Don’t Wait Too Late For Your Winter Pasture

 by: Emily Herring- Pender County Livestock Agent

            As of right now, the last thing on everyone’s mind is winter pastures with the warm days and the warm nights that seem to follow.  But now is the perfect time to prepare your pastures for the winter.  The importance of a winter pasture is going to be even more important this winter due to the drought we have experienced this summer.  Local hay is going to be short and the need to sustain your own animals will be greater. 

         For this article, the focus will be on winter annual ryegrass with the best dates being September 1- September 30, and the possible dates being September 1- October 31.  But first things first, be sure to take representative soil sample of the field you want to seed/overseed with ryegrass and get that sent off to the lab for results as soon as possible. OR if you have taken a soil sample within the last three years those results can be utilized for gaining information about the pH.  The recommended pH level for winter ryegrass is 6.5 which is the same as Bermuda and Fescue.  The pH is the most important part of the equation when establishing pastures of any kind.  Once this is completed and the results come back, apply the nutrients as the soil test indicates.  Keep in mind if you are using an old soil test report and you have already applied lime at the recommended rates then lime may not be necessary and the other nutrients may not be the same for ryegrass as for other grasses. 

         Next, decide on the ryegrass seed that you want to plant.  While at the store deciding on the different seed, be sure to look at the label on the seed bag for germination rate, percent of the desired seed, inert matter, and weed seed.  Compare the different varieties of seeds based on those seed labels to make a logical decision on the right choice based on high germination rate, high desired seed, and low inert matter and weed seed.

         Getting the field (seedbed) ready to plant should be the next step.  If there is a substantial amount of yield left on the perennial summer pasture be sure to graze it down to keep other grass competition down when seeding with ryegrass.  If

grazing is not an option, mowing the perennial summer pasture down is another way.  By doing either one of these methods it’s called overseeding and it’s a good option to keep a warm season stand of grass while utilizing the land for winter grazing.  If overseeding is your preferred method, then seeding by a grain drill will be the most beneficial way of establishment.  When deciding on having a pasture that is solely ryegrass (no other grass being present, like Bermuda) then total elimination of weeds will be necessary by applying roundup (glyphosate) at the recommended rates on the label for the weeds being controlled.  Getting the seedbed prepared will be necessary by lightly disking and lightly packing the soil back.  After this is completed, then broadcasting seed can take place with a light drag to cover the seed.  When dragging over the seed keep in mind the seedbed needs to be clean and free of debris because it can cause more soil to cover the seed therefore making the chances of germination lower.  

 After deciding on the ryegrass and getting the field prepared, plant at the recommended seeding rates of 30-40 pounds per acre when broadcasting it and at 20-30 pounds per acre when drilling.  The planting depth should be at only ¼ inch to ½ inch deep.  Good seed-soil contact needs to be met when planting ryegrass but special care needs to be taken to make sure the seed is not too deep.  The most common problem seen when trying to establish pastures is planting depth and planting hen the soil is too dry.  Adequate moisture needs to be in the soil when planting any type of seed. 

When the ryegrass is getting established, keep livestock/horses off of it until it reaches 6-10inches in height and then grazing can be allowed until ryegrass is 3-4 inches in height.  When this level is met animals should be moved off the pasture to another area and fertilization with nitrogen is required for optimum re-growth.  If overgrazed more than 3-4 inches, then grazing on the pasture will be a one time occurrence and money will be wasted. The total amount of nitrogen in the entire growing season is 80-100 pounds per acre so split applications of nitrogen after each grazing segment should not amount to more than 100 pounds at the end of the life cycle of the plant (until April). 

Don’t wait too long to get your winter annual pastures established, remember the possible recommended dates for planting annual ryegrass is September 1^st until October 31^st.  Waiting too late into the fall can affect yields greatly and reduce the chances of a stand.