Eden Shale Farm
  • Blog
  • About
  • Pictures & Virtual Tour
  • Producer Resources
  • Videos
  • Contact
  • BLOG SIGN UP
  • FAQ
  • Calendar of Events

Managing Pastures during the Late-Growing Season

9/14/2017

 
GLEN AIKEN 

Our cool-season grass pastures are in the second half of the growing season, and it is time to think about preparing them for cold weather and spring green-up.Yes, I said spring green-up, because management inputs that prepare your pasture forages’ root systems to survive freezing ground temperatures and provide maximum storage of nutrients can promote early spring growth. In other words, your pastures get a good start in the next growing season with good grazing management and fertilization in the fall.    

Pastures are generally not as productive in the fall as during the spring season, so you may wonder why full attention is not spent on promoting and utilizing the spring growth.  Maximizing and utilizing spring growth should be a priority, but fertilizer application and sound grazing management decisions in the late-growing season can promote winter survival, which can carry-over into an early and strong spring growth. 

Why would we want to fertilize in the late summer or early fall?  The answer is: why not?  An application of 50 to 70 pounds of nitrogen from early August to middle September can generate growth of fall pasture.  Much of this growth is due to increases in tillers/shoots that increases ground cover and thickens grass stands.   An application of nitrogen in early to mid-August is routinely recommended for stockpiling tall fescue to maximize pasture growth for winter grazing that will save dollars spent on hay and feed. 

A fall application of nitrogen will also increase storage of nitrogen in the root systems, needed for maintenance during the winter months, and growth as air and soil temperatures rise in the early spring.  Although a late application of nitrogen in October may not generate a reliable amount of forage growth, it can conserve the nitrogen stored in the roots to generate stronger and more productive grass stands in the spring.   

Phosphate and potash are ordinarily applied in the spring, but the fall is also a good time to spread these nutrients.  If soil tests state that phosphate has dropped below 60 pounds per acre and potassium below 120 pounds per acre then it is wise to apply these nutrients prior to the onset of winter.  Both of these nutrients have critical functions in growth and maintenance of grass and legume root systems.  Fall is also a good time to spread lime if needed to increase soil pH.             
     
It does not make much sense to fertilize during a dry summer, but there will likely be some showers in the fall before freezing temperatures.  Grass plants that are stressed from hot and dry summer weather have less chance to recover with fall rains if fertility is low. Consequently, plant losses can be high and pastures will exhibit deterioration in the spring following a dry summer with overgrazing, and low fertility in the fall.    

Best grazing management practices in the late summer and fall will also improve winter survival and spring growth.  Pastures should be rotationally stocked such that cool-season grasses are grazed to a 3- to 4-inch height and rested to obtain above a 6-inch pasture height before grazing again.  Perennial grasses and legumes during the fall are primarily growing new tillers and leaves to increase their capacity to produce soluble carbohydrates through photosynthesis.  During the fall, a substantial amount of these carbohydrates are routed to the root systems for storage and used as an energy source during the winter and spring green-up.  You can think of the fall as a time when perennial grasses and legumes are trying to prepare themselves for freezing temperatures. 

The fall growth must be grazed, but enough green residual should be maintained for recovery growth and replenishment of stored carbohydrates in the root systems.  If there is not enough leaf material to generate enough carbohydrate for new growth, the plants will draw the needed carbohydrate from their root systems.

Make sure to reduce thatch in pastures that are going to be frost planted with clovers.  In late November or December, graze all pastures to a 3- to 4-inch height.  However, successful frost planting of clovers is doubtful if there is excessive amounts of mowed material on the ground.   Mowing might be needed if there are ungrazed weeds or summer grasses, such as fox tail.  You could be inclined to graze or mow close to the soil surface, but why give spring weeds room to emerge and have some competitive advantage with the grass and emerging clover?  

A final note in regards to stockpiled ‘Kentucky 31’ tall fescue: Ergot alkaloids are oftentimes higher in the fall than in the spring.  Fall growth of tall fescue that is fertilized in the late summer has the greatest potential to be very toxic.  It is advisable that fall growth of tall fescue not be grazed until after a hard freeze—less than 27 degrees Fahrenheit—that inactivates fescue growth.
​
Next month, I will discuss the ergot alkaloid toxicity of Kentucky 31 tall fescue in the fall.             

Comments are closed.
    Copyright © Kentucky Beef Network, LLC. All rights reserved. This content may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, or used in any manner without written approval from Kentucky Beef Network, LLC. For Informational Purposes Only. 

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Kentucky Beef Network

    Subscribe to Eden Shale Farm blog posts!

    * indicates required

    Categories

    All
    Cattle
    Forages
    Misc
    Monthly Wrap Up
    Water

    Welcome

    Hello, my name is Dan Miller and I work for the Kentucky Beef Network. KBN took over operation of the Eden Shale Farm in April of 2013. We are using the 961 acre farm as a demonstration and learning center for beef cattle producers. This blog serves as a place to document daily farm activity and host discussions about the demonstrations being implemented. I hope you find this information useful and that you come visit us at Eden Shale Farm.

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    RSS Feed

CONTACT US

                           EMAIL SIGN UP

Eden Shale Farm     
245 Eden Shale Rd.        Office: (859) 278-0899
Owenton, KY 40359       Fax: (859) 260-2060
© 2021 Kentucky Beef Network, LLC.. All rights reserved.
Picture
Sign Up Now
Receive our blog updates
  • Blog
  • About
  • Pictures & Virtual Tour
  • Producer Resources
  • Videos
  • Contact
  • BLOG SIGN UP
  • FAQ
  • Calendar of Events