Grass Needs N – But Not Now

Jeff McCutcheon, Extension Educator, Knox County

This week in Ohio it became obvious, the spring flush is starting. Ok it may slow down this weekend due to the cold front but with the recent warm weather and the abundance of moisture, grasses have broken dormancy and are (were) growing rapidly. On recent farm visits I observed pastures with 4-6 inches of growth or around1800 to 2400 lbs. of dry matter per acre. Orchardgrass had 4-5 leaves emerged and fescue 3-4 leaves emerged. Now is the time to manage grazing. Applying nitrogen will only make the management harder. Continue reading

Posted in Pasture