by Jeremy Sweeten

Recently I received the following email:

"Can you explain the advantages and disadvantages between each one? I know the smooth bromegrass is very difficult to mix.

Also I’ve got a guy looking at a mix of the following:

17# Orchardgrass
8# Smooth Bromegrass
8# Bronson Tall Fescue

Any thoughts on that also."

Here is my reply:

Smooth bromegrass generally matures later than orchardgrass. It is really a 2-3 cuts per year grass (45 day rest periods). It does fill in with rhizomes. It does not like a low cutting height. It likes moderately to well-drained soils like orchardgrass. Smooth bromegrass is more cold tolerant than orchardgrass. It holds its forage quality through seed production. Orchardgrass quality drops very quickly after the late boot stage.

Meadow brome is similar to orchardgrass in maturity and grows on similar moderately to well-drained soils. It regrows faster than smooth bromegrass and will match up with alfalfa and take up to 4 cuts per year. Meadow brome can be a pain to mix as well because it is a large fluffy seed similar to smooth bromegrass. Meadow brome can basically be managed like orchardgrass. I believe that meadow brome will hang on to its quality longer on reproductive growth than orchardgrass.

The mix looks good to me. If he is using it for pasture, he could add some red and/or ladino clover.

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