Page 24 - MWC 2-23-2023s
P. 24
The Midwest Cattleman · February 23, 2023 · P24
Is Frost Seeding a Pasture
Renovation Option?
By Jordan Penrose, OSU Extension Educator
At the start
of 2023 in
s o u t h e a s t -
ern Ohio, we
have faced
muddy condi-
tions. One of
the areas that
have taken
the biggest
hit is the pas-
tures the live-
stock are staying on. I guess thing to try before making
that some of you are trying the big decision of a “tradi-
to find the best ways to limit tional” reseeding of an entire
the damage to your pastures. pasture. Frost seeding is also
We are facing the same thing a cheaper option and less
on my family’s farm. If you time-consuming as compared
do not have a heavy-use pad to the latter. Frost seeding is
to keep livestock on during the process of spreading seed
times when the mud is bad, on an already-established
the pastures are going to take pasture or hayfield while the
a hit from the conditions that ground is still frozen. With
we have had this year. While frost seeding, there is a lim-
we are taking what mother ited time that it can be done,
nature is giving us day by and the recommended time
day, now is the time to start is between early February
thinking of ways to renovate to mid-March. The constant
pastures. A few questions to freezing and thawing of the
ask are, how well will your ground during this time is
pastures come back if they what helps frost seeding suc-
have been through a rough ceed. The seed will work its
winter? Is the cost and time way to a shallow coverage to
that you are going to put into protect the seed through con-
renovating worth the return stant freezing and thawing.
that you will get back out of The key to succeeding with
it? frost seeding is being able to
The overall cheapest op- see bare ground when you
tion that you could do is to spread the seed so there can
do nothing to your pasture. be good seed-to-soil contact.
This is something we did This will give you the best
for many years with one of chance of germination. If you
our pastures where we kept have a heavier sod, then you
our fall-calving cows and may want to graze it down
fed them hay daily during first before you try seeding.
the winter months. Once During the recommended
we put the fall-calving and time of the year to frost seed,
spring-calving cows back to- there is always a good chance
gether at the end of March, that there could be snow on
we would skip that field for the ground. If that is the case
the first rotation or two for it is recommended that you
grazing. This field is also one wait to seed, because when
of the last fields in the rota- the snow melts it could carry
tion as well. This field comes the seed away.
back very nicely and is one When it comes to choos-
of our top-producing pasture ing a seed mixture to use for
fields. We do notice a differ- frost seeding, legumes work
ence in weed pressure when better as compared to grass-
we skip that first grazing ro- es. Legume seeds tend to be
tation on that field as com- a little heavier in weight as
pared to when we do not skip compared to grass seed and
it. may get down to the soil bet-
Another option is frost ter than grass seed. There is
seeding which could be some- continued on page 27
