Managing Virginia's Steep Pastures

Author: Harlen E. White; Extension Agronomist, Forages, Crop and Soil Evironmental Sciences Department, Virginia Tech

Publication Number 418-005, June 1996

Table 1. Forage Mixtures and Their Management West of the Blue Ridge Mountains and in the Northern Piedmont

Use Mixtures and Seeding Rates in Pounds Per Acre Soil Adaptation Management

Grazed Continuously No. 1
Kentucky bluegrass 6
Orchardgrass 6
Timothy 2
White clover 2
Red clover 2 All types of well-drained to somewhat poorly drained soils. Also, areas too steep for making hay for silage. Seed August 15 to September 15 or Mar 1 to Apr 15. If grazed continuously, pasture will be white clover-bluegrass. Productivity of the taller plants may be increased by rotational grazing.

Rotational grazing or hay or silage followed by rotational grazing (will become ladino clover-orchardgrass mixture). No. 2
Orchardgrass 5-8
Ladino clover 1-2
Red clover 2-3** All types of well-drained to somewhat poorly drained fertile and limed soil. Seed Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 or Mar. 1 to Apr. 15. Graze continuously until June, then rotate grazing. Graze to 2 inches, then let recover to 6-12 inches. The spring crop may be cut for silage or hay, then the pasture may be grazed rotationally. Red clover or alfalfa increases total yields for about 2 years.

Continuous grazing or rotational grazing (furnishes more summer and late grazing than mixture 1 or 2). No. 3
Tall fescue 6-10
Ladino clover 1-2
Red clover 2-3 Better for excessively well-drained (shale) and poorly drained soils than mixture 1 or 2. Seed Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 or Mar. 1 to Apr. 15. Graze continuously until June, then rotate grazing. Graze to 1 inch to 1/2 inch, then let recover to 6-10 inches. Tall fescue is more tolerant of close and continuous grazing than orchardgrass.

Rotational or continuous grazing or rotational grazing and hay. No. 4
Annual lespedeza 10
Ladino clover and Tall fescue 1
Orchardgrass 6-10 Suitable for all types of soils, and better than above mixtures for infertile soils. Use fescue on dry (shale) or poorly drained soils and lespedeza for altitudes below 1,500'. Seed lespedeza in Feb. or early Mar. 1 to Apr. 15. Graze continuously until June, then rotate grazing. Graze to 1 inch to 1/2 inch, then let recover to 6-10 inches. Tall fescue is more tolerant of close and continuous grazing than orchardgrass.

Silage-rotational grazing or silage-hay-rotational grazing. No. 5
Alfalfa 10-15
Orchardgrass 3-5
Ladino clover 1 Fertile, limed, and well-drained soils suitable for alfalfa. Seed Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 or Mar. 1 to Apr 15. Silage in spring, then rotate grazing. Cut first crop for silage when orchardgrass heads, then let alfalfa reach 1/10 bloom before grazing or harvesting for hay. Stock small fields heavily to graze pasture down in about 1 week. Heavier rotational grazing as for mixture 2 will result in loss of alfalfa stands.

Rotational grazing - hay No. 6
Caucasian 3-4
Bluestem or Switchgrass 3-4 Wide range - medium to high fertility; low pH Seed June 1 - July 1. Cut for hay or graze in boot stage. Rotationally graze 8 inches stubble for Switchgrass, 3-4-inch stubble for Caucasian Bluestem.

Use	Mixtures and Seeding Rates in Pounds Per Acre	Soil Adaptation	Management
Grazed Continuously	No. 1 Kentucky bluegrass 6 Orchardgrass 6 Timothy 2 White clover 2 Red clover 2	All types of well-drained to somewhat poorly drained soils. Also, areas too steep for making hay for silage.	Seed August 15 to September 15 or Mar 1 to Apr 15. If grazed continuously, pasture will be white clover-bluegrass. Productivity of the taller plants may be increased by rotational grazing.
Rotational grazing or hay or silage followed by rotational grazing (will become ladino clover-orchardgrass mixture).	No. 2 Orchardgrass 5-8 Ladino clover 1-2 Red clover 2-3**	All types of well-drained to somewhat poorly drained fertile and limed soil.	Seed Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 or Mar. 1 to Apr. 15. Graze continuously until June, then rotate grazing. Graze to 2 inches, then let recover to 6-12 inches. The spring crop may be cut for silage or hay, then the pasture may be grazed rotationally. Red clover or alfalfa increases total yields for about 2 years.
Continuous grazing or rotational grazing (furnishes more summer and late grazing than mixture 1 or 2).	No. 3 Tall fescue 6-10 Ladino clover 1-2 Red clover 2-3	Better for excessively well-drained (shale) and poorly drained soils than mixture 1 or 2.	Seed Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 or Mar. 1 to Apr. 15. Graze continuously until June, then rotate grazing. Graze to 1 inch to 1/2 inch, then let recover to 6-10 inches. Tall fescue is more tolerant of close and continuous grazing than orchardgrass.
Rotational or continuous grazing or rotational grazing and hay.	No. 4 Annual lespedeza 10 Ladino clover and Tall fescue 1 Orchardgrass 6-10	Suitable for all types of soils, and better than above mixtures for infertile soils. Use fescue on dry (shale) or poorly drained soils and lespedeza for altitudes below 1,500'.	Seed lespedeza in Feb. or early Mar. 1 to Apr. 15. Graze continuously until June, then rotate grazing. Graze to 1 inch to 1/2 inch, then let recover to 6-10 inches. Tall fescue is more tolerant of close and continuous grazing than orchardgrass.
Silage-rotational grazing or silage-hay-rotational grazing.	No. 5 Alfalfa 10-15 Orchardgrass 3-5 Ladino clover 1	Fertile, limed, and well-drained soils suitable for alfalfa.	Seed Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 or Mar. 1 to Apr 15. Silage in spring, then rotate grazing. Cut first crop for silage when orchardgrass heads, then let alfalfa reach 1/10 bloom before grazing or harvesting for hay. Stock small fields heavily to graze pasture down in about 1 week. Heavier rotational grazing as for mixture 2 will result in loss of alfalfa stands.
Rotational grazing - hay	No. 6 Caucasian 3-4 Bluestem or Switchgrass 3-4	Wide range - medium to high fertility; low pH	Seed June 1 - July 1. Cut for hay or graze in boot stage. Rotationally graze 8 inches stubble for Switchgrass, 3-4-inch stubble for Caucasian Bluestem.

* Mixtures 2, 3, 4, and 5 are fertilized as tall grass-ladino pasture. Mixture 1 is fertilized as bluegrass-white clover. Rates of fertilization based on soil type and soil test are shown in Table 4. ** Alfalfa may be substituted for red clover at 5-8 lbs per acre, provided soils are suitable and the alfalfa weevil is controlled.

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