Cool Season Grasses

ORCHARDGRASS

A bunch-type, tall-growing, cool-season perennial grass. One of the most productive and commonly used cool-season grasses, tolerant of shade, fairly drought resistant, and good winter hardiness. Regrows quickly and is a common component in pasture and hay mixtures. Best Use: Suitable for hay or pasture. Begin grazing at 6-10”; stop when grazed down to 3-4”. Adaptation: Better adapted to well-drained soils; especially well adapted to mixes with legumes such as alfalfa or red clover. Management: Generally persists longer than most cool-season grasses in frequently cut, properly managed alfalfa mixtures. Close grazing in the fall is consistently associated with winter-kill so leave 3-4” stubble. High palatability for all classes of livestock makes it susceptible to over-grazing. Minimum required regrowth period of no less than 28 days when rotational grazing. Planting Date: March-May, August 15-31 Seeding: 8-12 lbs/acre alone or 3-5 lbs/acre in a mix Suggestions: For mixes with alfalfa, carefully select both varieties: alfalfa variety should be a quick recovery type (high FD) to compete with fast-growing orchardgrass.

HLR

• Blend of improved, mid- to latematurity varieties • HLR = high leaf ratio, means higher digestibility and improved palatability • Less clumpy than traditional varieties • Excellent winter hardiness • Tolerant of rust and other leaf diseases

Available as: Conventional

HUSAR

• A mid-late maturing variety with excellent yield, especially in first cut • Good rust resistance and standability • Excellent palatability and digestibility • Highly persistent and winterhardy

Available as: Conventional

NEW PROFIT

• Late-maturing variety that makes an excellent alfalfa companion • Very good disease resistance, especially to rust • Fast establishing and persistent

Available as: Conventional

LIDACTA

• A medium-maturing variety (similar to

Latar or Pennlate) • Good disease resistance • High yielding, especially first cut

Available as: Organic

ECHELON

• Very late maturity; broadly adapted • Excellent persistence and vigor • Superior disease resistance

Available as: Organic

NEW DICEROS

• Very late maturity makes for wide harvest window • Excellent yield potential and high digestibility • Good disease resistance

Available as: Organic

BROMEGRASS

Leafy, deep-rooted, sod-forming (most species), very persistent perennial grasses. Forage quality compares with other coolseason grasses. Matures later in the spring than orchardgrass and makes less summer growth but is much more winter hardy. Best Use: Suitable for hay or long-term pasture. Adaptation: Grows best on well-drained siltloam or clay-loam soils. Management: Slow to establish; rarely provides a productive crop until second year. Begin grazing at 8-10”. Stop when grazed down to 4”. Optimal re-growth period of 28-35 days between grazing. Low tolerance to 3- and 4-cut hay systems. Survives, but goes dormant during drought and extreme temps. In a pure stand, requires early spring and late summer applications of N to maintain high yields. Planting Date: March-May, August 1-31 Seeding: 15 lbs/acre alone or 2-5 lbs/acre with alfalfa. Suggestions: Seed meadow brome or Alaska brome for haying applications, smooth brome for long-term pastures.

SMOOTH BROME*

• A true sod-former, very persistent • Excellent for erosion management on slopes

Available as: Conventional Organic

FLEET MEADOW BROME

• Exceptional winter hardiness • Compared to smooth brome: more palatable, better fall and total yearly production, shorter rhizomes, less likely to become sod-bound, more basal leaves • Heads out earlier than smooth brome

Available as: Conventional

HAKARI ALASKA BROME

• Compared to smooth brome; yields more, establishes and recovers faster, dries faster • Late maturing, good fit with alfalfa • Not as persistent as smooth brome • Seed 8-15 lbs in a mix or 35 lbs alone

Available as: Conventional

The best companion grass with alfalfa because they establish and mature at similar rates. It is a deep-rooted, hardy, bunch-type grass. Its extensive root system helps it withstand drought conditions. More productive in midsummer than brome. All of our tall fescue varieties are endophyte-free. These improved varieties have finer, softer leaves, a trait that improves palatability and digestibility. Can provide 3-4 cuttings of hay annually. Very tolerant of intensive grazing. Best Use: Suitable for hay or pasture. Can be seeded in pure stands or with other grasses or legumes. Ideal for winter stockpiling as cut hay or pasture. Begin grazing at 6"-8" and remove animals when grass is down to 3"-4". Adaptation: Adapted to all soil types from drought-prone to poorly drained & wet soil. Management: When used as an alfalfa companion, time the first cutting when fescue is in the boot stage, rather than by alfalfa growth stage. Time subsequent hay harvests by alfalfa growth stage. Planting Date: March-May, August 1-31 Seeding: 20-25 lbs/acre alone or 4-12 lbs/acre in a mix. Suggestions: Seed meadow fescue with tall fescue to improve palatability in pasture mixes.

