Key Benefits:
• Optimized Nutrition – Bermudagrass and Bahiagrass provide excellent fiber and digestibility; Crimson Clover fixes nitrogen and boosts crude protein.
• High Yield & Rapid Regrowth – Pearl Millet thrives in summer heat and recovers quickly under grazing; Annual Ryegrass fills winter feed gaps with fast germination.
• Southern Climate Adaptation – All species perform in heat, humidity, acidic soils, and tolerate seasonal drought once established.
• Low-Input Sustainability – Nitrogen-fixing clover reduces fertilizer needs; deep roots improve soil structure and resilience under heavy grazing.

Ideal For:
• Dairy and beef cattle grazing systems
• Rotational, strip-grazing, or continuous grazing operations
• Pasture renovation and forage production for hay or silage
• Producers seeking a reliable, low-input forage solution that maximizes animal performance

For a detailed seed-tag breakdown by weight, please contact us to request a digital copy.

Why You’ll Love It

Multi-Season Forage: Early-maturing oats provide spring green-up, while Austrian peas and clovers deliver summer protein. Forage chicory and radish extend palatability into late season and help break up compacted soils.

Health-Boosting Nutrition: Alfalfa and clovers fix nitrogen and boost crude protein, supporting muscle development and antler growth. Oats and peas supply energy-rich carbohydrates for fat reserves through harsh weather.

Unmatched Attraction & Retention: A diverse stand keeps game coming back—offering preferred browse in each season and reducing pressure on any single species.

Adapted to the Great Plains: Each species is chosen for tolerance of wide temperature swings, variable moisture, and the region’s soil types, ensuring reliable establishment and persistence.

Soil-Building Benefits: Deep-rooted brassicas and chicory improve soil structure and drainage; legumes naturally enrich fertility, lowering your long-term input costs.

Stand Composition (Established %)

35% Oats – Rapid spring growth and high energy

20% Alfalfa – Long-lived, high-protein perennial

15% Austrian Peas – Cool-season protein boost

10% White Clover – Fine, persistent groundcover

10% Red Clover – Mid-season bulk and nitrogen fixation

** 5% Forage Chicory** – Extended summer forage and deep rooting

** 5% Forage Radish** – Winter soil aeration and late-season browse

Ideal For

Food plots and wildlife openings

Whitetail, mule deer, elk, pronghorn, and more

Landowners seeking long-term habitat enhancement with minimal inputs

For planting rates, timing, and a detailed seed-tag breakdown by weight, contact us to request your digital seed-tag copy—and start growing a forage mix that keeps big game coming back year after year.

These deep-rooted natives are well-known for their durability, drought resistance, and ability to establish strong, permanent vegetation cover. Whether you’re protecting a slope, stabilizing a streambank, or restoring native grassland, the Big Four work together to hold soil in place while enhancing biodiversity and ecological value.

Key Benefits:

Superior Erosion Control

• Deep, fibrous root systems from all four species create a dense underground network that holds soil together, even on slopes and disturbed ground.
• Especially effective in areas prone to runoff, wind erosion, or seasonal flooding.

Adapted to Tough Conditions

• Thrives in poor, compacted, or low-fertility soils, making it ideal for reclamation projects and disturbed sites.
• Highly drought-tolerant once established, requiring minimal inputs or maintenance.

Ecological and Habitat Value

• Provides food and shelter for native pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects.
• Supports long-term native prairie restoration and enhances local biodiversity.

Sustainable and Low Maintenance

• No need for frequent mowing or replanting — this perennial mix returns year after year.
• Native species naturally resist pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical inputs.

What’s Inside the Mix:

• Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) – A tall, clumping grass with strong roots and excellent adaptability to wet or dry conditions.
• Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) – Known for its golden plumes and erosion-fighting strength on slopes and open fields.
• Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) – The backbone of native prairies, offering height, coverage, and deep stabilization.
• Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) – A shorter, beautiful grass that excels on dry hillsides and shallow soils.

Ideal For:

• Roadside and highway right-of-ways
• Hillside and slope stabilization
• Native prairie restoration
• Soil conservation and land reclamation projects

With the Big Four Native Erosion Control Mix, you’re not just planting grass — you’re building a long-lasting, self-sustaining ecosystem that protects the land and restores its natural balance.

