Now is the time to renovate hay fields and pastures.

Late summer and early fall are optimal times to evaluate hay fields and pastures to determine next steps and potential improvements.

A careful assessment will allow you to determine if a full burndown and reseeding is necessary or if some more basic remediation practices can be done to try and improve the field.

Extension agronomist Leanna Duppstadt explains forage seedings in Pennsylvania are most successful in mid-August to early September due to cool evenings and early fall rains that provide ideal conditions for our cool-season grasses.

Weather is an important planting consideration, as late summer can still be hot and dry, so in certain years planting may need pushed back to ensure adequate moisture, but never any later than six weeks before a killing frost.

A popular choice for fall planting of forages is a no-till drill. It can be used to overseed existing pastures and hay fields or do a full reseeding after a burndown application.

A full burndown has its pros and cons, so careful stand assessment is important. For more discussion on stand evaluation and determining whether to restore or renovate your fields, use the Penn State Extension resources on Seeding Perennial Foragesand Fall Management for Pastures.

Managing soil fertility is a key component of improving a pasture or hay field. Collecting a soil sample should always be the first step.

Knowing the fertility of the soil will allow you to make the necessary fertilizer applications before attempting to incorporate a new seeding or come through with any weed control.

Key point: If you are trying to improve your fields, you need to first understand why the improvement was necessary.

Yes, the field may be old and in need of a new seeding, but a majority of the time, the problem is fertility- or pH-related. Improving the fertility first will improve your chance of success.

In times of high prices (even outside of that, but especially then), adjusting soil pH and making lime applications can be the most effective and economical way to improve forage growth.

The biggest improvements will be seen when pH is well outside the preferred range for grass growth, which is around 6.5 to 7.

If a soil test shows a pH of 5.8 and another shows a pH of 6.1, you will see a greater overall improvement of the grasses when adding lime at the soil pH of 5.8 because the change is more dramatic.

Regardless, it is important to have the pH in the optimal range before seeding; otherwise poor germination could occur. Lime is also an excellent source of calcium and is the most economical way to make magnesium applications.

One ton of grass hay typically removes about 50 pounds of nitrogen, 15 to 20 pounds of phosphorus, and 45 to 60 pounds of potassium (potash). Fall is an excellent time to replace phosphorus and potassium.

For hay fields, manure makes an excellent fertilizer, except where legumes are present, and can be applied as a topdress before or after no-till seeding.

Potassium is directly related to winter survival and minimizing winter kill.

In pastures, it is important to understand that the continuous supply of manure from livestock will not be enough to feed the grasses. Additional fertilizer applications will need to be applied for optimal forage production.

Check out Extension's Soil Fertility resource for more information.

There are many factors that should go into selecting forages that will suit your needs, but thankfully many single species or species mixes will check multiple boxes.

Select species that are best adapted to your area, soil type, management practices and livestock species. Consider end use, intended markets, desired yields and forage quality.

Consult Extension's resources on selecting correct foragesand pasture species selectionfor more information.

Fall is when perennial forages are starting to store energy in their roots to overwinter. It is typically recommended to leave taller than average stubble or residue in the late summer and fall to ensure plants are able to store enough nutrients, survive winter, and have a jump start in the spring.

Overgrazing or mowing too short inhibits root systems, doesnt allow for proper carbohydrate storage, and increases plants susceptibility to stress.

Generally, a stubble height of 3 to 4 inches is recommended during any point in the season but especially in the fall, with 4 to 5 inches being more ideal.

This may mean pulling livestock off fields in the late summer (sometimes earlier than usual), feeding stored forages and allowing pasture forages to regrow, particularly in dry summers.

Consider the cost of heavily overgrazing the pasture and requiring a full reseeding in the spring compared to using stored forages.

Clipping or mowing before overseeding or a full burndown and planting a new seeding will help with weed control and allow increased light penetration, which will aid in the germination and growth of the new seedlings.

Be sure to mow weeds prior to them setting seed to avoid further spreading.

Chemical control of existing weeds prior to overseeding can be difficult because certain products have a 30-day planting restriction. Such products include 2,4-D and dicamba, which are the most common herbicides used for broadleaf weed control in grasses.

