Native to parts of Europe and Asia, sainfoin is a perennial legume which produces very palatable, nutritious hay and forage. Unlike other legumes, sainfoin carries no bloat risk when used as primary forage for grazing animals. It’s very drought tolerant and can be grown without irrigation in areas receiving at least 12 inches of annual rainfall. Grows up to four feet tall and produces showy pink flowers. Important to honey bees and produces the highest quality honey. It requires well-drained, calcareous soils.

Scientific Name: Onobrychis viciifolia

Scientific Name:Medicago sativa

What is Alfalfa?

Alfalfa is native to Asia and is one of the most important and common hay crops in the world. A long-lived perennial legume, fresh, pure alfalfa stands from one to three feet tall and produces clusters of small purple flowers. It prefers deep, well-drained soils and is found throughout the entire United States.

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!

Scientific Name: Dactylis glomerata

Introduced from Europe, orchardgrass is a cool-season perennial bunchgrass. It’s used for pasture and hay, and produces high-quality palatable feed for all types of livestock. Orchardgrass can grow up to five feet tall and prefers well-drained soils and is more tolerant of shade than other pasture grasses. Excellent summer regrowth potential. It can be grown without irrigation in areas receiving at least 15 inches of annual precipitation. It performs particularly well when partnered with legumes. Not very cold hardy, but does well under sufficient snow cover.

Step into the lush world of orchard grass with Nature’s Seed. We bring you the finest, most resilient, and high-yielding orchardgrass seeds, perfect for both livestock and land. Sourced from the best terrains of Europe, our seeds promise a green pasture, abundant hay, and enriched soil.

What Is Orchardgrass?

Orchard grass is a tall-growing, perennial bunch grass that is native to Europe and Asia. It is commonly grown for pasture, hay, and silage and is considered a leading cool-season perennial grass in the United States.

Since its introduction to the US from Western and Central Europe, orchard grass has stood as a testament to resilience and adaptability. As a cool-season perennial bunchgrass, it exhibits a remarkable ability to provide high-quality and palatable feed for all kinds of livestock.

Also renowned for its excellent summer regrowth potential, orchard grass can comfortably rise to heights of up to five feet. While it revels in well-drained soils, it has a unique shade tolerance, outperforming many other species of pasture grasses.

Benefits of an Orchard Grass Pasture

Orchardgrass isn’t just another grass — it is a prime forage grass choice for pastures, cattle forage, and livestock grazing. As with other cool-season grasses, its list of benefits reads long, from offering increased forage and persistence to its adaptability to various soil types, including those with moderately poor drainage.

One of its notable traits is its compatibility with legumes and other grasses (especially red clover). It also enriches hay production and boosts forage yield.

While the early bloom seedling stage might be sensitive to freezing temperatures, it exhibits moderate winter hardiness once past that phase. Orchard grass is heat-tolerant, disease-resistant, and demonstrates exceptional seedling vigor.

Its contribution isn’t limited to agricultural or livestock applications — it’s also an invaluable resource for wildlife habitat, biosolids, and more.

Why Choose Nature’s Seed Orchardgrass?

Our orchardgrass seed stands out for its exceptional quality, quick germination rate, and remarkable adaptability. Grown under Nature’s Seed quality assurance, every seed batch undergoes rigorous quality checks ensuring maximum growth potential.

Here are the top three reasons to get Nature’s Seed orchard grass:

• High-Quality Forage: Our seeds give rise to grass, a favorite among livestock, enriching their health and nutrition.
• Diverse Applications: Perfect for pastures, erosion control, green manure, and as a reliable cover crop.
• Optimal Growth: Expect early spring vigor and robust fall growth due to the plant’s dense root system.

How to Plant Orchard Grass

For a successful pasture, ensure the soil is well-drained with a pH level between 6.0 to 7.5. Plant the seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep during late summer or early fall for optimal results.

Follow these steps for the best results in planting your orchard grass:

• Soil Test: Start with a soil test to determine pH and nutrient levels. Orchard grass prefers a pH between 6.0 and 7.5.
• Seedbed Preparation: Prepare a fine and firm seedbed. Till the soil to eliminate existing vegetation and break up compaction.
• Rate of Seeding: Use 8-12 pounds of seed per acre when planting alone. If mixed with legumes, adjust the rate accordingly.
• Seeding Depth: Plant seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep. Measure as you dig for more controlled seeding depth.
• Timing: It’s best to plant orchard grass from early to mid-spring until early fall.

