# Hay fields done, now on to pastures



## tnwalkingred (Jun 8, 2010)

Ok guys I finished overseeding my hay fields and even planted a new patch of about five acres after I burnt it down with Gly-4. I got a good kill rate and I'm hoping the seed will do well and I will get a good stand. I used a Land Pride OS1548 seeder and I was very happy with how it performed. I guess only time will tell how it's going to take once I can start to see seedlings coming up. I plan to fertilize in about a month so that the new seedlings won't be choked out by the existing grass. Now that I have finished my hay fields I'm turning my attention to the pastures. I want to overseed them with a mix of either orchard grass/white clover or fescue/white clover. After looking at some studies on how improved the ADG is for cattle on Orchard grass is I believe I will go route. The main question I have is this. Since the seeder only has one seed box will I be able to plant the orchard grass and clover seed at the same time???? Any help on this would be appreciated. Also how long do I need to keep the livestock off the pastures after it been planted? Thanks.

--Kyle


----------



## TNKid (Mar 23, 2011)

I personally wouldn't mix the seeds in the seed box due to settling in the box and a likely uneven spread rate. Another thought is that the grass seed needs to be deeper than the clover. I like to broadcast clover since it doesn't take much more than good soil contact to grow and is very small and the drills I've used are not that accurate. I have wasted a lot of clover seed with a drill, but I'm not sure how accurate this overseeder is. As for the orchardgrass, I really like it mixed with fescue and clover. That is my preference for hay and pasture since I feed much more than I sell. I linked a couple of articles that I read recently.

UT Forage Research- Renovation- Plant Clovers in Grass Pastures

UT Forage Research- Tall Fescue, Orchardgrass and Timothy


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Kyle, I have mixed seed together for as long as I can remember ( fescue, og, clovers, timothy etc. ) and have always had a good stand. I see no problem with doing that. I don't think in your case that seed depth wpuld be a problem either. Not ideal but what is? Mike


----------

