Soil Fertility

• Every time grasses are cut or grazed, roots will slough off. This fast pulsation of root growth and die off is why grass has the capability to build organic matter.
• Clover, however, has the ability to produce lots of N.
• Fertility has tremendous influence with tillering and persistence.
• Having lots of tillering going into summer will extend grazing 10-30 days into a drought due to the fact of the aggressive new life in the tillering.
• Fertility has a lot to do with a stand staying strong while defoliating.
• Yellowing pastures or green patches around manure piles is a true indicator of 2-3000 lbs. loss of dry matter.
• It is much cheaper to stay ahead with fertility than to try playing catch up, and yield will be increased dramatically.

Pasture Management

Points to Remember

• Most cool season grasses have the biggest yields in the 2nd to 4th year.
• Grass tillers are the future of the stand.
• New seedlings need to be grazed at 4-6" of growth to help tillering. This will give the stand better durability.
• If grazing is too lax, it can decrease pasture production due to rates of leaf death and decay.
• Closer and more frequent grazing will favor white clover.
• Good grazing management in the spring will help reduce  seed heads.

Crop Rotation management

• Orchardgrasses will stay stronger if they are allowed to grow taller and make hay at least once a year.
• Making hay off of your land once a year can help get rid of thatch, helps the pastures to be cleaner, and gives more palatability.
• Don’t let Ryegrass, Festulolium, and Bluegrass get too tall or they will stop tillering and will quit growing in a drought.
• Orchardgrasses require better management than other cool season grasses.
• If grasses get too tall, they will shade emerging tillers, causing them to die.