# Frost Seeding



## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

This is a reprint from the Ohio State Extension Folks...

Renovating pastures? Try frost seeding

Frost seeding is viewed as a low-cost method for livestock producers looking to renovate pastures while increasing yields and improving quality with little commercial nitrogen.
Frost seeding involves broadcasting a grass or legume seed over a pasture and letting the natural freeze/thaw cycles of late winter and early spring move the seed into good contact with the soil. The best time to frost seed is usually from mid-February to the end of March.
"A basic requirement for frost seeding success is to make sure that the sod cover has been opened up, and that there is not much growth present to prevent the seed from coming into contact with bare soil," said Rory Lewandowski, Ohio State University Extension educator in Athens County. "Generally, a pasture is prepared for frost seeding by grazing it down hard, although some light tillage or a close mowing could also be used."
Another frost seeding method involves combining frost seeding with hoof action, said Lewandowski.
"Under this seeding scenario, let your animals graze the paddock in early March to scuff up the soil and open up bare areas in the sod. At this point, broadcast the forage seed across the paddock. Keep the animals in the paddock another couple of days and let them continue to graze and trample or hoof in the seed," said Lewandowski. "This method seems to work best with sheep because they don't trample the seed into the soil too deep."
In general, legumes tend to work better for frost seeding compared to grasses, said Lewandowski.
"This might be because legume seeds are typically heavier than grass seeds and can reach the soil level more easily," he said. "Another advantage to frost seeding a legume is that legumes 'fix' nitrogen typically in excess of their own needs. The existing plants use the excess nitrogen, which improves their quality as a feedstuff. Once legumes become established in a stand of pasture and compose 25 percent to 30 percent of the stand, there is really no need to apply supplemental nitrogen."
The following are some of the more popular legumes used for frost seeding:
* Red clover -- Red clover is probably the most widely used forage species when it comes to frost seeding. Red clover has high seedling vigor, is tolerant of a range of soil pH and fertility conditions, and tolerates drought better than white clover. However, red clover is a short-lived perennial, typically persisting in a stand for only a couple of years. Research is under way to find varieties with improved longevity.
* White clover -- White clover is a perennial clover and begins its production in the cooler spring weather. White clover is a low-growing legume, meaning that in order for the white clover to thrive, the grass must be grazed down shorter so that light can get through.
* Alfalfa -- Alfalfa has been tried as a frost seeded legume with variable results. Alfalfa has higher fertility requirements than clovers and it also requires a soil pH above 6.5 for best establishment results.
* Birdsfoot trefoil -- Birdsfoot trefoil is a persistent perennial once established, but can be slow to establish, often not showing up in a stand until the second year after frost seeding.
* Annual lespedeza -- Annual lespedeza is receiving more attention as a frost-seeding legume. Annual lespedeza is a non-bloating legume that is drought tolerant. Although annual lespedeza will tolerate acidic soils (pH 5.0 to 5.5) and low phosphorous level soils, it will also respond to applications of lime, phosphorus and potassium. However, applications of nitrogen will decrease lespedeza yields. Lespedeza is a warm-season forage that can be used to fill in the "summer slump" period that cool season grasses experience.
Although grasses do not generally work as well as legumes, research has shown that perennial and annual ryegrasses and orchardgrass are suitable for frost seeding.
For more information on improving pastures with frost seeding, refer to the fact sheet on OSU Extension's Ohioline at http://ohioline.osu.edu/anr-fact/0014.html.


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

Excellent and timely information! 
The only thing I would argue with is the timing. 
For my area, NE Nebraska, I would recommend mid February as the latest date to attempt frost seeding without hoof or mechanical action to incorporate seed. I have done extensive frost seeding on my own farm, and have had many seed customers, across several states and conditions, frost seed also. Success has been much more consistent if frost seeded prior to mid February. March frost seedings, without incorporation, have been very erratic. Especially for alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil. Red/white clovers and ryegrasses are much more forgiving.
For most grasses I would recommend hoof or mechanical incorporation, no matter when frost seeded. The exception being early seeded ryegrass or ryegrass type festuloliums. Orhardgrass is not particularly fast or agressive in establishment, but works well because of its high seed count, 654,000 seeds per pound. 
I have found the best way to set up a pasture for frost seeding is to purposely abuse it the last half of the previous growing season. Basically graze it into the ground right up until winter dormancy. This reduces the thatch layer and sends the plants into winter in very poor condition. When the pasture greens up the following spring, growth is usually weak and slow, reducing competiton for the new legume seedlings. Romoving old growth and thatch in the winter is OK but does not work quite as well. 
We plan to start frost seeding next week. I usually use a mix of whatever I need to get rid of at the wharehouse and what I feel is adapted to the site.

Brad
NE Nebraska


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Not much luck with frost seeding here.Have had good luck using a notill drill early spring.Heard of some horse people that have a overgrazed pasture trying it,than they leave the horses in it and the grass doesn't have time to get established and thier hooves kick out the new grass,then they bitch because it didn't work.


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

swmnhay said:


> Not much luck with frost seeding here.Have had good luck using a notill drill early spring.Heard of some horse people that have a overgrazed pasture trying it,than they leave the horses in it and the grass doesn't have time to get established and thier hooves kick out the new grass,then they bitch because it didn't work.


I've also had good luck with my no-till drill in the early spring. In fact that is the only way I will put in birdsfoot trefoil, as I have had very poor luck frost seeding it. The trick for me has been to drill in late March to ensure the seed is there to germinate at the very earliest date possible.

You are right, grazing needs to be controlled, continious and slow rotation grazing generally is not good for interseeding sucess. Periodic "flash grazing", where the interseeded areas are are grazed down to just above the height of the new seedlings has worked well for me. This usually requires the animals to be on that area at a high stock density for a short period of time (1/2-3 days).

I have been promoting the addition of legumes to pastures for over ten years, but with little success until last year. Last season we sold over 3X the red and white clover seed as previous years. It's funny what high fertilizer prices will do!

Brad 
NE Nebraska


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