what hay seeds?

I've got a pasture that it's been about 2 years now and the only thing growing and crawling everywhere is clover ...now I must seed this spring to try and control it..I wanted to plant timothy but was told very late growing and fragil to what type of land you have..I was told to seed with "reed canary grass" as a farmer told me it's got a very strong root and if you've got wet lands around it would be the best thing..I was gonna first take the coop horse mix but they have clover in there ..grrrr anything you would recommend.

Can you describe the pasture a little more? Soil type (clay, sand, loam), hilly/flat. How long has the land been cleared?

Timothy is not meant to be a grazing grass, it can't handle the stress. Plus, horses will rip the roots (they are actually very shallow rooted bulbs if you look close) right out of the ground since they aren't anchored very well. Bromes, fescues and perennial ryegrass are more adapted to being grazed. Orchard grass is another good one. And the farmer that told you about the reed canary grass is correct; it does very well in wet soils. The seed is very expensive though and last time I checked, the Coop would only sell it buy the full bag (because it is so expensive).

What kind of clover is in your pasture now? Generally, red clovers will die out after a few years naturally because they are not very cold hardy. That won't be an issue this year though since we didn;t really get winter temperatures for an exteneded period of time. I don't mind red clover anyways in my pastures. It can be a pain in hayfields since it takes longer to dry than the grass it's mixed with and you always seem to end up with spoiled bales. White clover is not bad either and I find it actually helps with erosion control on over grazed pastures. It spreads by creeping along the ground and forms a "mat" that doesn't rip up like plain grass. It's the Alsike clover that really should be avoided if possible. And it's only really a problem when it is grazed wet, like when the dew is still on it in the morning. It was developed based on Dairy cow nutritional needs and can be a problem in horses. Unfortunately, most of the pasture mixes have Alsike in them because they are meant for dairy farmers. If you are going to go for a mix try and find one that is specifically for horses.

GOD CINDYRELLY........I LOVE IT WHEN YOU TALK TECHNICAL............... YOU ARE MY HAY FIELD HERO.

I used triple mix 2 years ago (seeded with oats first and then underseeded with the triple mix). Last year was our first real hay crop and the first cut was PURE purple clover, so my advice is to not use triple mix. It was beautiful to look out the window and see 5 acres of purple clover, but its not great for the horses (we gave it to our neighbour). Hopefully the grass comes in thicker this year. Redoing fields is a big/LONG process. If you go to the Coop they have a full catalogue of all the different mixes you can get with explanations.

Barefoot_Horsegirl wrote:

I used triple mix 2 years ago (seeded with oats first and then underseeded with the triple mix). Last year was our first real hay crop and the first cut was PURE purple clover, so my advice is to not use triple mix. It was beautiful to look out the window and see 5 acres of purple clover, but its not great for the horses (we gave it to our neighbour). Hopefully the grass comes in thicker this year. Redoing fields is a big/LONG process. If you go to the Coop they have a full catalogue of all the different mixes you can get with explanations.

I was warned about those triple mix because of the clover...I want something with zilch clover...that's why I want to make my own

Sexy Dexy the earth was wetlands..it cost me well over 10 000$ to have it all dug up get the rock clay underneath and burry the black earth and respread the shale rock with dirt...and this was done not this fall but the fall before...I just didn't know what to do and to this day still don't ...I was thinking I will seperate pasture in two this spring (oh when is best time to seed) seed and then maybe let them have access in the fall...I don't want anything rich and from the research I did canary grass is not rich but will make a root carpet that a truck or tractor cannot damage...they say canary grass can live through 14 days of flooding !!! so it's got to be pretty tough eh...how about I mix the seed canary with orchard ..brome and fescue...would that be good...I want zero clover
yes the canary grass will cost me over 80$ for 2 acres of seeds
let me know what you think
thanks :cowboyhound.gi

I'm going to refer to a book I have at home tonight and get back to you on this. I want to make sure I give you the correct info. There could be some issues with interspecies competition when you start mixing seeds. I know reed canary grass is quite competitive I just can't remeber which grass species will grow well with it.

That sounds like a ton of work what you have done already and to get very little back must be frustrating. Was the shale/soil that was spread on top from the sub soil (under the peat/black earth) or was it hauled in? What is the pH and nutrient status of the soil? You could have an issue with fertilizer availability. Phosphorus and Sulfur are important in seedling establishment and their availability drops rapidly at a pH less than 6.

I've seeded pastures in both fall and spring. The ones seeded in the spring couldn't be used at all untill the following year but the ones seeded in the fall, I was able to take a first cut of hay the next summer then graze it that fall. You want to seed when there is the most moisture for the germinating seeds. Some years that is spring, some it's fall. It's a gamble really.

Quote :

GOD CINDYRELLY........I LOVE IT WHEN YOU TALK TECHNICAL............... YOU ARE MY HAY FIELD HERO

Ha Ha funny Joan. I'm so used to yammering on about this stuff at work that it comes out...well, techincal. It's nice when the information in my head is actually useful to others.

Do you happen to have any info from soil tests? I did some reading into the types of grasses that would work for your soil type but it really depends on the factors that the soil test will tell you. If you haven't had it tested you can send a sample to me and I will take it to the lab for you. I think they only charge $15 or so.

yes sexy dexy it was the shale and soil that was dug up that was spread on top...no I never had a soil test done and would definitely appreciated it you could do that for me but I guess we're gonna have to wait to snow melts...here is a pic of the pasture in question seems all that is growing is weeds more tahn anything..

A soil test would be the best place to start for sure. I can't remember, are you in NB or NS? I have contact names for you (for both provinces) for the forage specialists that would be the experts if you wanted to contact them once you get a soil report in hand.

I'm in N.B...I've called the agric. dept and I can have it tested out here in Bathusrt for about $30 + tax ....it takes 2 weeks...approx what month does can one seed...I can't wait...the more research I do on reed canary grass ..it can grow about 5' tall !!!! imagine the footing after a couple of years and it's apparently not too rich for grazing...