# timothy hay



## haymaker1979 (Nov 20, 2011)

im planning on planting 177 acres of timothy and orchard grass what do you all recomend drilling it or broadcasting it. thanks


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I would broadcast it so I didn't have rows.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

The grass boxes on a drill only drop the seed on the ground, so it really is 6 of one 1/2 a dozen of the other. Use what ever you have acess to, but make sure for run s packer or roller on it after it is seeded. That will help it germinate and also prevent it from blowing or washing away.
If the drill you are planing to use drops the seed infront of the openers, I would suggest you run the openers as shallow as you can, not in the ground if possible, it is possible for the openers to throw too much soil on top of the seed and prevent it from growing.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

I would recommend trying to find a Brillion seeder if you can. They will do a much better job of getting a even stand and will have better germination rate. If you can't find one of those, then I would tend to prefer using a drill and running it with the advise of Toyes above.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Yea thats what I meant also.Pull the tubes out of the openers and dribble it on top.I roll it afterwards and get a great stand.You don't want it very deep.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

atacres said:


> im planning on planting 177 acres of timothy and orchard grass what do you all recomend drilling it or broadcasting it. thanks


Timothy grass, in almost all instances, should be fall planted to promote deep root development in order for it to survive its first summer.

Regards, Mike


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

You did not say if you are going to work the ground or not. If you are, I would plant it with something like a Brillion Seeder. If you don't have access to one, I would do as others have said and use a grain drill with the drop tubes at least loose. For best results, I have been using seed from SWMNHAY.


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## jhag (Dec 25, 2009)

I have broadcast seeded timothy and orchard grass and was not very happy with the results. They don't spread evenly because they are a different type of seed, one being small and hard and the other being coarse and light. The field came up streaky . Also, the orchard grass seemed to take over from the timothy.

Jim


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

jhag said:


> I have broadcast seeded timothy and orchard grass and was not very happy with the results. They don't spread evenly because they are a different type of seed, one being small and hard and the other being coarse and light. The field came up streaky . Also, the orchard grass seemed to take over from the timothy.
> 
> Jim


 Yeah, that is the problem with broadcasting the seed together along with Timothy seed wants to work its way to the bottom of the seeder. Its best to broadcast the seed separate.....one type broadcasted one direction then another type 90 degrees another direction and then culti-packed.

Regards, Mike


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Here, Orchard grass will always overtake the timothy in my experience. I do not plant them together.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

First. Broadcasting a timothy/OG mix is tricky because timothy is a dense, small seed and OG is a large,fluffy seed. For my broadcast spreader, timothy will throw 26' and OG throws about 6'. The best way to plant a mix of small/dense seed with large, fluffy seeds is a Brillion two compartment seeder.

Second. Timothy tends to be more sensitive to traffic and dies off sooner. It's also more sensitive to being cut too short. The result is that the timothy is usually gone in 2-3 years.

Hope this helps

Ralph


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