# Overseeding into Thin spots in a Pasture



## UpNorth (Jun 15, 2009)

Got a client who been spreading seed over the thin spots in his pasture and been going over them with a roller. Any suggestions on improving this practice. Would a no-till drill be better into existing pasture? Its pretty light soil, a lot of trees and not very level.


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## Heyhay..eh (Aug 7, 2009)

For renovating pasture & hay fields I have harrowed and broadcast then re-harrowed. Just broadcast and let nature take it's course. Broadcast and spread manure over the seed. Put the seed on the spreader bed loaded the manure spread and smooth over with a heavy gate (dragging like harrows). The best result was from the last process.

Take care


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## nwfarmer (Jun 16, 2009)

Grass field I guess. Not sure you can re-seed in an alfalfa field. Alfalfa tends to be toxic to seeds.


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## UpNorth (Jun 15, 2009)

Yep it's all grass. The guys hasn't gotten a single legume to catch. Old pine forest on sand he's been at it for about five years. I working on getting a neighboring dairy farmer's slurry on it.

Heyhay..eh--I like the harrowing/reharrowing idea, maybe we'll give that a shot.


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## Heyhay..eh (Aug 7, 2009)

One other thing I have tried, forgot this it was so long ago, We had a load of old bales that weathered very poorly. There was a lot of timothy and clover in the bales and it was baled late to it was loaded with seed. We rolled them out in the poorer areas of the pasture and blew the hay rows apart with a a rotary mower (bush hog). This was done in the fall and we had a lot of timothy the next year ... clover not so much, probably because we lost most of the clover seed in the mowing/baling process.

Now this only works if you have poor hay and no where to go with it.



> Not sure you can re-seed in an alfalfa field. Alfalfa tends to be toxic to seeds.


I have a 17 a field that is ~19 years old and delivered close to 3*4x5 rounds this year. I have put alfalfa seed back into it twice using manure cover with good result. Trefoil works much better though for renovations. I think that seed will sprout on a rock!

Take care


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## UpNorth (Jun 15, 2009)

I've been thinking about trefoil for this guy. It used to be grown a lot more in WI, but it's kind of gone out of style.


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## Heyhay..eh (Aug 7, 2009)

I have never had any luck with trefoil in a pasture, maybe because of the relative shallow root system. Works well in hay fields though and is a good regenerater in that if given the chance it will produce a lot of seed and lay it back on the ground. Just take a later cut.

Take care


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

UpNorth said:


> I've been thinking about trefoil for this guy. It used to be grown a lot more in WI, but it's kind of gone out of style.


Birdsfoot trefoil was the first thing that came to my mind. Excellent for grazing, and good for hay. 
As birdsfoot has its own specific inoculant, make sure to use properly inoculated seed.


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