Forage, Hay and Pasture Seeding Guide (Cool Season Grasses Only)

Field personnel are often asked questions concerning agricultural practices both directly and indirectly related to wildlife management. The following information may be helpful in answering questions regarding grass mixtures or small grain seedings on various soils.

Grasses and legumes that are sown in combination should be similar in palatability, maturity patterns and growing vigor. For example, tall fescue and orchardgrass seeded in the same mixture results in overgrazed orchardgrass and wasted forage because of the lower palability of fescue.

The seeding rates listed are designed to serve as guides for the proper amount of seed to plant per acre to obtain forage stands with a proper balance between grasses and legumes. Soil and climate conditions may dictate some adjustments in seeding rates from one area to another.

Mixtures for Hay, Pasture and Silage

Seeding rate = lbs. per acre

Fertile Soil with good soil structure and drainage

This mixture should be first choice for high yields. Use only one of the suggested grasses or:

Bromegrass is not well adapted to all of Missouri. It is much better adapted to northern Missouri than southern Missouri although there are isolated areas throughout the state where it produces well. Bromegrass requires a higher soil fertility than the other grasses. Mixtures containing alfalfa are better suited for hay than for pasture. Usually alfalfa will only survive for a few years under grazing conditions.

Low pH Soils With Restricted Drainage

Red clover will grow on less productive soils and where low pH, restricted soil drainage and heaving may reduce stands and growth of alfalfa. Medium red clover is usually treated as a biennial and after the second year there may be little clover remaining.

The forage should be fertilized as a pure stand of grass. However, liberal use of potash on red clover tends to prolong its life and to encourage the growth and development of volunteer plants if grazing management will permit the red clover to produce seed.

Considered as a "permanent pasture", this mixture will last for many years in areas where it is adapted. Birdsfoot trefoil is best adapted to the northern counties of Missouri. However, like bromegrass, there are isolated areas throughout the state where trefoil will thrive if it is not grazed too closely during the time of the season that it is producing seed. One of the outstanding features of trefoil is that it has never been known to cause bloat.

Low Fertility Soils

This mixture is best adapted to areas where fertility limits the use of alfalfa and red clover. Lespedeza is an annual and must produce seed each year for it to remain in the stand. In recent years lespedeza production has been limited by leaf disease and insects.

Wet Areas

Reed canarygrass will produce high yields but it is less palatable than many other species.

Droughty Upland Soils with higher pH and moderate fertility

Reed canarygrass may be used on upland soils as it is tolerant of drought providing there is ample rainfall in the spring. Grazing animals will perform satisfactorily on reed canarygrass if the plant is grazed before it reaches 12 to 15 inches in height to avoid coarseness.

Droughty Soils with very low pH and low fertility

This mixture is not as productive as the others listed and should only be used on extremely acid, droughty and unfertile soils.

Special Purpose Forages

Summer Annual Pasture

Sow during May or early June on a prepared seedbed and fertilize as for corn.

Fescue Mixture

Medium red clover will be predominant in this mixture for several years. It will furnish quality forage and serve as a source of nitrogen while the fescue is becoming established. In soils with fertility too low for red clover, fescue may be established along with 15 lbs. of lespedeza per acre.

Note: Prepared in part by: H.N. Wheaton, M.U. Extension Agronomist. For more detailed information, referrals should be made to either the local M.U. Extension Agronomist or the District Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Some Important Factors in Selecting Forage Crops

