Farmers Can Get Seeding In Between Wacky Weather Swings

This winter has felt a little more like a traditional winter season.  It has been a while since I remember a year where the ground was covered in snow for the majority of January.  As we have moved into early February, we are seeing the expected large temperature swings.  I for one would prefer for it to get cold and stay cold, then when it was time to warm up, for it to warm up and stay there.  While there may be a question every day of how thick of a coat to wear, there is one good advantage.  The large temperature swings are helping to loosen up our soils, creating the ideal situation to have greater success frost seeding our pastures and hay fields to increase the quality of forages produced.

The key to getting any seed to grow is having good seed to soil contact.  Planters help facilitate this by precision placement of the seed, below the soil surface, where it can gain and maintain the moisture needed to germinate and sprout properly.  Frozen ground, or questionable soil conditions, keep us from dragging the planter out this early.  Being able to broadcast seed, allows you to get out in the fields a little earlier, with lower expenses, but you compromise germination of all the seeds that were spread. The freezing and thawing of the ground helps work broadcast seed into the soil profile, increasing the likelihood of success.

Frost seeding, recommended amounts per acre

Frost seeding can begin in late February through March.  Ideally, you are getting the seed out just a few weeks before we warm up for good.  Legumes are the ideal species for these early seedings.  red and white clovers, birdsfoot trefoil, and alfalfa frost see well due to their small, dense, seeds.  It is still recommended to up your seeding rates to account for the fact that not all of the seeds will get worked into the soil.  Red clovers and alfalfa are recommended to be seeded at 6 to 8 pounds per acre, white clovers at 2 to 4 lbs/ac., birdsfoot trefoil at 4 to 6 lbs/ac.  If you are seeding a legume species into a field that hasn’t had the species for several years, it is wise to include a bacterial inoculum to aid with nitrogen fixation.

Legumes aren’t your only option.  A few grass species can also be frost seeded at the same time.  It is generally recommended that perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, or orchard grass be used.  Timothy and brome grass have struggled to be successful with this planting method.  You need to evaluate the structure of the see.  Smaller, denser, seeds work better, where some of the fluffy grass seeds are not successful.  If you are attempting to thicken up a damaged stand, you will want to see at 10 to 15 lbs/ac., where if you are wanting to establish a new field you will want to up your seeding rate to about 20 lbs/ac.

Farm programs in February and March

There is still a variety of program opportunities, by OSU Extension and other organizations, through the end of March.  The Ohio Dairy Quality Conference and Ohio Dairy Producers Association annual meeting will be held at the Fisher Auditorium on February 11^th and 12^th.   February 18^th and March 4^th will be the last of our private pesticide applicator recertification opportunities for Wayne County.  The February 4^th program will be at the Kidron Community Building and the March 4^th opportunity will be held at the Secrest Welcome and Education Center.  February 28^th is the NE Ohio Dairy Conference at Fisher Auditorium.  This marks the 25^th year of this conference, which is coordinated by the Killbuck Valley Veterinary Medical Association.  The program topics this year are on reproduction and dairy-beef.  The OSU Small Farm Conference will be held at Fisher Auditorium on March 8^th.  Finally, a farm transition workshop will be held on March 11^th and 13^th at the Shisler Conference center.  If you would like more information on any of these programs you can view them on the OSU Extension – Wayne County events calendar at wayne.osu.edu.   As always, I hope that you have a safe and prosperous week.