# Overseeding New Timothy Stand



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Got my new timothy field (planted last September) fertilized yesterday. Nice green fuss where the fertilizer truck tire marks were. Then overseeded with 15-20# Macbeth Brome and added about 6# timothy just because I could. Rolled with roller harrow. Now waiting for 6-8 inches of wet snow tonight and near 60 degree temps by the coming weekend. Perfect.

Cline-did you overseed your timothy yet or what did you decide? There was a lot of winter kill this year. rick


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I think it's getting pretty late to be throwing seed on top of the ground .I tell peoplecut your seeding rates back 35 percent use the money you saved on seed to pay somebody to come in with the no till drill and plant iit for you. you'll be ahead of the gamebut that is just my opinion


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I used a Brillion Till and seed-it is not on top of the ground, it is incorporated as good as no till but no rows and rolled. I don't believe in putting seed on top of the ground except clover-just feeding the birds.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I overseeded timothy heavy last year but not on purpose. It was so late cutting the seed heads were knocked clean by the mower. The timothy seed was heaped on any surface that would hold it.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Hayman1 said:


> Got my new timothy field (planted last September) fertilized yesterday. Nice green fuss where the fertilizer truck tire marks were. Then overseeded with 15-20# Macbeth Brome and added about 6# timothy just because I could. Rolled with roller harrow. Now waiting for 6-8 inches of wet snow tonight and near 60 degree temps by the coming weekend. Perfect.
> 
> Cline-did you overseed your timothy yet or what did you decide? There was a lot of winter kill this year. rick


 Last Friday I went ahead and no tilled more timothy into my thin stand. I had enough seed left over to plant 6 pounds to the acre without buying any more. I figured this would thicken it up enough hopefully to give me a halfway decent cutting. Since the ground is rough where it washed and I don't have a good stand I'm going to kill the timothy out after first cutting and then plant a summer annual hay crop or maybe soybeans. Then in fall I can replant my timothy.

I thought about reworking the ground this spring and planting orchard grass but I figured that between first cut timothy and then summer annual would give me more hay per acre than what a spring planted stand of orchard would and I'll get back my the cost of planting the timothy last fall with first cut timothy also.

The only thing that worries me is where the openers on the drill ran and the tractor tires tracked up the ground it kind of tore up the timothy that was already there.

I also had to redrill a field of orchard and MaxQ fescue that I no till established last fall as it had quite a few thin spots.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Hayden, which Timothy seed did you use? What OG are you using. Just curious what y'all are using down there.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> Hayden, which Timothy seed did you use? What OG are you using. Just curious what y'all are using down there.


 I used kootenai timothy.....it is an early maturing variety that will work well mixed with a later maturing orchard grass. It is the only variety of timothy I have grown. The orchard grass I planted this past fall was persist.....it is supposed to be very persistent and hardy. It is also an early maturing variety which is what I wanted for mixing with the MaxQ fescue. I have a stand of late maturing Athos orchard grass that is on some bottomland and it has done well and makes some very pretty hay but I have not experienced a drought on it which I have heard is an issue with this variety. I have also planted Haymaster orchard but did not establish a stand due to drought....the little that made it did not seem to be very vigorous.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Question for you grass seeding guys I planted orchard timothy mix last fall. I have a ton of left over seed was wondering my stand is thin due to almost no rain last fall. Ground was worked very nicely. Was thinkn instead of a frost seeding going in the end of the month and putting it back in the drill and scratching it in. Should I roll it with my pulverizer? All thoughts welcome.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Hayman1 said:


> I used a Brillion Till and seed-it is not on top of the ground, it is incorporated as good as no till but no rows and rolled. I don't believe in putting seed on top of the ground except clover-just feeding the birds.


yes I agree


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Question for you grass seeding guys I planted orchard timothy mix last fall. I have a ton of left over seed was wondering my stand is thin due to almost no rain last fall. Ground was worked very nicely. Was thinkn instead of a frost seeding going in the end of the month and putting it back in the drill and scratching it in. Should I roll it with my pulverizer? All thoughts welcome.


OG needs to be a 1/4" to 1/2" deep for optimum germination.....what kind of pulverizer do you have?

Regards, Mike


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Question for you grass seeding guys I planted orchard timothy mix last fall. I have a ton of left over seed was wondering my stand is thin due to almost no rain last fall. Ground was worked very nicely. Was thinkn instead of a frost seeding going in the end of the month and putting it back in the drill and scratching it in. Should I roll it with my pulverizer? All thoughts welcome.


Brandenburg-If the ground is dry enough, I would overseed and definitely roll. It is only costing you a little time and fuel. My assumption is that your ground surface is mealy from the freezing action so it should accept seed readily and the rolling ensures good seed soil contact for the most rapid germination. My seeder has a cultipacter roller on it but nothing like my 13' brillion roller harrow-with the tines up of course


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Ya we have a 28' brillion we use five years old very nice tool. All our frost is gone except the sureface stuff from last night so end of monthe we will get the drill out and go. Thanks guys sounds like I had the right idea. I prolly wont see much growth outta og this year due to no vernilization but oh well beats weeds.


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