Glyphosate is usually used for burndown because it is nonselective, highly effective, and amenable to reseeding immediately after application.

For more information on fall weed control, check out Extension's resource on the matter.

Read the original here:
What to Consider When Renovating Pastures in Late Summer and Early Fall - Lancaster Farming

One hundred miles north of Philadelphia, the Billion Oyster Project has been restoring the bivalves in New York Harbor since 2010, engaging more than 10,000 volunteers and 6,000 students in the project. Oyster nurseries are being installed in Belfast Lough in Northern Ireland, where until recently they were believed to have been extinct for a century. And a hatchery 30 miles west of Chicago has dispersed 25,000 mussels into area waterways, boosting the populations of common freshwater mussel species.

Underwater vegetation restoration projects have been underway in the Chesapeake Bay and Tampa Bay for years, and more recently in California where seagrass species are in sharp decline. (Morro Bay, for example, has lost more than 90 percent of its eelgrass beds in the last 15 years.) The California Ocean Protection Councils 2020 Strategic Plan to Protect Californias Coast and Ocean aims to preserve the mere 15,000 acres of known seagrass beds and cultivate 1,000 more acres by 2025.

Scientists stress that these projects must be implemented alongside strategies to continue curbing contaminants, mainly excess nutrients from sewage and fertilizers, flowing into our waterwaysstill the most critical step in improving water quality. After several decades of aquatic vegetation plantings in the Chesapeake Bay, for example, scientists say that the modest increase of plants is largely due to nature restoring itself following a reduction in nutrient pollution.

And any human intervention in a complex ecosystem raises a host of compelling concerns, such as how to ensure sufficient genetic diversity and monitor competition for food and resources. Scientists say that, in many cases, theyre learning as they go.

Still, in areas where the natural environment is improving, bringing back bivalves and aquatic plants can create a lasting foundation for entire ecosystems. And restoration initiatives are an active form of stewardship that connects people to their waterways, helping them understand the ecosystems we depend on for our survival.

Until five years ago, the extent of wild celery grass beds in the Delaware estuary was a bit of a mystery. Many scientists didnt think the water quality was suitable, and since the estuary contains a lot of sediment and roils with the tides, the plants werent visible in aerial imagery.

But in 2017, EPA researchers started surveying by boat to detect submerged vegetation and were surprised to find the plant thriving in parts of a 27-mile stretch of the Delaware River from Palmyra, New Jersey, past Camden and Philadelphia, to Chester, Pennsylvania. Thats the only section of the river designated by the Delaware River Basin Commission as unsafe for primary contact recreationactivities like jet skiing, kayaking, and swimming.

The discovery of healthy grass beds was exciting, says the EPA Mid-Atlantic regions senior watershed coordinator Kelly Somers, because the plant is an indicator of water quality. The EPAs research, accessible via online maps, has been especially helpful for the Upstream Alliances restoration work, says founder and president Don Baugh, because most of the research on wild celery grass is from other placesprimarily the Chesapeake Bay. The restoration of wild celery and other aquatic plant species has been underway there for more than 30 years.

See the original post here:
How Scientists Are Cleaning Up Rivers Using Grasses and Oysters - WIRED

Anderson CountySeal coat operations will be taking place at the following locations:

Anderson County construction projects updates:

US 79 Super 2 Project

The contractor is scheduled to continue work on final cleanup. Project consists of widening for a Super 2, including sub-grade work, surface treatment, base and surface hot mix asphalt, widening structures, bridge rail, MBGF, signage and permanent striping.

SH 155 Overlay Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on driveways and drainage structures on SH 155 in Anderson County. The speed limit is scheduled to be reduced to 60 mph throughout the project limits. Motorists should use caution when traveling through the project and expect lane closures and delays. It consists of OCST, PFC surface, shoulder texturing, edge treatment and pavement markings.

SH 175 Widening Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on drainage structures on US 175. Motorists should use caution when traveling through the project and expect lane closures and delays. Project consists of grading, subbase work, HMAC, drainage, structures, pavement markings and signing.

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Cherokee CountyJacksonville and Rusk crews will be removing encroachments and repairing potholes in various locations throughout the county.

