• Introduction
• Forage Stand Condition
• Timing & Degree of Loss
• Selecting Forage Species
• Revegetation & Seed Mixtures
• Cultivars & Seed Sources of Forage Seed
• Planting Methods
• Seeding Rates
• Site Preparation & Timing
• Seed Placement
• Companion or "Nurse" Crops
• Management During Establishment
• Summary
• Sources and Credits
• Interactive Exercises

Reestablishing Pastures and Hay Meadows - Site Preparation and Timing

Forage planting is most successful on a “conventional” seedbed - ground that is firm, mellow, moist and free of weeds, debris and large clods. Rough or fluffy seedbeds result in slow and erratic stand establishment, which delays using the new pasture and presents a higher risk of weed encroachment. Reseeding after wildfire can eliminate many of the obstacles for seedbed preparation. However, in many cases proper equipment and accessibility are limiting.

When to Seed

On farm ground, forages are typically planted on land that has been harrowed to bury crop residue, then packed. Depending on irrigation availability, crops in the rotation, weeds and available equipment, many different implement combinations can be used to plant forages.

Following sod or an old hay field, deep plowing or ripping is typically used in the fall to bury residue and break potential hardpan layers. The field is then tilled with a heavy offset disc harrow to break up the large clods.

Following an annual grain crop, tillage may simply consist of disc harrowing. Prior to seeding a forage, the soil must be pre-packed with a cultipacker or roller. Pre-packing is necessary to assure proper seed depth, to provide good seed-to-soil, and to reduce drying. Seeding can be done using the grass seed attachment on a conventional grain drill, a no-till drill, or a broadcast-packer seeder (for example the Brillion). Double-disc openers with depth bands work best, but double discs without depth bands or hoe openers can be modified to work. The seedbed must again be packed - with the packer wheels on the grain drill, or as a separate operation.

No-till and other interseeding techniques may work in some conditions, but are not currently recommended on dryland.

Reseeding into sub-irrigated meadows is often difficult because high water tables may be present until mid-summer. A wildfire may offer an excellent opportunity to upgrade and improve these meadows, because competing vegetation and much of the debris is removed. One option would be to wait until the year after the fire (to evaluate the need for reseeding), then if necessary, suppress the existing vegetation with a contact herbicide in the early summer. Seeding should then be done prior to mid-August, or by dormant seeding.