February Pasture Management

Bob Hendershot, State Grassland Conservationist, USADA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Ohio pastures have been under stress from the dry summer, very cold November and a warm January. The dry conditions last summer and early fall did not allow for much growth. The very cold November stopped growth much earlier than normal. We all saw some grass growth this past January with the warmer than normal temperatures. The growth was not enough to help the plants with their energy reserves. The normal February weather will freeze off that growth if your animals did not already eat it.

How you managed your pastures the last six months will determine how well they will grow this spring and summer. If they were overgrazed in the summer and fall, pugged up by the animals in January and not allowed any rest, there will be little bud or root development. These plants will be slow to start to grow this spring. These pastures will need to be rested this spring. Utilizing portable fencing and rotating paddocks quickly so not to hurt or stunt early spring growth will pay big dividends later in the grazing season. Controlling the animal movement the rest of this winter can also help trampling the stressed pasture. Moving the feeding, watering and mineral locations will reduce the concentrated impact on the pasture. If a sacrificed area is used, be sure the water runoff and soil erosion is controlled.

These weaken pastures have given us a great opportunity to improve the forage stand. Many producers should consider frost seeding red and white clovers or lespedeza. The weakened pastures should have some breaks in the sod with some exposed bare soil. This can give us good soil-seed contact for a frost seeding. If there is some thatch or no exposed soil, a drill can be used to create some exposed soil and plant the seed. A pasture drag or harrow can also create some openings for the seed. Legumes are the best and easiest to get started from a frost seeding. Grass seeds are not as successful as legumes at frost seeding. The lespedeza will work the best in soils with low soil fertility. If you did not get your soil test on the pasture field last fall. This is also a good time of the year to walk your pastures evaluate them and pull those soil test samples.

Constant, intense, and heavy early grazing pressure will reduce your total pasture production for rest of the grazing season. Grazing too much or to often on the early spring plant growth will deplete the limited plant energy reserves. This year’s early spring grazing needs to balance the plants needs with the animal needs. Total leaf area, day length and sunshine intensity all effect how quickly the plant will be generating enough photosynthesis to not only maintain it’s self but to also start to grow and provide feed for the grazing livestock.