Also, striping operations will take place at the following locations:

Cherokee County construction projects updates:

SH 204 Super-2 Widening Project

No work is scheduled this week. The project adds passing lanes and incorporates safety upgrades.

US 84 Widening

The contractor is scheduled to fill pavement edges and temporary seeding. Lane closures will be in place. Expect delays on this corridor when construction is in progress. The project will widen and resurface the roadway, along with adding safety upgrades.

FM 22 Safety Widening and Bridge Replacement Project

The contractor is scheduled to begin paving the final surface. Lane closures are anticipated. The bridge is now open to traffic. The project will widen the existing roadway, replace three bridges and incorporate safety upgrades.

SH 21 Resurfacing Project

The contractor is scheduled to continue road work construction on driveway upgrades and structure extensions. No lane closures are expected. The project will consist of pavement resurfacing.

SH 135 Bridge Replacements

The contractor has placed message boards to inform the public. The project will begin Sept. 6. All birds have finished nesting. The project consists of the replacement of the bridge at Mud Creek and Mud Creek Relief.

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Gregg CountyLongview maintenance will be clearing trees from the right-of-way on FM 1845 and FM 3053. Crews will also be cutting high edges on FM 2207, from FM 1252 to SH 135 N. Expect flaggers controlling traffic.

Gregg County construction projects updates:

SH 135 Kilgore Traffic Circle

This project consists of completely rebuilding the traffic circle and full width of roadway to the Rusk County line. It will consist of removing existing concrete paving, reconstructing subgrade, constructing concrete paving, storm sewer installation, lighting, and striping. The traffic will be reduced to one lane in the southbound direction for the duration of the project. A detour will be set up for northbound traffic to follow SH 42. This will allow the contractor to build half of the roadway. Traffic will be switched to the newly constructed lanes later to allow completion of the other half of the highway. Expect delays.

SLP 281 Mill and Inlay

The project consists of performing mill and inlay all lanes with hot mix in both directions, including the center turn lane. Work will be performed at night. There will be alternating lane closures. Expect delays. Estimated completion is August 2022.

Spur 63/McCann Road Bridge Project

This project is part of the City of Longview Guthrie Creek Trail project. It will consist of building a bridge over Guthrie Creek to allow bicyclist and pedestrians to travel under Spur 63. The traffic will be reduced to two lanes, one northbound lane and one south bound lane to allow the contractor to build half of the bridge. Traffic will be switched later to allow completion of the bridge construction. Expect delays.

FM 2206/Harrison Road

This project consists of widening a two-lane road to four lanes with a center turn lane. This includes drainage structures, new bridge, flexible base, hot mix and pavement markings. Contractor will be extending culverts and constructing detours. There will be daytime lane closures. Expect delays.

FM 2206/Harrison Road

This project consists of widening a two-lane road to four lanes with a center turn lane. This includes drainage structures, flexible base, curb and gutter, sidewalks, hot mix and pavement markings. Contractor will be extending culverts and constructing detours. There will be daytime lane closures. Expect delays.

Pentecost Rd. Bridge Replacement

The project consists of replacing the bridge structure on Big Head Creek. Pentecost Road will be closed to through traffic. Only local traffic will be allowed. Through traffic needs to select an alternate route.

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Henderson CountyAthens maintenance is scheduled to repair edges and patch potholes on various roads throughout the county. This will be a slow-moving operation using a TMA. Expect delays.

Henderson County construction projects updates:

SH 198 Bridge Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on the new northbound bridge and roadway elements. Motorists should be prepared for lane closures and delays. The speed limit has been reduced to 50 mph throughout the project. The project consists of the construction of replacing bridges, approaches, grading, structures, asphalt concrete pavement (ACP) base, ACP surface, retaining walls, curb & gutter, MBGF, and pavement markings.

BUS 175 Safety Improvement Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on roadway elements. Motorists should be prepared for lane closures and delays. The project includes traffic signals, curb ramps and pavement markings.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Resurface Project

The contractor is scheduled to work on the final cleanup of the parking areas in the fishery and intersection with FM 2495 in Henderson County. The project consists of OCST and pavement markings.

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Rusk CountyCrews will be digging various ditches and cleaning culverts in various locations throughout the county. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. A second crew will be performing edging on US 259. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic.

