grass going to seed so quickly

[Callie]

We reseeded a pasture a couple of years ago. Nothing much happened and we weren't able to bale hay last year.  This year, we seem to have a lot of grass, but it's seeding out already at less than 12" tall.  This grass is what is normally a pasture area. The alpacas aren't eating the grass nearly as fast as the sheep did.  If the grass is going to see this short, it would be hard to turn it into a hay field and bale soft hay.  This stuff is getting stemmy too quickly - but it's the same seed that we used in the hay field.  Is this a problem with the variety of grass we used?  Do some grasses get taller before they make seed heads?  It's stillpretty much between 60 and 75 degrees.  It might be too cool to get hay to dry easily so we can bale.  

The regular hay field grasses are seeding out now also but they are much taller.  Where is the problem?  No, we didn't fertilize this or last year.

[Deleted]

Grass heads out at maturity not height. Was it shorter than the other when grass started to grow this spring? Did it get eaten and the pasture didn't? Could be poorer soil, less fertility. New grass grows slower because it isn't as strong rooted....James

[Maura]

Our pasture has a variety of grasses and weeds. They go to seed at different times, grow best at different times.

[Deleted]

Are you certain that the reseeded pasture seeds "took"? If your seeding was only sparse or else the seedlings didn't germinate well then you may be seeing mostly the native grasses in that pasture. Those native grasses just may not grow tall.

For example, here in SW Oregon the upland native grass is bent grass. This grass was used in the distant past as golf course "putting green" grass (or a variety of it). It just doesn't grow very tall, and is also thin bladed. But, the cows love it!

[Callie]

Well, I knew it wouldn't be simple. If the new seed didn't take, then it would revert back to the canary/tall tough stuff mixed with weeds that we had before. Which, I guess, could be natives. All the pastures/hayfields were seeded with the same mix. I can definately see that fertility would be different from place to place...the north edge is very sandy.

I have some lawn grasses that see out when it is less than a foot tall. I was hoping it wasn't the variety of grass. It doesn't look the same in the back hay fields as in the front pastures. Off of 3.5 acres of grass- we got 26 small square bales of hay last year. We only did one cutting before DH said he was done making hay. At least, it seems thicker than last year.

[Deleted]

I would say it is lack of fertility so the plants don't have a good root system to sustain growth and put out seed as a last ditch effort to survive....James

[Bear Foot Farm]

Is this a problem with the variety of grass we used?

That's hard to say since you haven't told us what you planted

[Callie]

I don't know exactly...it was just a recommended mix- no alfalfa...some clover..no timothy. Some fescue.