Establishing Pastures: Weed Control
When Seeding Forage Stands
Excerpt from Publication 19, Pasture Production, Order
this publication
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Other Pasture Establishment Recommendations
- Related Links
Introduction
Weeds hinder establishment of a productive pasture. Fast growing weeds
can crowd out or smother young forage seedlings. Many weed seeds remain
viable in the soil for more than 20 years, making it impossible to have
a perfectly weed-free seed bed. Prevent as many weeds from establishing
as possible.
- Control weeds such as quackgrass and dandelions with cultural or chemical
methods prior to seeding.
- Use certified seed to prevent seeding hard-to-control weeds, and fertilize
to encourage good forage growth.
- Use chemicals sparingly. Because pasture mixtures are usually composed
of grasses and legumes, there are very few herbicides that are safe
to both types of plants but effective against weeds. Check OMAF
Publication 75 Guide to Weed Control for herbicide information.
- Consider clipping to control measure for problematic weeds. Clip the
weeds before they set seed. You may need to clip several times if the
weeds have large root reserves to support new growth.
Related Links
... on forages and pastures, visit Forages
and Pastures (OMAFRA)
... on weed control, order Publication
75 Guide to Weed Control: Forage Crops
... on agronomy for field crops, order Pub.
811 Agronomy Guide for Field Crops: Chapter 3 Forages
... on field crop protection, order Publication
812, Field Crop Protection Guide
... on livestock, visit Livestock
(OMAFRA)