  1. Wheat is a good nurse crop and provides pasture, feed grain, hay or a cash grain crop.
  2. Oats provide a good companion crop for lespedeza; grain or hay for livestock feeding, and may be used for pasture in an emergency.
  3. Rye will grow on land owner in fertility than either wheat of barley; will furnish earlier spring pasture than either wheat or barley; but will pasture out earlier.
  4. Winter Barley is a fertile land crop and isn't sufficiently winter hardy for growing more than one or two counties north of the Missouri River. Where adapted, it will give more fall pasture than any other grain crop, is an excellent nurse crop, and is superior to wheat or rye as a feed grain crop.
  5. Bromegrass is a high altitude, dry climate grass; requires fertile soil; and should be seeded with a legume, such as alfalfa or ladino clover. Missouri is approaching the southern limits of its adaptation.
  6. Orchardgrass is adapted to most soils of fair drainage and medium to better soil fertility and associates well with lespedeza and ladino clover.
  7. Tall Fescue will grow on most soil types. It grows longer in the fall than other common grasses but is unpalatable during summer. An aggressive, hardy, long-lived grass, but must be seeded lightly when associated with legumes. Produces an abundant seed crop.
  8. Timothy, under proper management, makes an excellent combination with lespedeza for pasture or seed; can be used on land a little too low in fertility for good orchardgrass; and, because of cheapness of seed, ease of securing stand and productivity, it is one of our best grasses. An excellent grass for seeding in pasture mixtures with other grasses.
  9. Redtop will grow on almost any soil type; grows well on many poorly drained low fertility soils; and associates well with lespedeza.

Most farms need to grow a variety of Legumes. The ones finally chosen will depend upon the use, the kind of soil, and the preference of the operator:

For warm season grass forages see: Native Grasses - Native Grasses and Wildlife Native Grasses for the Stockman - Establishing Native Grasses.

Planting Guide for Pure Stands
Kind of Seed Lbs. to Sow Per Acre Time to Sow Depth to Sow (inches)
Alfalfa 15-20 Spring and Early Fall 1/4 - 1/2
Barley 72-96 Sept. 1 - Oct. 10 1 1/4 - 2
Birdsfoot Trefoil 5-8 Fall and Spring 1/2
Bluegrass-Pasture 15-20 Early Spring - Early Sept. 1/2
Bluegrass-Lawn 20-40 Anytime 1/2
Bromegrass 8-10 Spring 1/2
Buckwheat 50-60 Late Spring 1 - 1 1/2
Clover, Alsike 4-6 Winter to April 1/2
Clover, Crimson 15-20 Winter to April 1/2
Clover, Red 8-10 Winter to Early April 1/2
Clover, Sweet 15-20 Mid-Winter to Early Spring 1/2
Clover, Ladino 1/2 - 2 Spring, Fall 1/2
Clover, Mammoth 8-10 Winter to Early April 1/2
Clover, White Dutch 1/2 - 3 Aug. - Oct. and Spring 1/2
Corn Silage 10-15 Spring 1 1/2 - 2
Crownvetch 5-15 Spring, Fall 1/2
Fescue, Ky. 31 10-20 Early Spring, Early Fall 1/2
Lespedeza 10-25 Mid-Winter to Early Spring 1/2
Millet, German 10-20 Late May - Early July 1 - 1 1/2
Millet, Pearl 20-25 Late May - Early July 1 - 1 1/2
Oats 32-96 Jan. 20 - March 20 1 1/2 - 2
Orchardgrass 10-20 Early Spring, Early Fall 1/2
Redtop 5-6 Aug. 15 - Oct. 30 - Spring 1/2
Reed Canarygrass 6-8 Aug. 15 - Sept. 30 1/2
Rye Grass 2-25 April or Early Sept. 1/2
Rye, Winter 72-112 Sept. to Oct. 1 1/2 - 2
Sorghums, Forage 10-12 May to June 20 1 - 1 1/2
Sorghum-Sudan (for Pasture, Greenchop, Hay) 20-30 Late May, Early July 1 - 1 1/2
Sudan for Pasture, Greenchop, Hay 10-20 Late May, Early June 1 - 1 1/2
Soybeans (rows) 35-40 April 1 (S) to June 10 (N) 1 - 1 1/2
Timothy 6-10 Aug. 15 - Oct. 20 1/2
Velch, Winter Hairy 20-30 Sept. 1 - Oct. 1 1 1/2 - 2
Wheat, Winter 60-90 Sept. to Nov. 1 1/2 - 2
Milo (for Grain) 4-8 June 15 to July 1 1 - 1 1/2