When the daytime temps rise above freezing and the nighttime temperatures fall below it - is a good time to overseed worn out pastures and old hayfields. Also known as "Frost Seeding", this type of overseeding is an easy way to improve your grass stand. Not only is it more economical it is also less labor intensive then it is to take out an entire pasture/hay field.
"While some like to overseed on snow (letting the melting snow pull the seed into the ground), I have found it works better if the snowpack is gone," says Laurie Cerny, editor of www.goodhorse-keeping.com. "In early spring some birds (like crows) tend to gather and roost. Overseeding on snow gives them a buffet for the taking." She adds, "The first time I frost seeded I did it when there was still some snowpack. To my horror later in the afternoon when I looked outside there were several hundred birds eating the seed off of the snow!"
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Dry Lot vs Pasture
Spring Grasses
The big key to frost seeding is timing. There are usually a couple of weeks when the freezing and thawing of the ground occurs. This back and forth process is what pulls the seed into the ground.
"Here in Michigan I usually look for when the Sugar Maple trees are tapped. Syrup production requires similar weather conditions - so when I see the blue barrels out and the taps go into the trees I start to overseed my pastures and hay fields," Cerny says.
Overseeding a day or two before a rain is also helpful. However, you also don't want seed lying around on oversaturated soil as it may then be too wet for proper germination.
For more tips on Frost Seeding read our related blog at www.goodhorse-keeping.com.
www.goodhorse-keeping.com is devoted to the practical and affordable care of horses. Find more articles and resources on horse care, as well as product reviews, at the website.
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