Seeding in the fall may seem like a foreign concept to some, but in our area it actually is a great way to capture the winter moisture we hope we get this year.
Planting after Oct. 15 for dryland pasture is a great way to prepare for the growing season next year. Seeds planted after Oct. 15 will remain dormant until soil temperatures are warm enough for the plants to germinate next spring. The other benefit of dormant winter planting is a full growing season for seeds to build roots and become well-established.
Your other options are planting in the spring or just before the monsoons, which usually come around in late June or early July. Spring may be a difficult time to plant because you’ll have to wait until the area is dry enough to plant, losing that valuable winter moisture. Also, lately, May and June have been drier months. Seeding during monsoon season is a good window if the moisture flow is stable.
Native, introduced species?
The other major question you may have for dryland grass seeding is whether to plant native grass species or introduced species. The pros of the native species are that you’ll mimic the natural, surrounding landscape. The pros of introduced species are that they tend to green up quickly, tolerate soil and site deficiencies and tend to cost less than native species.
The cons of native species are they can take them longer to establish, may not produce as much forage as introduced species in the short term and cost more per pound. The cons for introduced species are that introduced plants will appear visually contrasting to the natural landscape, some species can invade other areas and they may not persist as long as native species.
So what grass species, native or introduced, should you be looking for? Well, it depends. Obviously, you should spend some time finding the right combination that will fit your situation and environment.
In general, the Natural Resources Conservation Service recommends intermediate wheatgrass, smooth brome, timothy and orchard grass as your introduced species for a quick ground cover and establishment. Just be aware that smooth brome can be aggressive and spread. Smooth brome can do well on sites with poorer soils or sites that struggle to get other species established. Timothy is a species that establishes well in wetter soils and may not persist at drier sites.
Recommended native species in the ponderosa pine ecosystem are prairie junegrass, western wheatgrass, mountain brome, mutton grass, Arizona fescue, slender wheatgrass and Sandburg bluegrass. If you are in piñon pine/Utah juniper ecosystem, recommended grasses are Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, mutton grass, bottlebrush squirreltail and galleta. If you live at a higher or lower elevation, call the conservation service for help finding a mix to suit your environment and specific needs.
Establishing seeds
The next decision is to determine how to get seeds established. It is critical to make sure seeds get around ¼ to ¾ of an inch of soil cover. The low-cost, high-labor method is to use a seed spreader and hand rake. The pro of this method is it works well on small-scale seeding. The con is much of the seed will not have adequate soil cover for germination and is vulnerable to birds and other animals so the seed rate is doubled.
The other end of the spectrum is to rent a no-till drill seeder or similar equipment to drill seeds into the soil at a specified depth spaced uniformly across the landscape. The pro is you are more likely to have a successful seeding. The con is you could spend a lot more money for the seeding operation. Whichever method you use, be aware dryland seeding has a 50 percent success rate.
One other thing to keep in mind is that reseeding an area that has the presence of noxious invasive plants can complicate reseeding. In general, it’s best to control those weeds before seeding. Seeding into a bed of noxious weeds can only exacerbate the weed populations. In general, you can continue your weed control after the seeding as long as you wait until those young grass plants are in the three- to four-leaves phase before herbicide treatment. Follow the herbicide manufacturer’s label for more detailed instructions.
Lastly, give the seeded area some rest from grazing to allow the seeds to become well-established. You don’t want your investment to be ripped up. Those young plants will likely appear desirable to grazing animals and will uproot easily if grazed. The conservation service recommends a two growing season deferment after seeding, but even one growing season can help plants get established.
Call or email the conservation service for help developing a seeding recommendation or grazing plan for your property. There is no charge for these services, and there may be financial assistance to help with environmental improvements.
Shaan Bliss is a rangeland management specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Call him at (970) 731-3615 or email shaan.bliss@co.usda.gov.
