Seeds in Season | May/June 2025

Perfect Pasture Planting

contributed article by Justin Fruechte, Ag Product Expert

Renovo Seed, Brookings, S.D.

www.renovoseed.com 

Establishing a new pasture is something that most farmers and ranchers may only do once or twice in their career. This is a permanent practice that should be done right the first time, because taking the time to get it right initially will save money and speed up establishment.

Soil State

Evaluating and understanding the state of the soil that you will plant into should be step one. Ideally, you should be establishing a stand of grass after a crop that had very little fodder residue. Soybean and small grain stubble are crops that work great to no-till drill directly into.

Since you’ll be planting a mixture of small fine seeds, they need to be seeded at a shallow depth (ideally one-quarter inch). Too much residue will prevent the seed from penetrating into the soil and should be managed by disking or cultivation. However, make sure you leave time for your soil to settle and firm back up after any cultivation. A firm seed bed will also ensure that your drill doesn’t go too deep when planting.

Soil Fertility

Fertility of the soil is another important factor to determine. Prior to seeding, we’d recommend a basic fertilizer application of 100 lbs./acre of 20-20-20. Incorporating this into the soil or top dressing before rain will prevent volatilization of the fertilizer so your seedlings can take advantage of the nutrients.

Seeding Method

There are plenty of seeding methods that, if done correctly, can all work. Broadcasting with any sort of spinner spreader is the simplest (and likely the fastest), but also the least consistent. The key here is to have the field worked and firmed back up prior to applying the seed.

After broadcasting the seed, you then need to go back over it with a harrow, drag, or cultipacker to achieve seed to soil contact. To understand proper broadcasting, think about how a drill is made and emulate how it works. A drill creates a furrow, places the seed, and presses firmly with a packer or closing wheel. Box drills and air seeders are the top choice to successfully establish a stand of grass, and if you’re no-tilling these are the only methods to choose.

Species Selection

Species selection is another key factor to get your perfect pasture for the many years it’ll stay in production. Without going through every single species and their attributes, I’ll provide a high-level overview of how you can determine which type of pasture is best for you.

Native grass species are the hardiest and live the longest. They work great in dry climates or lighter soils and provide a dense nutritional plane of grazing. A general rule of thumb is that the more longevity a plant has, the longer it takes to germinate and establish. You’ll need to dedicate at least one year to allow your native pasture to establish correctly.

If you are looking for a five to ten year stand of grass that establishes faster and has excellent persistence, you’ll be happy with introduced grasses. These are selected and bred for performance and work best on quality soils with good moisture.

Another option is to incorporate legumes such as clovers, vetches, or alfalfa. If you know you’ll need to spray weeds in your newly established pasture, don’t bother adding these in. But if you have a weed free seedbed, the legumes will boost crude protein levels and create nitrogen to feed your grasses.

Utilizing a nurse crop to establish grass has always been a highly debated topic. My suggestion is to use a third of the rate of a cereal grain if you have highly erodible land, challenging growing conditions, or really need some extra forage in year one. Make sure you’re diligent about cutting that nurse crop off before it crowds and slows down your perennial grass.

Stand Management

Management in the first year can make or break the stand as well. Using the pasture too early will slow down the establishment. Both rhizomatous and bunch type grasses need time to spread their roots to have better ground cover and ultimately more water intake. I’d typically recommend just taking a cutting of hay off in year one of establishment and wait until year two before grazing.

In the spring rush of calving and planting, don’t skimp on this job that sets a pasture in place for many years. This long-term project should earn your attention to detail. Most importantly, stay patient with the stand as it establishes.

Photos courtesy Renovo Seed

learn more www.renovoseed.com 

Renovo Seed, Brookings, S.D.

The team of folks at Renovo Seed have roots that run deep in farming, agriculture, and in the overall respect for the landscape. They opened their doors in 1987 and continue to walk alongside farmers, ranchers, and landowners across thousands of acres throughout the Midwest.