Spring is almost around the corner. The temperatures will soon start to rise and the grass, hopefully, will begin to grow again. For most people, pasture management comes to mind when the temperatures start to rise but that is not necessarily the case. It is important to get a start on it now.
It is never too early to develop a plan for preparing your pastures for spring. Starting now can give you enough time to get everything that you will need to make it work. Also, springtime can be a very hectic time for most producers with calving season kicking into high gear so it is good to get started now.
The preparation you do now can set you up for success all year long. Here are 5 things that you can do to get your pasture started in the right direction.
Tip# 1: Test your soil
Your soil is the foundation for any good pasture management program that you will develop. If you do not get it right here it can cause you many problems down the road. Not doing this is much like trying to build your house on sand, it may work but in all likelihood it will not.
Soil testing will let you know the soil pH and any fertilizer needs that you may have. Once you have this information you can begin to develop your pasture management goals.
Some types of soil tests you can do
(Included in my previous post “Don’t Hold Back Your Soil Test”)
- Routine: this is the basic test that you can choose from. It will determine the soil pH, salinity, nitrates, and levels of the primary nutrients (Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Sulphur) that are available. It will also provide the Basic N-P-K fertilizer recommendations. This test is pretty acceptable for most applications.
- Micronutrient: this test estimates the levels of Zinc, Iron, Manganese, and Copper that are available. You should use this test for specialty crops in high pH soils where corn or sorghum is being grown. You can also use this test to troubleshoot any deficiencies.
- Boron: this soil test determines the level of water-extractable boron in the soil. You will want to use this test where clover, alfalfa, or other legumes are grown on sandy soils.
- Detailed salinity: this test measures the pH, electrical conductivity, and water-soluble levels of the major cations in the soil. You can conduct this test if water quality is of concern.
- Lime requirement: this one determines the amount of time that will be needed to raise the soil’s pH to the desired level. This test is needed on very acidic soils where alfalfa or other legumes are grown.
- Texture and organic matter: This is a specialty test for specific applications. It will determine the amount of sand, silt, and clay in the soil. This is usually requested for environmental or research purposes.
Tip#2: Walk your fences
Now that you know the pasture’s soil composition you should inspect each pasture. This will give you a better idea of any improvements that may be needed. You can also see if any of the fences need to be repaired.
Winter storms and possible snow, yes some people get pretty heavy snow. can wreak havoc on your fences. Entire trees or just heavy limbs can fall making gaps that animals can get through. You should inspect them before you get an angry call from your neighbor saying your cows are at their place.
Along with any gaps you should also look for any sagging parts in the fence. If they sag low enough a cow can simply jump over them causing you problems. Now you may be asking “just how tall should the fence be?”. Well according to a report by the University of Tennessee cattle fences should be 54 inches tall.
While you are taking stock of your fences it may be time to decide if you need to divide them into smaller paddocks or not. Rotating your pasture will allow for your forages to produce better. It also will help with preventing some areas from being underutilized any evenly distributing the grazing.
Tip#3: Get pasture weeds under control
Weed control is a very important part of any pasture management not just in the spring. If your grass is growing you can bet that any weeds present will also be growing. There are generally 3 ways that you can control weeds.
Picking the right seed for your needs is the first way to control weed growth. Plants that are appropriate for your soil will be hearty and will out-compete the weeds. The presence of weeds typically indicates a problem with your soil. The desirable grass or legumes aren’t thriving while your weeds are. Making corrections to your growing conditions following your soil test should put a lid on weed growth.
Herbicides are effective in controlling different types of broadleaf weeds in the early spring while they are actively growing. It should be said you will need to use caution when using herbicides because they could also kill any forages you want to keep around. Also, you will want to remove any livestock from that pasture before you apply the herbicide so they do not ingest any of it.
Mowing is another option that you can use though it is only a temporary fix. If properly timed mowing can prevent weeds from producing seed thus temporarily allowing increased forage production. While mowing can be very helpful in managing weeds in your pasture large weeds will have more well-developed root systems that cannot be controlled by mowing alone.
Tip#4: Overseed pasture if needed
As a general rule you should seed your pasture in the fall so they can get better developed but if you missed that window all is not lost. You can still put seeds out during this time of year though instead of planting them you will instead just broadcast them out.
Overseeding is typically done from mid-February to mid-March. If you are looking for a couple of ideas of what to plant I have you covered:
- Option#1: Plant spring oats- If you have cropland that does not currently have any winter pasture on it then spring oats are a good idea. The recommended seeding rate is 2 to 3 bushels per acre or 65 to 100lbs per acre with about 50 to 100lbs nitrogen along with it
- Option#2: Ryegrass- If you have some bermudagrass that is grazed short during this time of year then ryegrass may be a good option for you. You should put out 15 to 20lbs per acre by early March, Apply 50 to 100lbs per acre of actual nitrogen when broadcasting seed.
Tip#5: Rotate your pasture
Now that you have laid the foundation of your pasture management your work is not done yet. You will need to make a plan to rest and rotate your pastures to prevent overgrazing. The better that you treat your pastures the better they will treat your livestock.
Now it may be tempting to turn your cows out to a pasture as soon as you see green growth but that could be bad for you. Grazing pastures before they reach their ideal height can stunt their growth for the rest of the year. Different types of forages will tolerate different grazing heights so plan accordingly.
