Well, the high today will be in the 70’s again and it’s safe to say spring is coming early this year. And that means it’s time for pasture management and overseeding. Routine maintenance is crucial to maintaining a healthy, good looking, and forage rich pasture.
You can think of pasture management as a never-ending cycle (don’t worry it’s not as bad as it sounds). As soon as a pasture hits it’s peak – think: well rested ground in the height of the growing season – it will start to decline when its grazed. Heat, grazing pressure, summer weeds, and general wear & tear all take a toll. To combat this, we recommended regular overseeding in the spring and fall, which is the optimal seeding time for fescue. Overseeding early in the season gives the grass a chance to get a jump on the weeds and establish with minimal competition.
With each successive round of overseeding you are strengthening the foundation of the pasture, which in combination with a conservative grazing rotation, will help the pasture hold up against future pressures. Ideally this also means less inputs moving forward (fertilizer, seed, and lime) every spring and fall. We probably sound like a broken record by now, but… preventive maintenance is always less expensive, and less labor intensive than rehabilitation projects.
