore the duration of higher quality “green feed” increases as mixtures are more diverse. Additionally, unless a field is very uniform, a more diverse seed mixture increases the probability that plants in the mixture will be adapted to a variety of growing conditions such as soil type, slope, and orientation.
Local Cooperative Extension Service or Natural Resources Conservation Service offices can provide information about which species are best adapted to a particular location and soil type as well as anticipated yield expectations for favorable and unfavorable growing conditions. Local experiences, your own or your neighbor’s, with species that are less difficult to establish provide additional valuable guidance.
A helpful pamphlet from the NRCS Plant Materials Center lists “Five Keys to Successful Grass Seeding.” It can be accessed online at http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/pubs/ndpmcbr04959.pdf. The keys listed include seeding date, proper seedbed conditions, planting depth, seed quality, and weed control.
Spring or late fall (as a dormant planting) are recommended for planting cool-season grasses. Warm-season grasses are best planted in late spring (soil temperatures should be above 60 degrees). Seedbed preparation should be sufficient to ensure excellent contact between the seed and the soil. The seedbed must also be firm enough that seed placement can be accurately controlled. With proper planting equipment, no-till planting can be very successful, ensuring a firm seedbed and not exposing additional weed seeds. Because most pasture seeds are small and seedlings are slow growing, planting too deep dramatically reduces the probability of successful establishment. Care must be exercised in adjusting and calibrating planting equipment. The additional cost associated with high-quality seed of known source, purity, and viability is a small investment when contrasted with the cost of a poor stand during the anticipated lifetime of the investment. Potential benefits of adaptation and improved yield resulting from planting named varieties should also be considered. A weed control plan put in place before a new pasture is planted is far superior to “rescue” weed control or abandoning a planting.
Because perennial plants are slow to establish, you should consider the likely loss of use for one or several growing seasons.
