Cool Season
Extend Your Grazing Season with Cool Season Forage Grasses
Our Cool Season Forage Grasses thrive during the cooler months of early spring and fall, providing high-quality forage when warm season grasses are dormant. These grasses are perfect for extending your grazing season and ensuring consistent feed availability.
| Grass Type | Seeding Rate (lbs/acre) | Primary Use | Height (ft) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Wildrye | 10-12 | Grazing, hay | 3-4 | Native, tall-growing perennial bunchgrass. Well adapted to sandy soils, winter-hardy. Palatable if grazed before heading. |
| Ditch Mix | 50-150 | Lawns, secondary areas | Varies | Mixture of KY-31 Tall Fescue and Linn Perennial Ryegrass. Quick establishment, drought tolerant. |
| Ditch Mix II | 50-150 | Lawns, grazing | Varies | Similar to Ditch Mix but with endophyte-free tall fescue, suitable for grazing. |
| Festulolium | 25-30 | Grazing | 1-3 | Cross between ryegrass and fescue. Persistent, productive, and winter-hardy. Produces well in hot summers. |
| Garrison Creeping Foxtail | 3-5 | Wetland forage | Varies | Early maturing, sod-forming grass, excellent for wet soils, tolerates flooding. |
| Green Needlegrass | 7-8 | Grazing | 1-3 | Native bunchgrass, very palatable to livestock, fast recovery after grazing. |
| Italian Ryegrass | 30-45 | Grazing, pasture mix | Varies | Biennial grass, often mixed with oats and turnips for grazing. Fast-growing. |
| Meadow Bromegrass | 18-20 | Grazing | 1-3 | Long-lived perennial, good regrowth after grazing. Less productive in drought than smooth bromegrass but recovers faster. |
| Orchardgrass | 10-12 | Grazing, hay | 3-4 | Tall perennial bunchgrass, excellent for orchards due to shade tolerance. Declines in quality as it matures. |
| Perennial Ryegrass | 30-40 | Grazing, hay | Varies | Available in diploid and tetraploid varieties. Tetraploid varieties are taller, more digestible, and better suited for grazing. |
| Red Top | 3-4 | Wetland hay | 3-5 | Sod-forming perennial grass, thrives in wet poorly drained soils, tolerates flooding and acidic soils. |
| Reed Canarygrass | 8-10 | Wetland grazing, hay | Varies | Sod-forming, excellent for wet, poorly drained soils. Alkaloid content can reduce palatability, but some low-alkaloid varieties are available. |
| Sheep Fescue | 20-25 | Grazing, erosion control | 1-2 | Native bunchgrass, prefers moist but sandy soils. |
| Smooth Bromegrass | 15-25 | Grazing, hay | 2-3 | Hardy, deep-rooted sod-forming perennial. Drought tolerant and aggressive, but stands can become unproductive without fertilization. |
| Tall Fescue | 15-20 | Grazing, hay | 2-4 | Deep-rooted, long-lived bunchgrass. Drought tolerant, may contain endophytes harmful to livestock unless using endophyte-free varieties like Fawn and Goliath. |
| Timothy | 12-18 | Grazing, hay | 1-3 | Short-lived perennial, produces palatable hay, especially suited for horses. Shallow roots reduce drought tolerance. |
| Virginia Wildrye | 10-12 | Grazing, hay | 2-3 | Medium height perennial, tolerates a range of soil and moisture conditions. Palatability declines after heading. |
| Wheatgrass (Crested) | 10-12 | Grazing, hay | Varies | Hardy, drought-resistant, provides excellent early spring growth. Fairway type is shorter and more leafier, sometimes used in lawns. |
| Intermediate Wheatgrass | 10-12 | Grazing, erosion control | 2-3 | Tall, deep-rooted sod-forming grass. Tolerates high pH soils, provides early spring growth. |
| Pubescent Wheatgrass | 10-12 | Grazing, hay | 2-3 | More drought tolerant and winter-hardy than intermediate wheatgrass. Adapted to low fertility soils. |
| Slender Wheatgrass | 7-8 | Grazing | 2-2.5 | Short-lived perennial bunchgrass, well adapted to low fertility, high alkali soils. Very palatable but stands decline after 3-4 years. |
| Tall Wheatgrass | 10-12 | Grazing, erosion control | Varies | Tall, drought-resistant perennial bunchgrass. Well-suited for alkali soils and high water tables. Stays green longer than other wheatgrasses. |
| Western Wheatgrass | 10-12 | Grazing, erosion control | 1-3 | Long-lived, sod-forming grass, tolerates drought and periodic flooding. Produces high-quality forage with excellent protein levels. |
Custom Mixes
Not sure the best mix for your field?