What grass seed to buy....

[yankee'n'moxie]

Hello everyone!

We are clearing a large area for our horse pasture, and my dad says that we are just about ready to spread grass seed! But, I don't know what kind I should buy... Any advice? If it makes any difference, I live in Maine, and it gets really cold in the winter and up (at the highest) to 90-100 F in the summer. There is both sun and shade in the area we are planting, so we need a universal grass. If you need to know more about the area, then let me know and I will attempt to describe it more. Thanks in advance!

Yankee'n'Moxie

 

[Goatherd]

I bought a general pasture mix to seed my field. It has several varieties of seed in it which is appropriate for livestock to eat. I bought it at Tractor Supply, but I'm sure a farm store or feed store would have it available.
I believe they even make one specifically for horses.

 

[bjjohns]

I would suggest avoiding Fescue as much as possible. There is a endophyte that grows on fescue that will inhibit lactation in mares (You might not even get colostrum). Generally just avoid rye grasses for horses.

 

[secuono]

Hello everyone!

We are clearing a large area for our horse pasture, and my dad says that we are just about ready to spread grass seed! But, I don't know what kind I should buy... Any advice? If it makes any difference, I live in Maine, and it gets really cold in the winter and up (at the highest) to 90-100 F in the summer. There is both sun and shade in the area we are planting, so we need a universal grass. If you need to know more about the area, then let me know and I will attempt to describe it more. Thanks in advance!

Yankee'n'Moxie

Whaaaaaat?! Maine also gets 90-100F heat? Aw dang it! What about humidity? Man, we were talking about moving north, mainly just because we hate the heat here, and fiance said Maine would be nice. But you're telling me it's just as gross? Is it for a shorter amount of time at least??

Sorry, can't help with the grass issue...we just mow and grow w/e we have...

 

[Symphony]

http://www.horsepasture.com/

I've found this site helpful for my pasture and my horses.

 

[Symphony]

I would suggest avoiding Fescue as much as possible. There is a endophyte that grows on fescue that will inhibit lactation in mares (You might not even get colostrum). Generally just avoid rye grasses for horses.

They have hybrid Fescue now that is free of Endophyte.

 

[bjjohns]

I would suggest avoiding Fescue as much as possible. There is a endophyte that grows on fescue that will inhibit lactation in mares (You might not even get colostrum). Generally just avoid rye grasses for horses.

They have hybrid Fescue now that is free of Endophyte.

After just a few years, the fescue in the area will cross breed with it and it will no longer be endophyte resistant.

 

[yankee'n'moxie]

Thank you all! Great help! I will check at my local feed store and at TSC and see what they have for options...

Secuono, yes Maine does get hot like that, but not nearly as often or as long as the south. Where are you at right now? I think that we have had 2 days that were 95ish this year. But it cooled off overnight and it was like 75-80 the next day! Very nice! I love it here! Humidity can be high in the summer, but not NEARLY what it is in other places. My hydrometer in my bedroom is reading 65-70% lately. Not sure how accurate it is (it was from walmart, originally for my incubator). Let me know if you do move up here, I love meeting other animal people!

 

[goodhors]

You want to read the labels of the seed and get PERENNIAL seeds, not the cheap annual grass seeds.

I also suggest NOT getting anything with fescue in the mix. The endophyte problem will cause what
is called "red bag delivery" in horses. Here is a site with an explanation on such a condition.

http://www.equine-reproduction.com/board/messages/44/1770.html

bjjohns is correct, that local Fescues will crossbreed with any resistant Fescue in your seed, and get
the resistance to endophyte bred out.

Are you getting any local rains, or are they reliable at this time of year? Spreading seed in hot, dry
weather is kind of like throwing dollar bills into the wind. Seed needs regular moisture to take hold.
A good rain may start the seed, but continued dry weather lets the sprouting die. So your seed money
is wasted. Birds will peck and scratch, eat those seeds if they lay on the dirt and don't sprout. With
the HIGH price of good seed, you sure don't want to waste it by spreading when there is little or no
chance of getting any pasture going.

We are getting no moisture, hasn't rained in a couple weeks and have HIGH temps, with dry weather
in the forcast for the future. Stuff is drying up with no relief in sight. Would be a terrible time to plant
grass seed here. We plant in spring and fall, early Sept. when the rains are about to start and continue.
Seed gets a good start, regular moisture, so it is ready for over-wintering by the time the ground freezes
in mid-Nov. to Dec. If I do seed spreading, then I drag to cover the seed with a chain harrow. I have
also had good luck covering it with straw run thru the manure spreader to shred it from the bales. But that
was with old straw that was from the barn floor or strings have broken.

If you can get a No-Till Drill to use, you can get the grass seed into the dirt, away from the birds eating it.

Sorry, I really just wouldn't plant at this time, with out reliable rain.

Buy local produced seeds, proven to work in YOUR location. Buying my favorite brand of seed will
probably not work because I don't live in your area. Seeds that work well in Tennessee or Georgia, Wyoming,
have different needs than seed growing in Maine. Check with your local Farm Elevator or Grain supply,
who often sell grass seed. And don't gasp at the price, because it will probably shock you badly. Kind of like
buying gold dust!! I get my seed from my local Elevator because it is MUCH better seed, with the kinds of
plants I want in my pasture, than the cheap, poor quality seed sold at the TSC type stores. Those mixes
have a lot of "filler" kind of seed in them, like annuals. Those annuals only come up once. You don't want rye
as already mentioned. You DO want a mixed seed to plant, because they will keep SOMETHING growing
all season long. Bluegrass is great stuff, but likes cold weather, dries up in high temps, doesn't grow. Other kinds
of grasses LOVE the heat, produce leaves for grazing anyway. Other plants in the mix help the soil, like the small
clovers, NOT Alsike clover which causes problems. You have to READ THE LABEL to KNOW what is in the
various mixes. Go for the Perennial stuff.

You didn't mention fertilizing the land either. Again, fine to do this in the fall. You need to get soil samples
from various parts of the field, dry the dirt, mix together, then send in the amount asked for in the test.
Usually about a cup worth. Then you get your results back, so the fertilizer plant can mix EXACTLY what the
land needs to grow PASTURE. You are back to wasting money buying Generic mixed fertilizers or lawn stuff.
Why buy lime if the land doesn't need it? Unneeded fertilizer doesn't collect in the soil, it washes away into the
water system to mess that up. Really bad if that is the Nitrogen stuff, makes the weeds and plants go for
crazy growth in the lakes where water ends up, chokes the rivers along the way. Again, your money is wasted,
washes away. I get a soil test every 3 years, because with spreading bedding on the land, the balances change
enough to need a different mix. I will use the soil test result for 2yrs, then with new test the 3rd year, we get
a new mix to fertilize with. Sometimes I need a lot of lime, other years I don't. I am spreading on made
pasture, so we want NO UREA because of possible problems to the horses grazing later on. They substitue another product that
does the same job as Urea, almost the same price, but without the problems. Works fine, but I ALWAYS remind
them thru the process of getting fertilizer, that NO UREA is to be put in my batch. They have no problems with
that. I can get soil test done thru the local Extension Service or the Fertilizer plant, so we have the numbers
for making my "custom" mixed fertilizer. No wasted product to wash off the land, no wasted money.