Spring Pasture Management Do’s and Don’ts

After a long, cold winter in much of the United States, many farms and their fields will need some work come spring. The following guidelines will help ensure your pasture management efforts are both beneficial and economical for your farm.
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Spring Pasture Management Do
After a long, cold winter in much of the United States, many farms and their fields will need some work come spring. | Photo: Thinkstock
After a long, cold winter in much of the United States, many farms and their fields will need some work come spring. The following guidelines will help ensure your pasture management efforts are both beneficial and economical for your farm.

Don’t fertilize cool-season grass pastures heavily with nitrogen in the spring (more than 50-60 pounds actual nitrogen per acre would be considered heavy). These pastures experience a natural flush of growth in the spring; additional nitrogen will only end up costing you in both fertilizer and time spent mowing. Most horse farms do not have high enough stocking rates to utilize all the spring growth and, thus, will end up mowing down most of this production. Also remember that nitrogen benefits weeds and grasses alike.

Instead, take a soil sample. Most healthy pastures in the United States require additional lime, potassium, and phosphorus applications. A soil sample will show exactly what fertilizer you need to add. While you can sample soil anytime, spring is great time to do so because the weather is nice and you can observe how your pasture is recovering from fall grazing and winter conditions. Farm owners cannot truly know what is in their pastures until they actually walk them and see.

If stocking rates are high, consider top-dressing nitrogen. On farms where horse numbers are very high, such as small private farms or boarding facilities, top-dressing pastures with nitrogen can help them recover faster from the abuse of the previous fall and provide more grazing sooner. Top dress in late March, the first two weeks of May, and the first two weeks of August, if needed

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