Also, striping operations will be taking place at these locations:

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Smith CountyTyler Maintenance will be performing ditch maintenance in various locations throughout the county. Expect lane closures with flaggers controlling traffic. A sweeper and herbicide unit will also be in various locations throughout the county.

Smith County construction projects updates:

Sidewalks at Various Locations in Smith County

The contractor is scheduled to complete punch list items. Lane closures are anticipated. The project consists of sidewalk construction along SH 64 west in Tyler, SH 110 west in Troup and SH 135 north in Troup.

FM 344, etc., Safety Improvements

No work is scheduled this week. The project consists of improving drainage, culvert work, and guardrail upgrades.

SH 155 Resurfacing Project

The contractor is scheduled to continue seal coat. Anticipate lane closures while work is in progress. When in progress, hours will be from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday nights. Expect delays. The project will resurface the roadway, upgrade drainage structures, and repair bridge joints.

SH 64 Bridge Maintenance

The contractor is scheduled to complete punch list items. Lane closures are anticipated. The project consists of bridge maintenance and repair.

Tyler State Park Bridge and Resurfacing Project

No work is scheduled this week. The project consists of bridge and pavement resurfacing.

SH 110 & FM 346 Landscape Project

No work is scheduled this week. The project consists of landscape development.

Whittle Street, CR 2110 and CR 289 Bridge Replacement Project

The contractor is scheduled to begin construction on Whittle Street at West Mud Creek Tributary. The road is closed to through traffic. The project replaces the existing bridge with a new structure.

The contractor is scheduled to continue construction on the CR 2110 bridge at Kickapoo Creek. The road is closed to through traffic. The project replaces the existing bridge with a new structure.

No work is scheduled this week on the CR 289 bridge at Prairie Creek. The road is open to traffic. The project replaces the existing bridge with a new structure. The contractor will complete one bridge at a time.

IH 20 Mill and Inlay

No work is scheduled this week. When in progress, work will be done at night, Sundays from 9 PM to 5 AM and Monday-Thursday 8 PM to 5 AM. Expect delays on this corridor when construction is in progress. Project consists of an overlay with TBPFC surface, ACP surface, planing, shoulder texturing and pavement markings.

US 271 Rehab, Turn Lanes, and Pavement Overlay

Crews will be paving shoulder level-up on the southbound inside lane and rehabbing southbound left-turn lane. Traffic control will consist of daily southbound inside lane closures managed by signs and channelizing devices. The project consists of paving, structures, MBGF, and pavement markings from I-20 north to the Gregg County line. The portion from I-20 to FM 16 also includes turn lanes and pavement rehabilitation.

IH 20 at Barber Road

This project consists of widening on ramps and exit ramps, culverts, drainage upgrades, new metal beam guard fence and bridge rails on the Barber Road overpass, and asphalt overlay. No work this week on this project.

Safety Improvement Project (Van Zandt, Anderson, Smith and Henderson County)

The contractor is scheduled to continue final cleanup on FM 850 in Smith County. Motorists should be prepared for lane closures and delays. The project includes grading, structure work, guard rail replacement and bridge rail upgrades.

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Van Zandt County

Van Zandt County construction projects updates:

I-20 MBGF Improvements (Van Zandt, Smith, and Gregg counties)

Crews will be addressing final punch list items. This project is to construct safety improvements consisting of upgrading metal beam guard fence and mow strip.

SH 19 Super Two Widening & Overlay (South of Canton)

Crews will be laying hot mix on the NB super two lane. Traffic control will consist of a daily northbound shoulder closure managed by flaggers and a pilot car. The project consists of Super 2 work including grading, base repair, treated subgrade, flex base, OCST, PFC surface, structures, signs and pavement markings.

SH 19 Super Two Widening & Overlay (North of US 80)

Crews will be extending drainage structures. Traffic control will consist of a northbound shoulder closure managed by channelizing devices. The project consists of Super 2 work including grading, base repair, treated subgrade, flex base, OCST, PFC surface, structures, signs and pavement markings.

CR 2918, etc. Bridge Replacements

Contractor will be addressing punch list items. All bridges are open to traffic and near final completion. Minimal impact to the traveling public is anticipated. The project consists of removing and replacing four bridges.

