Spring Into Action For Summer Grasses
By David Jessee
Spring of the year! That's when cool season grasses – orchard grass, timothy, fescue, ryegrass, bluegrass – make much of their growth so we shouldn't worry about pasture health until summer, right? You've got too much grass anyway, right? Think again. Taking advantage of a few windows of opportunity in spring can help grass make it through summer's heat stress and set you up for fall when grasses love to grow new roots and shoots instead of spring's stems. The animal's grazing needs and the plant's growing needs can be managed to coincide. Although fall is best for seeding, a timely spring action can fill in some gaps. It's also the best time to evaluate and act upon weeds and fertility.
Match the plant's needs to the grazing needs of your horse
Ironically, feast and famine can coexist for picky horses that tend to both overgraze and undergraze in side by side spots. Overgrazing gives way to depletion of leaf area for photosynthesis and starchy storage stems. That contributes to later stand loss under summer's heat and stress. Undergrazed, stemmy grasses lose some ability to regenerate new shoots and thus thin out, just like the unmowed lawn left over summer vacation. The challenge is to manage the grazing animal to fit the plant's needs as best you can. Lush spring grass growth can create forage that is sometimes too rich - especially as horses tend to graze the plentiful new shoots only to pass by the old growth. In the absence of a hay cutting to utilize spring growth, clip under-grazed areas and use temporary fencing to force the horses to graze more evenly for a good mix of fiber and nutrients.
How about seeding in the spring?
Although the best time to seed cool season grasses is late summer or fall, the next best time is early spring. Keep the per acre seeding rate to at least twenty-five pounds of Southern States Horse Pasture Mix. You can drill directly at a shallow depth; or broadcast and drag or harrow to provide some seed coverage. Another alternative for Ladino clover or small seeded Derby Timothy is to frost seed in the winter - January through mid-February to allow "honeycombed" ground to pull in the small seed.
Mid to late spring seedings of cool season grasses have limited success so you'll have to wait it out or shift to warm season grasses. For pearl millet or perennial Bermuda grass, the horses will have to be rotated and restricted from the paddock.
Pasture Mixes fit various needs. Horse Paddock Pasture Mixture provides more year-round grazing with both hot and cold season root growth and summer persistence; Pro Horse Pasture Mixture includes a higher percentage of low endophyte perennial ryegrass for establishment ease and quality. Both contain improved varieties of Orchard grass, Timothy, Perennial Ryegrass and Ladino Clover along with bluegrass. Common horse pasture mixes aren't as persistent, cold or heat tolerant under grazing conditions but provide a good plant species mix that fits the needs of horses.
Feed the grass, not the weeds
Spring is an excellent time to take your soil test and the best time to check out weeds before they get big. Take advantage of your productive soil with fertilizer and lime - the best way to fight weeds and drought stress and to keep grass healthy. Lime neutralizes toxic soil minerals naturally, enhances uptake of plant food and allows for better root growth. Pick a time to soil sample when the moisture is just right for taking and mixing – not too wet or dry. If the grass stand is thin, a February or early March shot of nitrogen can enhance spring tillers.
While you're walking along, take a little time to spot developing weeds so you can plan to apply herbicides at the best time for the weed – generally early for annuals and biennials and later for perennials. Timely weed control will replace weeds with bare ground for late summer and fall seeding. New herbicides allow for seeding as soon as three weeks after spraying for broadleaves. However if undesirable grass weeds are too numerous, wait until late summer to apply Roundup for a total renovation.
Taking action in spring's windows of opportunity will help provide for productive, healthy and visually pleasing pasture for your horse and set the stage for year round pasture improvement.
David Jessee is an Agronomist for Southern States.
