Frost Seeding - Time Time is Now!
The upper-Midwest is finally seeing some warmer weather, and the majority of the snow is gone, except for drifted and shaded areas. This brings a great opportunity to do some frost seeding to help rejuvenate and thicken up some thin hay stands and pastures. Frost seeding offers some great benefits, and there are several options that typically work quite well. The greatest benefit of frost seeding is minimal equipment needs and costs. Frost seeding can be done with a simple broadcast seeder and can even be done with an ATV.
There are a few limitations to frost seeding:
1.Seed Selection | Seeds that need extremely good seed to soil contact don’t typically work well. Alfalfa doesn't work well for frost seeding. The selected products must also be able to germinate in colder temperatures.
2.Freeze/Thaw Cycle| This cycle needs to happen to get the seed in contact with the soil.
3.Seed Density is Important | “Fluffy” seeds like orchardgrass and brome sometimes have difficulties getting sufficient seed to soil contact.
4.Existing Vegetation | This will limit seed to soil contact. Two inches of stubble or shorter is optimum.
What products should I use?
Product | Seed Rate |
Red Clover | 2-4#/acre |
White Clover | 2-4#/acre |
Birdsfoot Trefoil | 4# (suggested to double inoculate) |
Ryegrass | 2-3#/acre |
Trust the Experts at Elk Mound Seed
Frost seeding isn’t the cure-all by any means, but if used appropriately, it can be an excellent management tool to help squeeze extra longevity out of forage stands. If you have any questions, contact the professionals at Elk Mound Seed, or give us a call at 800-401-7333.
Recent Posts
-
The Importance of Reading Herbicide Labels for Glyphosate Tolerant Crops
Reading and interpreting a herbicide label has become increasingly difficult over the past several y …Jun 16th 2022 -
Growing High-Yielding Oats
We feel like we have always done a great job providing our growers and dealers with high quality se …Feb 24th 2022 -
Farmers Spring To Do List: Evaluate Alfalfa Winterkill
As we near the planting season, farmers are getting outside and assessing their alfalfa fiel …Jan 29th 2022