IH 20 Mill and Inlay

The project consists of milling and inlaying hot mix on various frontage roads in the area. Estimated completion is August 2022.

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Wood CountyMaintenance crews are scheduled to perform hot mix overlay on SH 11 east of Winnsboro. Expect one lane closure with flaggers and a pilot vehicle controlling traffic. Delays are expected.

Wood County construction projects updates:

SH 37 Road Widening and PFC Overlay

Crews will be paving shoulder level-up northbound and southbound. Traffic control will consist of daily shoulder closures managed by flaggers and a pilot car. The project consists of base repair, level-up, spray paver, permeable friction course surface, structures, bridge rail, metal beam guard fence, and pavement markings.

FM 2088, etc. MBGF Improvements in Wood County

Crews will be replacing MBGF on FM 514 and placing concrete mowstrip at four locations on FM 2966. They also will be placing mowstrip at three locations on FM 17. Traffic control will consist of daily lane closures managed with flaggers. The project is for bridge maintenance consisting of MBGF and bridge retrofit rail.

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I-20 Total Maintenance Contract

Read this article:
TxDOT Project Updates for the Week of Aug. 29, 2022 - Texas Department of Transportation

Seeding grass is a useful technique for getting a healthy lawn. Lawn aeration is an essential part of lawn health as well. Combine the two and youll get a combination that works together to produce a lawn that will be the envy of the neighborhood.

When soil becomes compacted, the lawn struggles to take in oxygen, water, and critical nutrients needed to grow properly. A well-aerated lawn, on the other hand, gives fresh seeds a better chance to absorb nutrients and develop stronger roots. In the same way that farmer plows and turns over a field every year, your lawn needs to have the soil conditions enhanced through aeration.

Contact your local Lawn Doctor to learn about how your lawn could benefit from combining lawn seeding with lawn aeration services. Lawn Doctor offers core aeration, which when coupled with seeding can multiply the effectiveness of lawn maintenance and let your grass grow thicker and greener than ever.

See the article here:
Power Seeding for Lawn Grass | Lawn Doctor

Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action Built For Seeding is formulated to help grow new grass and control against weeds while feeding and strengthening grass. Now you don't have to choose how to best care for your lawnyou can maximize growth with one application. Jump start grass seed development so it establishes quicker and thicker, whether you are starting a fresh new lawn or reseeding an existing lawn. Protect your lawn against annoying and bothersome crabgrass, dandelions and other pesky weeds for up to 6 weeks without harming your new grass. It also feeds and strengthens your new grass to protect it against heat and drought.

For best results to grow grass fast apply with Scotts spreader to dry lawn, then water to activate. Works with most grasses including Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and centipedegrass. One 17.2-lb. bag covers up to 4,000 sq. ft. New weeds will sprout white or turn white and quickly die. This product does not contain grass seed, and it will not kill existing weeds.

Pro Tips:

See the article here:
Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action Built For Seeding | Scotts

We're often asked "Can I sow wildflower seed onto grass?" Generally customers have an existing lawn or pasture which they want to enhance. The short answer is it may well not work.

You'll more often than not have a better chance of establishing a wildflower meadow area if you start from scratch. On the other hand sometimes - if the lawn has been converted from old pasture, for example - people are amazed by the wildflowers which appear if they just leave it unmown over the summer.

It's not ALWAYS impossible to successfully oversow if you take that route, but that depends on several things.

If you have fertile soil, over time grasses or - if not managed - pernicious weeds - will overwhelm the wildflowers you are trying to establish. Even if you start with bare earth it's a problem, so if the grass is already there it's doubly difficult. It's not that wildflowers don't like fertile soils; they just don't respond to higher nutrient levels in the same way that grass or plants like dock or nettle will do.

If you're not sure how fertile your soil is - or whether it's alkaline or acidic - you can get a soil test done.

Grass is so successful because it grows fast and has a tendency to thatch, blocking out any competition. Some grasses are particularly thuggish. Particular favourites of lawn mixes are cultivars of Lolium perenne, Perennial rye grass.