Remember, with Nature’s Seed, you’re not just planting seeds — you’re sowing the future of your land.

How to Maintain Orchard Grass

For those keen on its cultivation, orchard grass thrives in the transition zone and cool season locales. While it does enjoy the luxury of full sunlight, with a recommended 6+ hours daily, it still displays a commendable tolerance to partial shade.

As a bunchgrass, its growth strategy is unique — it spreads laterally by birthing new shoots, known as tillers, right from its base. This strategy results in a progressively wider bunch. For optimal leaf blades and dense clusters, especially during its maiden year, it’s advisable to maintain the stand height within 4-12 inches.

This grass is not just about growth; it’s about timing too. Exhibiting early maturity, orchard grass springs to life with vigor during the early part of the spring and continues its robust growth into the first harvest in the fall. Those looking to plant it should target the late summer or early fall, ensuring nighttime temperatures consistently hover below 65 degrees.

Follow these tips to help maintain your orchard grass lawn:

Fertilization: Based on soil test results, apply necessary nutrients. Nitrogen can be reduced if orchard grass is grown with nitrogen-fixing legumes.

Mowing: For pasture systems, it’s good to mow or graze before the grass becomes too mature to maintain quality and control weeds.

Pest and Disease Management: Monitor for pests like aphids and diseases like rust. Use appropriate control measures when necessary.

Irrigation: While orchard grass is a relatively drought-tolerant plant, it will benefit from occasional watering during dry periods.

Get Orchardgrass Seed From Nature’s Seed

Whether it’s for grazing, hay, silage, or even green manure, this grass promises to reduce input costs and elevate profits by significantly enhancing animal performance, health, and nutrition. Choosing Orchardgrass for your lawn or pasture is making the choice for excellence in your landscape.

Native to southwestern Asia, meadow brome is a cool-season rhizomatous perennial grass. It produces highly palatable forage for all types of livestock and wildlife, reaching heights of 2-6 feet. It’s well adapted to the foothills and mountain regions of the West, and can be grown without irrigation in areas receiving at least 14 inches of annual rainfall. Meadow brome is capable of rapid growth and recovery following mowing or grazing. Very cold hardy and tolerant of a wide range of well-drained soil conditions. One of the best forage grasses for western and northwestern states.

Scientific Name: Bromopsis biebersteinii, formerly known as Bromus biebersteinii

Red clover is an introduced short-lived perennial legume that’s used for hay, pasture and soil improvement. It can reach a height of three feet and produces fine leafy stems and pink flower heads. Prefers well-drained loamy soils, but tolerates moist soils. Good shade tolerance. Quick growing and easy to establish, red clover is best partnered with grass species. Red clover can be grown without supplemental irrigation in areas receiving at least 18 inches of annual precipitation.

Scientific Name: Trifolium pratense

Native to Europe and Asia, birdsfoot trefoil is a long-lived herbaceous perennial legume. It’s useful in many situations including erosion control, wildlife forage and livestock use. Birdsfoot trefoil is especially valuable for its non-bloating properties. Can be grazed as pasture or hayed where it yields up to four tons of hay per acre under proper conditions. It can grow up to three feet tall and produces a cluster of yellow flowers. Tolerates soil conditions too poor for alfalfa. Birdsfoot trefoil can be grown without supplemental irrigation on sites receiving at least 20 inches of annual rainfall.

Scientific Name: Lotus corniculatus

An introduced cool-season perennial bunchgrass, tall fescue is one of the most important pasture grasses used in the United States. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, temperatures and climates. Tall fescue can grow up to six feet tall and produces fair to good quality forage for all types of livestock. While older varieties of tall fescue are infected with endophytes which are toxic to livestock, our pasture-type tall fescue is endophyte-free and safe for all grazing animals. Tall fescue can be grown without supplemental irrigation on sites receiving at least 15 inches of annual precipitation.

Scientific Name: Festuca arundinacea