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Reestablishing
Pastures and Hay Meadows - Management
during establishment
Stand establishment
of forages can be quite variable. When irrigated, emergence and
stand success have few risks. However, even with all of the right
seeding techniques, condi- tions in non-irrigated fields can be
slow and frustrating. Many of the grasses have seed dormancy, and
hard seed in legumes can sometimes provide for the opportunity of
emerging later and “filling in.”
Regardless of
initial stand density, it is likely that weed control will be necessary.
Weeds can be controlled by clipping (before seed heads form), or
using labeled herbicides.
| Many hay
fields and meadows are deficient in major nutrients necessary
for optimum forage production - nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P),
potassium (K) - and possibly several minor elements such as
sulfur. Recommended annual levels of N, P and K for grass are
shown in Table 4. |
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Forage production
is very responsive to fertilizer and in most studies an economic
response can be shown when the soil is deficient in one or more
nutrients. Following a wildfire, it may be advisable to wait until
a stand is established, then submit soil samples for laboratory
analysis. Based on the soil test, you could then fertilize late
in the same summer or the subsequent spring.
For hay crops,
most forages can be cut at any time during the growing season. A
critical management step for long-term survival and productivity
of many cool-season forages in Montana is to not cut or graze in
the period from early August (30 to 45 days prior to average first
frost) until a “killing” frost (typically mid- October,
with several successive days of temperatures around 25 degrees).
This allows roots to replenish carbohydrate levels for winter survival
and early spring growth.
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