Photo: Wildlife Trusts

If you're looking at a sea of these kind ofspikeletsin summer, then forget converting your lawn to a wildflower meadow! No amount of careful preparation or parasitic plants (see below) is going to work, I'm afraid. You may have some initial success, but within a couple of years you'll be looking at a lot of ryegrass again. There are other aggressive coarser grasses too, but PRG is the main offender as cultivars are always an important constituent of lawn or grazing mixes.

On the other hand, when you have a careful look at your grass you may be pleasantly surprised. People often find that they have a range of wildflowers they haven't noticed, or which just haven't had a chance to get going. Following the advice below will help them do so.

So, you have a promising site with what looks like fine grasses. What do you do to prepare it for overseeding with a wildflower seed mix?

You need to really beat up the existing grass, to the extent that you can see up to 50% earth. You need to do this through a combination of scarifying and cutting. To break up the thatch of the existing grass, first cut it. Then use a chain harrow to larger sites, or for a garden a scarifier, spring rake or hand cultivator. Once you've done that, cut it again - really short. If you're lucky enough to have livestock, do the cutting with them!

You're trying to create gaps large enough for the slow germinating and growing wildflowers to establish before they're overwhelmed by faster growing grass. You may even feel you need to clear small patches completely to give them as good a chance as possible.

If you then decide to add some wildflower seed, source it from a reputable supplierand always check that not only does it include appropriate native species, but that the seed originates in the UK. "Wildflowers" can apparently mean different things to different suppliers! They need to be recently harvested and stored properly too. Although a wildflower only seed mix will cost a lot more than a meadow mix (i.e. including grasses) you won't need much of it; reckon on something around 1g per square metre.

If you're sowing in late summer - autumn (the optimal time), then it's helpful if your mix includes Yellow Rattle, Rhinanthus minor. If it doesn't, then it's probably worth buying a little to add. If sowing in spring, add it the following September ayway as the seed has limited viability.

You could at this point - particularly if you have a small area - decide it's all too much and pop some plug plants in instead. They're more expensive and you'll get less diversity, but they're definitely an option. Reckon on 5 per square metre, so a single one of these trays will cover 25 square metres.

...is simple. The seeding rate is so low - reckon on around 1g per square metre - that you'll need to mix your seed mix with some peat free compost or sand to make sure you don't run out of expensive ammunition half way through sowing. The ratio of inert carrier to seed doesn't matter.

If you're seeding a large area, mark it out into squares with canes. If you have a square 5mX5m you know you will need around 25g of seed for that area.

Scatter evenly across the area you want to seed. Do two passes if you can, one left to right and the other front to back.

Once seeded, if its practical, give the area a light role to make sure the seed is in good contact with the earth.

If you can bear it, keep the newly seeded area cut for 6 months after seeding, to around 3cm. This will help keep the grass from overwhelming the seedling wildflowers. The exception to this is if your wildflower seed included cornfield annuals like poppies, in which case let them flower before cutting.

This regime will also help control weeds, but if you see plants like dock appearing then have them out!

Success!

Originally posted here:
Sowing Wildflower Seed Onto Grass | Habitat Aid

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) With little change in southeastern Nebraskas drought despite some rain, lawns are hurting.

The time to invest in your lawn is now, according to the Nebraska Extension office in Lancaster County.

Temperatures largely influence how the grasses here grow, controlling when you should seed and fertilize.

Now through Sept. 15, both Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue grow better as air and soil temperatures cool down. There is better root growth and new seedlings get off to a better start.

We have cooler temperatures and hopefully more rain which allow for better root development on those new grass plants, said Sarah Browning, an educator at Nebraska Extension. Fall is also a time when we have less weed pressure, so we dont have to fight the weeds quite as bad as you do with the spring seeding.

When it comes to overseed and patch areas, there are steps to ready the soil before putting down any product.

Before you overseed, always dethatch the lawn, said Christian Burbach, owner of Black Label Property Services. Dethatching is a process where youll scrape up the dead grass thats been accumulating over the summers, years, however long. Especially if you are not bagging your grass, youre going to want to dethatch almost on a yearly basis. This makes sure that youre not going to have a bunch of dead spots on your yard from all that dead grass accumulating.

After dethatching, professionals then encourage aerating your yard for the nutrients and oxygen it will provide the soil.

When you are ready to then overseed, buy the high-quality blue tag seed for your yard.

