7/17/22, 7:36 PM Forage Management Calendar

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Forage Management Calendar

Forage management recommendations for each month of the year.
ARTICLES | UPDATED: JANUARY 24, 2012

January
Calculate financial
budget for this coming
year's forage enterprises.
Investigate ideas on
reducing costs or
increasing income from
forages.
Attend educational
meetings that relate to
your forage enterprise.
Graze corn stalks but
supplement with good quality forages.
Provide wind break or shelter for animals and feed extra energy if very cold
weather.
Keep snowmobiles and other traffic off of alfalfa.
Renew your membership in the Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council
(PFGC).

February
Order seed and supplies for spring forage seeding.
Attend educational meetings that relate to your forage enterprise.
Keep snowmobiles and other traffic off of alfalfa.
Begin routine maintenance and repairs on forage planting and harvesting
equipment.
Remove cows from corn stalks to avoid excessive soil compaction.

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In late February, frost seed legumes into small grains or pastures.

March
Finish frost seeding by early March.
Finish routine maintenance and repairs on forage planting and harvesting
equipment.
Complete maintenance check and repairs on forage planting and harvesting
equipment.
Order supplies (haybine knives & guards, rake teeth, twine, balage wrap or bags)
for forage harvest.

April
Scout alfalfa fields for heaving and winter injury. If severe, make plans to thicken
stand with grass or make plans to rotate to another crop.
Begin scouting for alfalfa weevil in late April.
Plant cool-season forages when soil is suitable.
Apply nitrogen to grass pastures and hay fields at greenup.
Begin grazing Be aware of bloat or grass tetany potential and take proper
precautions.
Remove grazing livestock from fall-seeded small grains prior to jointing.

May
Finish planting cool-season forages by early May.
Seed warm-season grasses.
Seed summer-annual grasses.
Continue scouting for alfalfa weevil begin scouting for potato leaf hoppers.
If excess forage is available in pasture, then divert some of the paddocks into
hay/silage production.
Apply phosphorus and potassium to forages after the first harvest according to
soil test recommendations.
Harvest fall seeded small grains at the boot stage for top quality.
Begin making hay or silage from perennial forages based on the quality forage
you wish to harvest.

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June
Clip mature forages that were not grazed.
Seed summer-annual grasses.
Continue scouting for alfalfa weevil and potato leaf hoppers.
Harvest established forages 30 to 35 days after first harvest.
Harvest spring oats for forage at the boot stage.

July
Graze perennial warm-season or summer-annual forages as cool-season pasture
growth slows.
Plant brassica crops for fall grazing.
Continue to harvest established forages on a 30 to 35 day schedule.
Continue scouting for potato leaf hoppers.
Harvest spring seeded forages approximately 75 days after seeding.
Purchase forage seed needed for August seeding.
Prepare fields intended for August seeding.

August
Complete August forage seedings.
Continue to harvest established forages on a 30 to 35 day schedule.
Continue scouting for potato leaf hoppers.
Harvest spring seeded forages approximately 75 days after seeding.
Inventory harvested forage. If additional forage needs to be purchased consider
buying them locally "out of the field". This maybe cheaper than waiting till winter
and purchasing them.
Sample and test hay and silage for forage quality.
Stop grazing those cool-season forage paddocks that will be stockpiled for
grazing in November or December.

September
Final forage harvest should be completed early this month.
After the final hay harvest, apply fertilizer for stand maintenance and to improve
winter survival.

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Begin grazing summer-seeded brassica forage.

Stop grazing perennial warm-season forages to improve winter survival.
Sample and test hay and silage for forage quality.

October
Soil test fields that will be seeded to forages next year. Apply lime now to adjust
soil pH.
Continue grazing summer-seeded brassica forage.
Harvest summer-seeded small grain forage.

November
If not done in October, soil test fields that will be seeded to forages next year.
Apply lime now to adjust soil pH.
If the forage is needed, a final harvest of alfalfa can be taken when growth has
stopped and the temperature drops to 24 F or lower.
If needed, apply fall herbicides for control of winter-annual weeds in legume
fields.
Continue grazing summer-seeded brassica forage.
Begin grazing stockpiled forages.
Overgraze pastures that are to be overseeded with legumes in February or
March.
Consider pasturing corn stover as a feed cost reduction strategy.

December
Begin feeding supplemental forage to cows grazing corn stover.
Continue grazing summer-seeded brassica forage.
Continue grazing stockpiled forages.
Overgraze pastures that are to be overseeded with legumes in February or
March.
Order seed for frost seeding in February and March.
Calculate cost and returns associated with this past year's forage enterprises.
Keep snowmobiles and other traffic off of alfalfa.
Begin reviewing University and Industry data as to which species and varieties to
seed on your farm next year.

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