Orchardgrass

A bunch-type, tall-growing, cool-season perennial grass. One of the most commonly used and  productive cool season grasses, tolerant to shade, fairly drought resistant with 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 6-8”; stop when grass gets to 3-4”.

Adaptation:

Better adapted to well-drained soils and is 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”. High palatability in 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/ac alone or 3-5 lbs/ac 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. Select latermaturing orchardgrass varieties (HLR, Elise, Luxor, or Niva) for alfalfa mixes.