Once the seed is set, the area needs to be watered two to four times a day during the first two weeks, depending on temperatures.

As the grass approaches mowing height, you can slow down the number of times you water.

And mowing should start as soon as possible.

People dont want to wait and allow the grass seedlings to get tall before they start to mow, Browning said. They want to stick with their normal mowing schedule and start mowing those seedlings as quickly as possible to help them develop maturity.

Experts say getting your seeding done as early as possible is important because each week of delay means two to four additional weeks the grass will need to mature in the fall.

See more here:
Dethatch, aerate, seed: Nebraska Extension says the time for lawn care is now - KLKN

Clear-cutting trees to make it easier to raise cattle in the Midwest eliminated much of the landscape known as Midwest Savanna, but an experimental farm in southern Missouri is trying to prove that grazing animals in forests is better for the environment, farmers, and the cows.

Midwest Savannas typically had many trees, but they were far apart, providing shade but also enough sunlight and space for native grasses to grow on the forest floor.

That habitat was created intentionally by a lot of indigenous communities that lived here, said Ashley Conway-Anderson, an agroforestry professor at the University of Missouri. Intentionally managed with fire, and then once fire opened things up, what came next was grass and what came next was large grazing herbivores.

Those herbivores were bison and elk 500 years ago, but Conway-Anderson said they could be cows today. Shes leading a multi-year study at the University of Missouris Wurdak Extension and Education Center, about 30 miles southeast of Rolla, to first thin out the forest areas, get native grasses growing and bring in cows to graze.

When Europeans came to the Americas, it started a pattern of forests either being overplanted, unmanaged, or clear-cut to make way for pastures or fields for crops.

The practice of returning to more natural efforts of grazing livestock in the forest is called silvopasture, and it's a very old way of raising animals.

While there isnt anything new about the practice, Conway-Andersons research is getting more attention because healthy forests can be a critical part of combating climate change.

Trees are good at keeping carbon out of the atmosphere and are also resilient in the face of extreme weather caused by climate change.

When we do have floods, when we do have droughts and fires, it wont be wholesale destruction. It will be able to recover much more quickly and maintain functionality longer when it experiences those inevitable challenges, Conway-Anderson said.

Her goal is to get the data and create an example to help farmers move their cattle from open fields into forests.

Jonathan Ahl / Harvest Public Media

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It could be a short trip, she said, because so many want to, and some already are, like Iowa farmer Bruce Carney, who raises cattle on his family farm north of Des Moines.

More than 10 years ago, he decided to convert 200 acres from corn and soybeans fields to land for cattle to graze.

What I learned after seeding a crop farm down was that I needed trees. I needed windbreaks. I needed shade. I needed a living barn. To me, thats what trees do for you, Carney said.

Carney said trees make cows happier, healthier and bring in more money when they are sold. He is cited as a success story of silvopasture development, but Carney eschews the label.

Im not a silvopasture expert, Carney said, Im just a guy who planted trees. And Id like to do more.

The kind of research going on at the University of Missouri could help him and other farmers do that by developing best practices and plans to make forest grazing work.

Another benefit of the movement is that it can make small farms more viable by increasing the amount of money they bring in.

By its very nature, silvopasture is intentional and intensive, so it allows for us to do more on one piece of land, said Kaitie Adams, the Illinois Community Agroforester for the Wisconsin-based Savanna Institute.

You can grow food like apples or walnuts, have a timber business and graze cattle all on one reasonably sized piece of land, Adams said. And with farmland prices skyrocketing, that makes it more possible for new, younger people to get into farming.

There are a lot of challenges to making a go of having cattle graze in forests, including the time it takes for trees to grow, the inefficiency of raising cattle that graze as opposed to producing them in a factory farm, and the time and effort required to manage a forest properly.

Conway-Anderson and other advocates believe its worth it, and are optimistic that they can prove it.

I want to get more people thinking about this as a viable possibility. Because even if everybody does this on 40 acres that they have, thats a huge amount that can add to this mosaic and help rebuild the tapestry of savanna landscape that once was here, Conway-Anderson said.

Silvopasture proponents are also banking on the increased need for such measures, as climate change puts pressure on agriculture to come up with solutions in the coming years.

