Fall Planting

[Drew Carlson]

We have a pasture that was planted to the grassworks organic basic mix Spring of 2020. Both last year and this year, we have had a biblical amount of damage from grasshoppers. I am looking at trying to drill in a mix to bump up our forage for this fall and feed the soil. We are on very sandy rocky soil and there are definitely parts of the pasture that are still pretty patchy. The pasture is pretty short right now due to the grasshopper damage so I was thinking about just drilling in a mix. Has anyone done this? Is it a good idea? Suggestions on a mix to plant?

Thanks, Drew

[Jason Cavadini]

Drew,

 

No-till drilling into an established pasture is sometimes a tricky thing. Success really depends on how much open space there is. You might only be able to get something to establish wherever there are open patches. However, if it’s thin enough you may determine that it’s worth the try. If you decide to try it, I’d recommend not getting too fancy. Oats is something that establishes well with competition, provides a good amount of fall growth, and should be fairly affordable. You could mix in some red clover if you think that is thin as well, but I suspect that’s not the case with a newer seeding of the GW mix. Though some people might recommend it I would not add things like brassicas to the mix because they don’t add a lot of dry matter and they are expensive. For the oats, nearly any variety would work. Forage Plus is a variety that has exceptional forage value and a track record for doing great in late-summer seedings with limited moisture, but it is a bit more expensive and is sometimes harder to get.

 

Here's an article about some fall grazed oats research in Wisconsin:

 

https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/files/2014/01/GrazeOats-FOF.pdf

 

I hope it works out for you.

 

Jason Cavadini, CCA, CPAg

Grazing Outreach Specialist

UW-Madison Division of Extension

 

Marshfield Agricultural Research Station

208356 Drake Avenue

Stratford, WI 54484

Cell: 715-650-2748

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[Drew Carlson]

Thanks Jason! I am looking into forage oats as an option. We definitely have open spaces so evening it only takes off there that would be ok. 

Drew