BAROLEX

• Highest quality and softest-leaved variety • Excellent hardiness and disease resistance • Best grazing variety

Available as: Conventional

COWGIRL

• Soft-leaved variety • Highly palatable and digestible • Excellent for hay, baleage and grazing • Tolerant of intensive grazing but performs best in a managed grazing system • Great stress tolerance

Available as: Conventional

TIMOTHY

A shallow-rooted, perennial, cool-season grass well adapted to the Upper Midwest. Very winter hardy and very palatable. Best Use: Better as hay crop than pasture species. Usually mixed with alfalfa or clover for hay or pasture. Preferred grass in horse hay. Frost seeds fairly well. Adaptation: Best on soils with good waterholding capacity and in cooler climates. Management: Shallow root system makes it a poor choice on droughty soils. Sensitive to high temperatures, so mid- and late-summer regrowth may be limited. Planting Date: March-May, August 1-31 Seeding: 10 lbs/acre alone or 1-2 lbs/acre in a mix.

NEW KOOTENAI

• Matures earlier than Climax • Excellent persistence, quality, and yields • High resistance to leaf rust and leaf spot • Better standing than other timothy varieties

Available as: Conventional

CLIMAX

• Leafy, rust resistant • Early-maturing, common alfalfa companion

Available as: Conventional Organic

NEW SWITCH

• Good regrowth, even yield distribution • Early-medium maturity

NEW TOWER

• Later-maturing Tall Fescue with excellent season-long yield performance • Outstanding disease resistance • Very good standability

Available as: Conventional

STF-43

• Premium blend of late-maturing, highly digestible soft-leaf tall fescues • Suited for mixing with alfalfa for haying

Available as: Conventional

FAWN

• Economical variety for pastures and conservation seedlings • Less palatable than other varieties

Available as: Conventional

KORA

• Very high yielding and digestible • Drought tolerant and very winterhardy

Available as: Organic

SWAJ

• Very high palatability • Very winter-hardy and drought tolerant • Soft leafed, suitable for grazing or haying

Available as: Organic

NEW LIPALMA

• Proven variety; good season-long yield • Decent disease resistance • Excellent drought and heat stress tolerance

Available as: Organic

MEADOW FESCUE

Highly-productive, winter-hardy, perennial bunch grass with long and slender, bright green and succulent leaves. Softer-leaved and more palatable than tall fescue. More persistent than perennial ryegrass with equal nutrition but better summer production under hot, dry conditions. Best Use: Long-term pasture mixes or alfalfa companion. Begin grazing at 6-8”and remove animals when the grass is down to 3-4”. Adaptation: Grows in cool, moist conditions, and tolerates wet soils with occasional flooding. Can reach 30” tall in rich soil. Management: Yield may be less than tall fescue but animal intake/performance should be higher due to increased palatability and digestibility. Planting Date: March-May, Aug. 1-31 Seeding: 20 lbs/acre alone or 6-12 lbs/acre in a mix. Suggestions: Include in any mixture for hay or pasture to improve palatability and digestibility.

HDR MEADOW FESCUE

• Late-maturing; highly-disease-resistant • Thrives in hot or cold areas • Establishes quickly • Great companion for alfalfa, red clover and white clover

Available as: Conventional

PARDUS

• Very high yield potential • Mid-to-late maturing • Excellent disease resistance, especially against rust and leaf spot

Available as: Conventional Organic

LAURA

• High-yielding and quick to establish • Early-maturing and widely adaptable to all soil types • Very high quality, excellent choice for haying or grazing

Available as: Conventional Organic

ANNUAL RYEGRASS*

Rapid establishment for higher productivity; produces forage yields in short period of time. Has good cold tolerance. Best Use: Single-year forage production, or as green manure plowdown seeded in fall. Adaptation: Well adapted to heavier soil types. Management: Heads out in early to midsummer. Usually winterkills in northern zones. Planting Date: March-May, Aug.-Sept. Seeding: 30 lbs/acre alone or 10-15 lbs/acre to beef up existing pastures.