Link:
Getting cattle into the forest could help climate change, farmers and the livestock - KOSU

Dyers chamomile, self-heal, vipers bugloss, goldenrod, hares bell, maiden pink, old mans beard, ladys bedstraw: some of the old names of the wild flowers in the new summerhouse meadow.

Rampant, thigh-high now in just a few weeks; sunlit grass-seed-coloured blond as Henris hair. It takes a couple of hours to acclimatise but with a little discreet tidying at the edges, a path or two cut through, we walk around in wonder. Flower vases throughout the house bringing the outside in.

The bird cherries are in full glory the small, sweet black fruit preferred by us; a more bitter translucent scarlet favoured by the flights of birds who ferry them to their nests.

The newly sown Serifos poppies, red as old soldiers tunics, have taken. The once-blue bed is already a mass of exuberant competing colour, vivid pinks and oranges. Calendula and nasturtium join the seeding phacelia, the cornflowers and borage. Others I have to ask my old Collins illustrated book and PlantNet about.

The ripe redcurrants will add sharpness to sweet local strawberries. The blackcurrants will be saved for Inas soft jam. The revelations, though, are the apple tree, almost barren last year, and the younger espalier pears.

Everything appears to have benefited from the stinking sack of organic manure I widely spread, to Henris distress. The trees are heavy with too many fruit so I cull through carefully.

I trim a few ground-hugging branches at the base of the towering larch and red pine to let air and occasional rain through. Mostly though we are here to mooch, to sit and eat outside, read newspapers, perhaps even a novel. Less so, our emails and phones.

We walk about in the mornings and evenings, consult the flower and bird apps. We cycle along the waters edge to the good fish shop in the small harbour. We wander to the sea at sunset. We count ourselves fortunate.

Allan Jenkinss Plot 29 (4th Estate, 9.99) is out now. Order it for 8.49 from guardianbookshop.com

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Reaping the rewards of a summer garden - The Guardian

Q: What can I do with my unseeded acres now the weather is more favourable?

A: Flooding and drought at seeding time are common situations that may lead to acres being unseeded to previously planned high-value crops. While crop insurance can provide varying levels of compensation for acres unseeded to long-season cash crops, sometimes opportunities exist to take advantage of later improvement of weather. A common practice in the Prairies is to plant these fields later with cover crops such as annual forages. This provides multiple economic and ecological benefits.

Economic benefits of cover crops include input cost reduction and additional revenue. For example, forage legumes can reduce nitrogen fertilizer expenses for the next crop, potentially increasing net profit over the course of your crop rotation. Furthermore, forages can reduce the need for herbicides by suppressing weeds through their rapid growth.

Additional cash flow can be realized when forages are harvested as greenfeed and silage. On the ecological side, forages can enhance soil health, as living roots provide food and shelter for soil microbes. Forages can also minimize soil erosion and nutrient loss when grasses are included due to the buildup of organic matter via above-ground biomass and fibrous root systems as well as nutrient recycling.

Selecting annual forages as cover crops requires careful considerations and chief among them are the primary goals of your production, species selection and location of your operation. The primary goal of cover cropping annual forages could be as simple as growing feed for grazing and/or silage. Suitable species can be chosen from legumes, grasses and broadleaf plants.

Legumes, in addition to building soil nitrogen levels, increase organic matter, improve soil tilth and serve as hosts to mycorrhizal fungi. Grasses, in addition to minimizing erosion and nutrient loss, can be used for silage/greenfeed and to extend the grazing season either with swath grazing or late-regrowth grazing.

Grass blends may include annual/Italian ryegrass underseeded with oats, barley or triticale. Broadleaf plants, especially the Brassica species, can help to break soil hardpans with their large roots, as well as reduce soil compaction and upcycle nutrients to near the soil surface.

A blend of these species, which includes legumes and Brassica species, may be seeded. A cereal may be used as a nurse crop to provide additional feed.

Optimal seeding rates for annual forage blends will vary depending on the blend used and should be discussed with your local crop advisor.

Sola Ajiboye, PhD, MBA, AIT, is a manager of agronomic solutions for Nutrien Ag Solutions for southern Alberta (North).

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Economic and ecological benefits of annual forages - Grainews