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You are here: Horses > Horse pasture / forage > Planting better pastures |
How to Plant a Healthy, Lasting Pasture
Feeding grain to your horses is an activity that not only costs a lot of money,
but no matter how much grain you feed, healthy grass feed and later on hay from
your own pasture is not only cost effective but also much healthier for your
horses.
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Of course, as a horse owner you know that you need to
reseed and fertilize your pastures consistently to keep them
producing grass throughout the year, but hot and dry weather
during the fall season and cold, wet spring days may have
prevented you from actually doing all the pasture chores
that you knew should be done. If you find that your
inactivity has harmed your pasture, you will need to bite
the bullet and renovate your pasture. The best time to do so
is fall.
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Renovating a pasture is little more than over-seeding or no-till seeding it.
While your stand may be fescue, orchard grass, or bluegrass, you will want to
actively establish clover into the pasture, not only to improve the quality and
quantity of your forage, but also to counteract the dormancy stages of cool
season grasses that leave the unsightly brown patches in many a pasture.
 Obviously,
before you commit yourself to any number of pasture renovations steps that may
or may not be needed, it is wise to first and foremost run a soil test which
will indicate the nutrients and lime supplementation your pasture will actually
need. While it is easy to assume that your pasture does not need testing again,
especially if you tested it five years ago, it is important to note that the
actually recommended testing intervals are much less, usually about two or three
years. After testing and purchasing the proper fertilizer mix for your pasture,
you will be rewarded with healthier crops that will be able to weather the
occasionally unfavorable drought conditions or cold snaps.
Additionally, if you horses have not already grazed the pasture low enough, you
will need to mow it. Failure to remove the overhanging grasses will not permit
your clover or grass seeds to sprout or receive adequate moisture, since the
already established plants will soak it up via their root systems if they are
permitted to stand tall. While you are renovating your pasture, you also need to
address any weed problems you may have. While it is true that healthy grass and
clover stands have the ability to choke out weeds, the weeds will be competition
for the germinating seed. If you do use herbicides, remember that your horses
will not be able to graze the pasture for a while! When you are purchasing the
grass seed, stay away from the lawn mixes, but do go for a mix that promises
high rates of germination. As you seed, it is recommended that you exceed the
recommended quantity of seeds to not only ensure proper coverage but also
maximum germination. Last but not least, drilling seed is usually the best way
of seeding to ensure that the kernels have the best possible start.
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Read the next horse pasture article on Reducing Pasture Weeds. |
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