If you were waiting for some soil moisture to finally plant your winter pasture, this might be the end of the window for the season. The first real cold front of the season passed through today, signaling the beginning of the end of summer perennial pasture season and ushering in that transition into dormant grass that comes before winter pasture grazing commences.
Winter pastures can be some of the best grazing we have in East Texas all year, but unless the timing is right, a lot of the money spent on establishing winter pastures can go to waste. If you can get some ryegrass planted between now and the end of October, the timing still should be good for early spring grazing, but you can kiss those hopes for late winter grazing goodbye.
Plant ryegrass at a rate of 25 to 30 pounds per acre either scattered on the ground or at a depth of .25 inches. Small grains like wheat, oats, or rye should be planted about 1 inch deep at a rate of 90 to 100 pounds per acre. Don't forget clovers as well, because they can add nitrogen to the soil and provide excellent spring forage as well.
From an economics standpoint. Ryegrass makes the most sense for a spring calving cow herd. Small grains, because of their higher cost, are best utilized for winter stockers or fall calving cow-calf operations.
For more information, consider reading this Texas Cooperative Extension publication on Annual Winter Pastures for East Texas.
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