Question: What kind of grass to plant in Wisconsin
I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find information about what kind (s) of grass I should plant in a newly, cleared pasture. We live in southeastern Wisconsin and have several pastures with only orchard grass and by mid-summer we are pretty well down to the dirt. Thanks for your help Answer:
Answer:
In Wisconsin you have an excellent forage team at UW-Madison. They have a great website with a lot of forage information for Wisconsin - it is not customized to alpacas but gives good local information.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/teamforage/index.html
Also at that website is a list of people you can contact for forage information about pasture species and establishment methods.
I'm also attaching a handout we distributed at the recent Ohio Camelid Conference. We have had some success with that pasture recommendation. As with many things, there is not a simple answer and there are several options depending on the quality of pasture your alpacas are likely to require. (In general, males for fiber production do not require high quality, but lactating females do require high quality forage). You should consult your local seed distributer (or extension agent) for recommendations on suitable varieties for your environment - ensure they are aware you a planning to graze your pastures since there are some good varieties for grazing (I assume you are intending to graze!!).
I am concerned about the comment you made "several pastures with only orchard grass and by mid-summer we are pretty well down to the dirt"..... This statement leads me to several questions, because in general orchard is a good grazing species and I'm unsure why it is "down to dirt". 1) What is your soil fertility? Pasture growth is mostly affected by fertility and pasture can't produce if it is not 'fed'. 2) What control of grazing severity do you have - how many animals and how much pasture. Typically we suggest grazing from 8" down to 4" (perhaps a little shorted in the case of alpacas). No pasture can survive continuous severe grazing. 3) What is your soil type?? If you have a very porous soil (e.g. sand) you might need a specialty pasture to provide summer forage. If you have a very drought-prone soil you might need a different species mix.
Dr David Barker
Assistant Professor
Dept of Horticulture and Crop Science
202 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Rd
Columbus OH 43210
Ohio Camelid Conference – 6 Dec 2003
Dr David Barker, Dept Hort & Crop Sci, Ohio State Univ.
(614) 247-6258
barker.169@osu.edu
Recommended pasture mix for Camelids
|
target composition |
sowing rate |
species |
variety* |
|
30% |
15 |
festulolium |
Duo |
|
20% |
5 |
endophyte-free tetraploid perennial ryegrass |
Tonga/BG34 |
|
30% |
5 |
orchardgrass |
Tekapo |
|
10% |
2 |
timothy |
|
|
5% |
2 |
white clover |
|
|
5% |
2 |
red clover |
|
|
100% |
31 |
*varieties are suggestions only. Use other forage varieties as availability, local recommendations and price allow.
Species Options
• The last three components are higher quality options that can be excluded (or sown at half rates) for males and dry females with low nutritional requirements.
• Where clover is excluded, the nitrogen requirements for the pasture will need to be supplied by two to three applications of nitrogen (totaling 75-150 lb N/acre per year) to make up for the absence of nitrogen fixation. This could be from fertilizer, or chicken manure for organic producers.
Date
Fall plantings are best, however spring plantings can also be successful. In
Planting Options
• Full cultivation and planting with a Brillioun seeder has the best results, but is the most expensive.
• No-till planting following Roundup, is successful and less expensive
• Broadcast planting following Roundup is the least reliable and least expensive. This is the only option on hill pasture.
Management
• Avoid grazing until the pasture ready.
• As a rule don’t graze the new pasture too closely for the first year. The young seedlings have shallow roots that can pull out with grazing - a 'pull' test can easily ensure they will tear off rather than pull out. Ideally, new pasture should be kept with 5-10 inches in height. Too short weakens the small plants and too tall results in shading and stand thinning.
• Fertilize according to a recommendation
• In subsequent years, graze at 8” down to 4”
Useful contacts and information sources
Forage advice – use your extension agent
Dr Mark Sulc, Forage Extension Specialist, HCS, OSU. (614) 292-9084
Websites
|
Ohio Forage team |
Forage Information System |
Forage Identification and Use Guide
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/AnimalSciences/extension/pubpdfs/agr175.html