ANNUAL RYEGRASS*

• Emerges quickly following seeding • Manage cutting or grazing schedule tightly to keep vegetative; will continue to try to head out through the growing season

Available as: Conventional Organic

ROOTMAX BRAND*

• Increased tillering; faster fall ground cover • Extensive root development, excellent nutrient scavenger • Consistently winter kills in northern zones

Available as: Conventional

PERENNIAL RYEGRASS

Rapid establishment for excellent traffic tolerance; relatively high yielding, high nutritive value. Grows from 1'-2' tall. Recovers rapidly and tillers extensively. Best Use: For grazing or haylage mixed with red or white clover. Graze at 4-6”, stop when grazed to 3”. Adaptation: Best on heavier, moisture-holding soils. Not suited for sandy ground. Management: Slow mid-summer growth. To maximize winter hardiness, graze or cut only to 4-6” going into fall freeze. Apply 50# of N along with sulfur, and maintain optimum levels of calcium and micronutrients. Planting Date: March-May, Aug. 1-31. Can be frost seeded early spring in permanent pasture. Seeding: 25-35 lbs/acre alone or 4-10 lbs/ acre in mix.

ASTONHOCKEY

• Tetraploid, mid-maturity • Widely adapted, but especially suitable for wet and peat soils • Good persistence

Available as: Conventional

NEW SORAYA

• Tetraploid variety • Late heading with excellent forage yield • Very good disease resistance to rusts & other diseases

Available as: Conventional

BG-24T

• Blend of intermediate & late diploid and tetraploid varieties • More heat and cold tolerant than BG-34 & better disease tolerance

Available as: Conventional

NEW CALIBRA

• Tetraploid variety with very fast establishment and high yields • Later maturity for wide harvest window • High sugar content; excellent digestibility

Available as: Organic

NEW MELFROST

• Tetraploid-type; very high forage quality • Later maturing; excellent yield potential • Very good disease resistance to rusts

Available as: Organic

ITALIAN RYEGRASS

Fast establishment in early spring, quick regrowth, prolonged fall growth. Will not head out in seeding year unless hard freeze sets in after germination; produces high quality forage without stems and seed heads. Behaves as annual in Upper Midwest. Recognized as excellent rotation crop for plowdown or emergency feed. Will likely overwinter in USDA hardiness zones 5b-6a and warmer. Best Use: Pasture crop seeded at full rate. When seeded at lower rate, can be used in hay mixtures and as companion crop for alfalfa seedings. Adaptation: Best on heavier, moisture-holding soils. Keep off of droughty ground. Management: Begin grazing at 4"-6" and stop when the grass is down to 2"-3". Planting Date: March-May, Aug. 1-15 (for late fall grazing). Seeding: 30-35 lbs/acre alone or 2-3 lbs/acre as alfalfa cover crop.

GREEN SPIRIT

• Combines high sugars, high yield, and leafiness of tetraploids with dense tillering and rapid seedling growth of diploids • Excellent rust resistance

Available as: Conventional

NEW FIRKIN

• Tetraploid; very high quality and digestibility • Excellent disease resistance • Will not head in seeding year • Excellent establishment and early-season yields

Available as: Conventional

NEW MELSPRINTER

• Tetraploid-type with excellent yield potential • Excellent disease resistance to rusts • Rapid early growth in the spring

Available as: Organic

FESTULOLIUM

Cross between meadow fescue and Italian ryegrass. Combines ryegrass' quick establishment, high feed value, production, and palatability with fescue's persistence and summer productivity. High sugar content is easily digested, provides high-energy ratio for good milk/meat conversion. Provides excellent, season-long forage. Best Use: Silage in a mixture with alfalfa or red clover in short-term rotations (2-3 years). Fast-establishing pasture mixes or for overseeding pastures. Begin grazing at 4"6"and remove animals when grass is 2"-3". Adaptation: Likes medium-heavy soils. When mixed with alfalfa or clover it enhances palatability and quality. Management: Should not be seeded alone due to susceptibility to cold; has good persistence with legumes or other grasses. Planting Date: March-May, Aug. 1-15. Seeding: 25-40lbs/acre alone. 15-20lbs/acre when overseeding. 5-10 lbs/acre in mix.