For the contents of this seed mix by weight, please contact us to request a digital copy of the seed tag.

Agronomic Characteristics

Growth Habit: Bunch-forming (non-rhizomatous), which simplifies hay harvest and prevents excessive thatch buildup.

Soil Adaptation: Thrives in a range of soil types—from fertile loams to heavier, poorly drained soils—and tolerates periodic waterlogging better than most cool-season grasses.

Climate Tolerance: Cold-hardy and able to withstand harsh winters; moderately drought resistant, performing well in regions receiving at least 15 inches of annual rainfall without supplemental irrigation.

Disease & Insect Resistance: Naturally resistant to many common forage pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical controls.

Key Benefits

High-Quality Hay & Forage: Produces leafy growth with fine stems and tender seed heads that horses and ruminants find highly palatable, delivering balanced fiber and energy for optimal animal health.

Rapid Establishment: Germinates and develops quickly in cool, moist soils, allowing for timely spring or fall seeding and early first harvest.

Yield Stability: Delivers consistent forage yields season after season, with multiple cuttings possible in temperate regions under good management.

Environmental Resilience: Tolerates waterlogged winter soils and stands up to summer moisture stress, making it versatile across wetter northern climates and transitional zones.

Primary Uses

Horse Hay: The fine texture and high digestibility of timothy make it the gold-standard hay for performance and broodstock horses.

Livestock Grazing: Suitable for rotational grazing systems, offering steady regrowth and palatable spring and early summer forage.

Mixed Forage Blends: Often combined with alfalfa, clover, or other grasses like orchardgrass to balance nutrition, improve stand longevity, and extend the grazing or cutting season.

Planting & Management

Seeding Rate: 8–10 lb per acre (broadcast) or 4–6 lb per acre (drilled) in pure stands; adjust lower when blending with legumes.

Planting Time: Early spring or late summer/early fall when soil temperatures range between 50–65 °F.

Soil Preparation: Fine, firm seedbed with pH 6.0–7.0; incorporate organic matter in poor soils to boost fertility and moisture retention.

Harvesting: First cutting at early bloom (10–15% bloom stage) for optimum nutritive value; subsequent cuttings spaced 4–6 weeks apart, depending on regrowth and weather.

Maintenance: Annual soil tests to guide fertilizer applications; light topdressing and occasional aeration help maintain stand density and soil health.

Ideal For

Equine operations seeking premium hay quality

Mixed-species pastures in cool, moist regions

Forage producers targeting high-value hay markets

Farms and ranches in northern and transitional U.S. climates

With its combination of environmental resilience, forage quality, and reliable performance, Timothy Grass remains a cornerstone of cool-season forage systems—delivering value to both livestock and producers year after year.

In addition, alfalfa grass yields healthy amounts of plant matter that can be harvested several times a season, which is why it is invaluable in hay production and is widely grown and used among farms and pasture lands. Alfalfa can also be partnered with grass species such as meadow fescue and orchardgrass for pasture grazing, although it should be a small percentage of the overall forage mix content to avoid bloating.

What Are The Uses of Alfalfa?
Though we provide a brief list of its uses above, here is a more detailed description of the many uses of alfalfa for livestock and agriculture:

Hay Production – As mentioned earlier, alfalfa hay is considered ideal for farmers, as its persistent growth cycle throughout the year can allow for great volumes of hay to be produced. Alfalfa hay is also known as high-protein feed, ensuring the livestock it feeds grows healthy and strong.

Livestock Grazing – During more verdant times of the year, alfalfa is also great for animals such as cows and lambs to graze and consume directly.

Silage – Alfalfa can also be stored in a silo for lengthy amounts of time, providing high-quality feed for times of year when there are no grasses or other plants for animals to graze.

Green Manure – For those looking to help sustain their lawns or pastures better, alfalfa can also be used as a great fertilizer while it is still green, providing additional nitrogen to the soil.

Ground Cover – In some cases, alfalfa can also be used as feed or fertilizer and as protection from soil erosion, weeds, diseases, and more.

Those are just some ways alfalfa seeds are used to benefit your farm, pasture, or other landscape. There are many incredible advantages to growing it as a crop on your property.

