Dryland Pasture Seed Mix
Designed for farm, ranch and range with no irrigation. Use in areas with 11-13 in. of annual precip. or sprinkler/flood irrigation is present.
- Excellent for grazing
- Can be cut and bailed where water is sufficient
- Will compete with weeds
- For zones with 10-13″ annual precipitation
- For zones with 14+ inches annual precipitation try:
Min. to Max. Annual Precipitation
40in.
Average Max. Height
Designed for farm, ranch and range with no irrigation. Grows well on the annual precipitation available in most areas of the United States excluding the Sonoran and Mojave desert. Requires a minimum of 10″ annual precipitation. With good grazing practices and sufficient precip it has been bailed at least once annually. Can be fall and winter grazed. Effective for disturbed sites and erosion control. Competes well with weeds.
Dryland Pasture Seed Mix is designed for farm, ranch and range where no irrigation is present. It grows well on the annual precipitation available in most areas of the United States excluding very arid climates like the Sonoran and Mojave desert. It will grow on a minimum of 10″ annual precipitation. If some sprinkler or flood irrigation is present or annual precipitation averages 11-13 inches yield will improve. We have selected dryland pasture grass seed mix species that persist in droughty conditions and provide high quality forage.
In areas of 12+ inches of annual precipitation dryland pasture grass has been and bailed at least once annually. Can be fall and winter grazed as pasture. It is an excellent dual-purpose product adapted to a wide range of dryland ecosystems. It is efficient and multi-purpose.
Dryland Pasture Mix is effective for disturbed sites and erosion control. Competes well with weeds, especially when it is sown in late summer or fall, giving it the upper hand against weedy spring annuals.
Best results are acheived by correct and careful drill seeding or broadcast seeding. Broadcast is the most common sowing method. If the drill method is used, take care to plant no deeper than .25″. Prepare the soil with some form of light disturbance such as a spike-tooth harrow. Methods will vary from site to site and will depend upon your equipment and size of your planting area.
Dryland pasture mix can be sown any time of year if your seeding is kept wet, especially during germination and establishment. Supplement annual precipitation with irrigation if you choose to sow in dry, hot seasons. The best planting time is late fall (September-October). In fall planting scenarios the seed will lie dormant until spring. Firm seed-to-soil contact will enhance establishment, as will rolling or packing, but do not bury pasture grass seed.Plant no deeper than 1/4″
Seeding Rate for Dryland Pasture Seed Mix: 16 lbs./acre drilled (1/4″ maximum depth) 20 lbs./acre broadcast. Refer to the analysis tag on each bag for planting instructions and additional helpful information. For more details click the “additional information” tab above.
Our Dryland Pasture Seed Mix contains the following species*:
- Intermediate Wheatgrass
- Orchardgrass, Paiute
- Slender Wheatgrass
- Crested Wheatgrass, Hycrest
- Smooth Bromegrass
- Dahurian Wildrye
*Refer to the analysis tags for mix percentages.
FAQ:
We are frequently asked if this product is suitable for lawn or turf in yards and outlying areas. We don’t recommend it as turf – the bunch grasses make it difficult (but not impossible) to mow, the species are not fine stemmed and the plants are generally too tall once establishes. Dryland pasture seed mix is a good choice for outlying areas that are not heavily traveled, or where coverage is desired over bare ground, where little mowing will occur, or for weed control.
For additional information see our Dryland Pasture Mix blogpost.
customer submitted photo
Dryland Pasture Seed Mix
A freshly cut field of Dryland Pasture Mix, in windrows ready to bale. Customer submitted photo, Fiona S. from NM.
Custom Seed Mixing
Your Seed, Your Way
Don’t see what you like? Do you have specific needs? Give us a call – we can mix up any custom recipe!
Since 1974 we have prided ourselves on addressing the specific needs of our customers. If you have unique soil, water, environmental or end-use needs we can work up a mix that will work best for you.
Pasture mixes come in different styles, shapes, sizes and PRICES. A good pasture mix is designed for a specific application or environment. When shopping for dryland pasture mix, be sure to do your homework. Whether you buy it from us or another vendor, the advise below will help you make an educated decision and give you real value with return on your investment.
Define “dryland” for YOUR conditions
“Dryland” is loosely defined as annual precipitation with no supplemental irrigation. It varies greatly by state and ecoregion. You can find your annual precipitation and other useful weather data at http://www.usclimatedata.com. Once you know your annual precipitation zone you can determine the species – and mixes – that will work in your area.
Know the precipitation minimums of the seed you plant
Forage and range grasses all have different precipitation requirements. Siberian wheatgrass, for example, will survive on a little as 5″ annual precipitation and is adapted to the most arid locations in north america. Most clovers, on the other hand, require about 16″ of precipitation. In many western states locations the only way to achieve that much precipitation is through irrigation. The form below will give you generalizations for the species adapted to zones with 11″ or less annual precipitation.
Cheap Price vs. Real Value
Resist the urge to buy the cheapest seed mix available. As a general rule irrigated species are cheaper than dryland species. Some seed companies cheapen their mixes by adding items that are not really dryland species. If you live in an area with less than 13″ annual precipitation beware of seed mixes that claim to be “dryland” if they contain the following species:
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• Annual Ryegrass
• Tall Fescue
• Clovers
• Timothy
• Orchard grasses (except Paiute)
If you have plenty of annual precipitation then the above species are commonly used and very good for pasture, but if you live in a 10″ precipitation zone your seed with either never come up at all, or it will come up and quickly die off. Make sure that the species in your mix are adapted to your climate.
Percentages of Species in a Mix:
Check the analysis tag and species percentages when you compare pasture mixes. The example below is taken from a competitors “dryland pasture mix”. It is priced inexpensively at $2.85 and widely marketed for Idaho and Utah. Utah and Idaho are predominantly 10-12″ annual precipitation:
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35% Tall Fescue
22% Paiute Orchardgrass
20% Annual Ryegrass
15% Festulolium
3% Pubescent Wheatgrass
2% Crested Wheatgrass
Paiute Orchardgrass, Pubescent Wheatgrass and Crested Wheatgrass are well adapted to Utah and Idaho and are appropriate for a drylands pasture mix. But their combined add up to only 27% of the mix! Tall Fescue and Festulolium both require in excess of 16″ annual precip to be productive and persist. Annual ryegrass is, as the name states, and annual – it will die off after the first year. The end result is that 70% of this mix will be dead or gone after the first year.
The Bottom Line:
Our dryland pasture mix is a premium product blended for superior performance. We do not cheapen it with fillers. It is more expensive than other competitors, but if you look closely and compare you will see that there is tremendous value built into our product. We believe in selling seed for a purpose and goal, not a price point.
Additional Info
| Scientific Name: | |
|---|---|
| Growth Height: | |
| Max Sowing Depth: | |
| Minimum Precipitation: | 10 inches. Yield will increase with the availability of additional water. |
| Sowing / Planting Rate | 16 lbs. per acre if drilled. Do not drill deeper than 1/4" |
| Best Sowing Time: | Fall = Best |
| Seed Count | Approx. 145,000. Variable, depends heavily upon mix ratios |
| Native or Introduced: | |
| Lifespan: | |
| Sun & Shade Tolerance: | Full Sun , shade OK |
| Blogpost |
