Pasture And Hayfield Renovation

Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator, Wayne County

As a result of last summer’s drought, I am getting questions about pasture and hayfield renovation. What can be done to thicken up forage stands that have been thinned out?

The first step is to evaluate the forage stand to determine renovation options. Use a one-foot square as a tool to help quantify the stand density. Take 10 to 15 random one-foot square samples per hayfield or pasture to provide an estimate of the average stand condition. If the stand is a grass or grass legume pasture or hayfield evaluate the stand based on the percentage of bare or open soil plus the presence of legumes if the stand is a mixed grass/legume stand. There should be less than 10% open or bare soil. There should be 2 Continue reading

Don’t Jump the Gun, You May Shoot Yourself

Chris Penrose, OSU Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Morgan County

Today is the first day of spring, but it doesn’t seem like it. Last year I figured we were two weeks ahead of normal and this year I think we are one to two weeks behind normal. Last year we had 12 days above 70 degrees in March, this year, we have had none. This is a real challenge for many farmers, as the drought last year has made Continue reading

Posted in Pasture