Hay Meadow Maintenance

KSQ2

Well-Known Member
I have an unusual question for the crew. With the unbelievable cost of fertilizer right now, with no indication of it coming down anytime soon, I was wondering if anything we do as regenerative plotters could be applied to my family’s warm season grass hay meadows? My father-in-law has both native warm season grass meadows and a couple bermuda grass meadows. I know clover could be frost seeded into them, but what about buckwheat in the summer after the first cutting? He only cuts his native meadows once a year, so buckwheat probably wouldn’t work there because he wouldn’t want it to go to seed. Would the buckwheat have a chance to grow in the bermuda, and would it provide any phosphorus for the clover? He would hay the bermuda with the buckwheat a month and a half later in a good year.
 
Since no one has answered your question I’ll give an opinion based on my results.
I know my fescue is a very controlling and hard to eradicate grass. It forms a dense root mat that inhibits any competition from other seed and along with its chemical abilities it is difficult for plants to grow.
Bermuda is probably similar and really more aggressive than fescue. Personally I think it would be very difficult to mix with buck wheat or other seedlings.
Caveat would be to aggressively mow every 3-6 wks to allow new seedlings to develop much in the same way I do clovers in my Buffalo plot.
But I would think that would negate the buckwheat and the hay mowing for cattle feed.
Give it a go and see what occurs. One never knows. Can’t hurt anything.


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