Planting a perennial pasture

[Harbisgirl]

Hello all,

I was hoping we could get a discussion going on planting for a Perennial pasture. Not specifically goats, necessarily (I just had to choose a category to post a new thread) just in general. I know there are tons of options for planting grass seeds out there but Id like to hear from people specifically on perennials. Pros, cons, likes, dislikes, opinions?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I'm confused by the "perennial" part? Most pastures are perennial. Do you mean specific grasses that aren't normally planted as pasture? Or do you mean planting broadleaf plants? Most warm and cool season pasture grasses are perennials.

 

[Harbisgirl]

Admittedly I have ZERO knowledge of planting pasture or feed but thats why Im asking  I dont have any livestock, just a pipe dream of a small farm someday and I want to learn more about it. I was under the impression that most seeded pasture is comprised of annuals oats, rye, ryegrass, barley, wheat, sorghum, turnip, clover, etc? I was reading an article by Joel Salatin about seasonal and sustainable forage and the issue of annual vs perennial pasture came up. There appears to be a growing interest in this so I was just curious to find out what this forum thought about it.

 

[DonnaBelle]

I don't know what part of the US you're in, but when we bought this worn out Oklahoma red dirt farm, it had a nice crop of mostly weeds, etc.

It had been planted in cotton in the 20's 30's 40's. We talked with OSU and they recommended we replant the old "pasture areas" with a "native grass mix" which is what we did.

DH disc the ground, which cut deep enough for the seed to get into the ground. It didn't need to be plowed.

The State of Oklahoma has a program whereby if you plant native species of grass, you get reimbursed for the seed.

DH did just that about 6 years ago, and we now have a mix of little bluestem, turkey foot, etc. in our pasture areas.

Little bluestem has a root system that goes down about 5 to 8 ft. It's a beautiful native grass that supports wildlife and was native to our country years ago before it was plowed up to grow cotton.

You might check in with your local extension service. They will be able to tell you what you might do in your area.

Perennials are plants that come back year after year. They don't need to be replanted.

DonnaBelle