SPRING GREEN

• Tetraploid cross between meadow fescue and Italian ryegrass • Excellent spring yield and better-thanaverage winter hardiness

Available as: Conventional

PERSEUS

• Tetraploid cross between meadow fescue and Italian ryegrass • Late maturity; very high forage yield – similar to that of Italian ryegrass

Available as: Organic

FEDERO

• Tetraploid cross between meadow fescue and Italian ryegrass • Late maturity; very good forage quality and persistence

Available as: Organic

INTERMEDIATE WHEATGRASS

Long-lived, with short rhizomes and deep roots. Highly palatable to livestock and wildlife. Grows 3-4 ft tall. Intolerant to wet conditions. Best Use: Hay, grazing, erosion control, steep slopes. Adaptation: Good choice in droughty areas, but prefers 12” or more of rainfall. Management: Establishes quickly. Begin grazing or harvest at 10-12”, maintaining 6” stubble and allowing for regrowth before next harvest. Planting date: April-May, August 1-31 Seeding: Drill into a firm seedbed 8 lbs PLS lbs/acre; up to 16 lbs PLS lbs/acre on disturbed areas. Seed ½ in. deep on finetextured soils: up to 1” deep on sandy soils.

Available as: Conventional

KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS FORAGE FORBS

A short-to-medium height, long-lived, highlypalatable perennial grass. Spreads via rhizomes to form dense sod. Mix with legumes for higher nutritional values than pure grass. Best Use: Ideal for permanent, continuously grazed pastures. Tolerates close and frequent grazing better than other cool-season forage grasses. Especially well-suited for horse pastures. Adaptation: Grows best during cool, moist weather on well-drained, fertile soils. Management: Slower to establish than many other cool-season grasses but spreads quickly via extensive rhizome production. Planting Date: March-May, Aug. 15-31 Seeding: 30 lbs/acre alone for pasture or 4-10 lbs/acre in a mix.

GINGER

• Forage-specific variety • Dense sod, high yield for pasture • Very early spring greenup and forage production

Available as: Conventional

REED CANARYGRASS

Tall-growing, high-yielding, sod-forming perennial grass. Excellent winter hardiness, persistence & disease resistance. Low alkaloid varieties are suitable for grazing or haying. Best Use: Harvested as silage or hay, or used for pasture. Excellent quality if cut or grazed early. Quality and palatability decline rapidly when plants enter reproductive stage. Plant in pure stands or mixed with legumes. Adaptation: Well adapted to wet soils, tolerant to poor drainage and drought conditions. Mature stands can persist in standing water. Tolerates acidic soils. Management: Poor competitor as a seedling and slow to establish. Palatable when maintained in early- to mid- vegetative stages. Manage grazing and rest periods: begin grazing at 10-12” and remove animals when grazed down to 4-5”. Will not tolerate close grazing. For hay, cut at least three times per year. Loses quality rapidly if not harvested or grazed repeatedly. Planting Date: March-May, Aug. 1-25 Seeding: 8-10 lbs/acre alone or 2-4 lbs/ acre in a mix.

NEW CHIEFTON

• High-yielding, low alkaloid variety developed by Dr. Robert Kalton (breeder of Palaton & other improved varieties) • High yielding & extremely persistent • Excellent adaptability to cold climates and varied soil conditions, especially wet and flooded areas • Extremely cold tolerant and winter-hardy • Leave 6’’ stubble when cutting for hay or grazing

FORAGE CHICORY*

Perennial broadleaved forb that produces leafy growth high in nutritive and mineral content. Deep taproot provides tolerance to drought. Chicory provides both spring and summer forage. Very persistent. Best Use: An excellent companion for grass pastures. Rapid recovery after grazing Adaptation: Well adapted from heavier-to- lighter soils due to its deep taproot. Management: Manage grazing so that chicory doesn’t get too mature. Loses palatability when allowed to head out. Planting Date: March-May Seeding: 4-6 lbs/acre alone or 2-3 lbs/acre in a mix. May be drilled or broadcast.

Available as: Conventional

TUATARA PLANTAIN

A perennial forb, with branched taproot, for use in pasture mixes. Widely used in mixed ryegrass, white, and red clover pastures in New Zealand. Highly palatable in vegetative stage with up to 23% protein. Similar drought tolerance as orchardgrass. Improves pasture performance, particularly on less fertile or droughty soils. Best Use: Grazing. Use in a mixed-species pasture or can be planted in a pure stand. Management: Emergence is rapid, similar to that of perennial ryegrass, but a weak competitor. Most successful establishment will be with slower establishing grasses. Planting Date: March-May Seeding: 2 to 4 lbs/acre in a mix or 4.5 to 9 lbs/acre as pure stand

Available as: Conventional