What Are The Benefits of Having Alfalfa Fields?
In addition to its varied uses, planting alfalfa seeding provides several benefits that make it more distinct and ideal to include as part of your forage mix. Here are a few perks of alfalfa seed to consider:

Alfalfa Increases soil nitrogen
As it is a legume, alfalfa plants have the ability to fix available nitrogen from the atmosphere, absorbing it from the air and back into the soil, enhancing plant growth for subsequent crops you may be planting in the same field later on.

Alfalfa is the highest-yielding forage plant
As mentioned before, alfalfa seed also provides a high yield for a sizable time of the year, giving it the highest feeding value among other legume and grass species.

Alfalfa Helps prevent soil erosion
Alfalfa plants each grow an incredibly deep root system, making it somewhat drought-tolerant, loosening compacted soil for better water infiltration and structure, and reducing soil erosion.

Alfalfa Provides high-quality forage and animal feed
Alfalfa grass can also be excellent feed and forage for livestock such as sheep and cattle. It provides them with a healthy, abundant food source with a high protein content and remains fresh for long periods, even when stored in a silo.

Alfalfa Manages the insect population
Planting alfalfa also helps protect every acre of pasture or farmland from harmful pests, as it attracts all kinds of other more beneficial insects, such as bees and other pollinators, as well as birds, which will hunt down any pests looking to eat your other crops.

These benefits and more help to prove that alfalfa may be the best legume in the world to plant in your pasture or grazing area. For premium quality Alfalfa seed and other legumes, order from Nature’s Seed today!

Agronomic Characteristics

Growth Habit: Forms dense, upright clumps that can reach up to six feet in height under ideal conditions.

Soil & Climate Tolerance: Thrives in a wide range of soil textures—from sandy loams to heavier clay soils—and tolerates pH from 5.5 to 7.5. Performs well across temperature extremes, from cool spring days to hot summer afternoons.

Endophyte-Free Assurance: Unlike older, endophyte-infected varieties that can produce livestock toxicosis, our pasture-type tall fescue is 100% endophyte-free, ensuring safe grazing for cattle, sheep, goats, and horses.

Key Benefits

Year-Round Reliability: Provides fair to good quality forage from early spring through late fall, with strong regrowth following grazing or cutting.

Drought & Moisture Management: Establishes and persists on sites receiving as little as 15 inches of annual rainfall, reducing the need for supplemental irrigation. It also withstands occasional wet periods without significant stand loss.

Stress Resilience: Exhibits excellent resistance to trampling, moderate salinity, and many common turf and forage diseases, minimizing the need for chemical interventions.

Deep Root System: Develops an extensive root network that improves soil structure, enhances water infiltration, and helps prevent erosion on slopes and compacted areas.

Primary Uses

Pasture Grazing: Ideal for rotational and continuous grazing systems; its upright growth makes it easy for livestock to harvest and digest.

Hay & Silage Production: Produces high-yielding first cuts in late spring and reliable regrowth for a second or even third cutting, delivering consistent hay quality.

Erosion Control & Land Reclamation: Its sturdy bunching habit and deep roots stabilize disturbed soils on roadsides, buffer strips, and reclamation sites.

Ornamental & Turf Applications: Endophyte-free varieties are increasingly used in low-maintenance lawns, sports fields, and utility easements.

Planting & Management

Seeding Rate: 20–30 lb per acre for pure stands; adjust to 10–15 lb per acre when mixed with clovers or other grasses.

Planting Windows: Early spring or late summer/early fall, when soil temperatures are between 50–65 °F.

Soil Preparation: Establish in a firm, well-tilled seedbed with pH near neutral. Incorporate 2–3 tons/acre of organic matter on poor soils to boost fertility and water retention.

Fertilization & Liming: Base applications on soil tests; tall fescue responds well to balanced, moderate nitrogen rates and benefits from occasional phosphate and potassium top-dressings.

Grazing & Cutting: Allow 4–6 inches of residual growth before grazing or mowing to maintain stand vigor. Rest pastures for 30–45 days between grazings for optimal regrowth.

Ideal For

Livestock producers seeking a dependable, high-yield pasture grass

Hay growers targeting multiple cuttings of quality forage

Land managers addressing soil stabilization and low-input turf needs

Operations in regions with limited rainfall or variable climates

With its combination of adaptability, forage quality, and endophyte-free safety, our Tall Fescue offers a proven foundation for productive, sustainable grazing systems and forage programs.