[Jacob-list] Suggestions for top seeding meadows

[gotothewhip at aol.com]

Hi Sue!? 

Just some background on me... I am a small acreage specialst for Colorado State University Extension.? 90% of what I do is helping folks manage their pastures....

With that said... I am not qualified to answer your question.

To get the best and most correct answer to you planting quaestions would be your local extension agent or someone with your NRCS.? Seeding types, rates and methods vary sometimes within the county, and very much so in the state or nation... For instance, we get 8-12 INCHES annual moisture here.. so any advice I would give you from my knowlege her is null and void where you are.

Also, ask yourself what you? want to achieve with your grass... Is it a food source for your sheep or more of an activity to go out and graze.? Be careful with planting your sheep's favorite grasses, as often this means they will graze that grass down to nothing, and your back to bare spots!? 

Also Check with your NRCS office as often they have a grass seed drill for use within the county! 

Reguardless of where you live,? seed to soil contact is ESSENTIAL..... and that may be difficult without any cultivation.? In your area, that might mean a harrow, or even a piece of chain link fence weighted down, drug over the area to allow the seed to make contact.

I am in the middle of reclaiming a pasture that was over grazed by the previous owners of my place.? In order to get grass established, I am on a 7 year plan that involves planting a cover crop of sterile Milo, and then drilling into the stalks of milo my native seeds.? I seeded my other pastures in introduced grasses to give me options.. the intorduced grasses are cool season grasses which give me grazing options in the spring and fall, while the native pastures I am planting now, will make a good summertime pasture, as they are warm season grasses.

Let me know if you need anything!

Jennifer Tucker
www.MooseMtnRanch.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan J Martin <stcroft at ptd.net>
To: Sheep E-mail List <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Mon, 2 Mar 2009 10:14 am
Subject: [Jacob-list] Suggestions for top seeding meadows



We have several meadows for our sheep - probably totaling not over 6 acres.? We have bare spots and need to top seed and we thought we would just take advantage of the freeze/thaw situation here in southeast PA and scatter the seed in early Spring - like soon (well, after this current blizzard is over!) ? Then I spoke with the seed distributor who told me that grass seed really doesn't do well in this application, that it is too light, will just blow away and won't germinate?- that we should drill it in.? However, we are hobby shepherds - we have a 20 horse Kubota tractor, no drill, no cultipacker, etc.? So, can anyone on the list give me suggestions of how we can top seed - please don't suggest a landscaper to do the job because the cost would be prohibitive - it would be more economical to just let the bare spots and buy hay!!

?

Thanks......you guys always are so helpful.

?

Sue Martin

Stonecroft



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