The Grass Doctor

Advice for re-seeding the pastures?

Ok, so in the next week we're going to reseed our pastures. We have 3 pastures. One with a barn that has to be as grass-less as possible for the horses that founder, so we won't be reseeding it. Then the second field is 4-6 acres. We're going to split it in half to seed it. Then the third one is only 2+ acres. We're going to seed that one all at once, since it's the only one we can completly close off. What grass would you suggest for a mild climate, humid summers, cold winters? I was thinking Kentucky Blue Grass. Summers get up to 100 degrees, winters down to 20. There are 3 horses and two other large animals that live on the property. Any other suggestions or tips? This will be the first time I've done it. The last time it was done was a few years ago by someone else. Please no rude comments. I'm in the US. For some reason Yahoo! Disagrees with me. I live on the East Coast.

Public Comments

1. I don't know about Canada, but in the US we have County Extension Agents that are public servants tasks with helping landowners manage their land. If you have an equivalent there, it would be wise to consult him/her, as they would be local and expert.
2. Grass seeds are both climate and soil sensitive, what would thrive where I live in west Florida may not grow where you are. See the Agriculture extension agent for your county.
3. What I use is a pasture seed mix that my local granary puts together. The nice thing with the variety is that there is something that will grow in spring, summer, and fall. The granary I go to has several different mixes, but the one I use is mostly bluegrass, with some rye &orchard grass, and a little clover, canary grass, and alfalfa. I'd suggest you start looking at your local granary/seed suppliers to see if they have something tailored to your area. Also some of the tall fescue mixes are nice because it is frost hardy, but I'm paranoid about fescue even if it has been certified horse safe so I don't grab any blends with fescue.