Turf Grass

  is our most common cool season grass used as a lawn or turf but can work in pasture mixes, especially if you have high expectations for how a pasture looks. It is a long-lived perennial, easy to establish, and sod forming. Tolerant of disease, acid, infertile soils, mild drought, mild flood and moderate shade. Broadcast 2 to 5 lbs/1,000 ft2. Be sure to cover with peat moss or mulch to protect from birds.

Varieties: VNS & Wildhorse

is a cool season grass most commonly used as a lawn or turf grass. It is easy to establish, adapts to shade and performs best in the cool, moist areas. Tolerant to trampling and grazes well, but not recommended in pastures where horses will graze. Maintains under shady conditions where Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass will not. Also works very well to prevent erosion, does well when broadcast on ditch banks. Broadcast 5 lbs/1,000 ft2  for lawns and plant 12 to 15 lbs/acre for hay or pasture @ ½ depth. Be sure to cover with peat moss or mulch to protect from birds.

 a common cool season grass found in many turf grass blends. Coarser blades than turf fescue and Kentucky bluegrasses but will not require as much water to maintain a pleasant green color. If you want a lawn that looks nice without needing to water as much, this is your grass. Tolerant of low amounts of shade, great for sunny areas. Broadcast 10 to 12 lbs per 1000 ft2 Be sure to cover with peat moss or mulch to protect from birds.

is one of our more popular irrigated pasture grasses for haying and grazing and is endophyte free. It is a cool-season bunchgrass that can thrive under a wide range of soil and climate conditions but is best in moist soils rich in humus or clay and receiving 18 inches of annual precipitation or supplemental irrigation. It can reach a height of 5 feet and persists better during hot summer months than other alternatives but also tolerates cold winters as well. Generally tall fescue is less palatable compared to other pasture grasses, making it appear to dominate pastures. For haying harvest as soon as the first seed heads appear to maintain feed quality. Plant 20 to 30 lbs/acre @ ¼ to ½ deep and do not hay or graze the first season in order to become fully established. May be planted with other grasses and/or legumes. Will need 150 to 200 lbs of nitrogen/acre in spring. 

  is a long-lived, drought-hardy bunchgrass. It prefers dry, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils at high elevations and tolerates low fertility & shady areas. It will not tolerate wet or saline-alkaline soils and it’s main purpose in planting is for ground cover or weed control. It does not grow very tall and therefore is great along roadsides or areas where little maintenance is required. It is one of the first grasses to green up in early spring and more successful when seeded in the spring. Plant 5-10 lbs/acre @ ½ deep.

(BENCHMARK PLUS): is an early maturing, moderately winter-hardy, persistant bunch grass that grows 2-4 feet tall. It good for grazing or hay production. Good for moderate climates.. Benchmark is a good variety for most mixtures because it is not too aggressive but does not do well with alfalfa because it matures earlier. Resistant to rust. Plant 15 to 20 lbs/acre @ ¼ to ½ depth.

(PENNLATE): similar to Benchmark Plus except it is a later variety type which makes it a good companion with alfalfa. Moderately resistant to rust. Plant 10 to 20 lbs/acre @ ¼ to ½ depth.

(PAWNEE): is a medium maturing variety developed for drought and grazing tolerance. Pawnee is superior to Paiute in forage yield under irrigation, it is persistent and adaptability.

is one of our most popular grasses because livestock love it. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and is somewhat shade tolerant. It is suited for pasture or haying on irrigated or dryland where precipitation is at least 15 inches annually. It grows best in moist soils with good drainage. During hot, dry periods of summer it will go dormant until the cooler, shorter months come around. It can take up to 2 years to establish after planting and needs added 40 to 60 lbs per acre of nitrogen for increased production. It does well planted with a legume and is good as game cover. Tolerant to cool climate and flooding. Can become sod bound after several years and lose productivity, this can be declined if seeded with alfalfa. Compared with Timothy it does better in long-term stands. Plant 15-20 lbs/acre @ ¼ to ½ depth.

is a cool season, bunchgrass. Easy to establish but may require up to 2 years to be fully established. It is relatively long lived and has excellent regrowth after grazing or haying. Do not allow animals to graze until grass is 12 inches tall and do not graze or cut lower than 4 inches. Best if a rest period of 3 to 4 weeks is allowed after haying or grazing. Good with high abuse in a pasture but will not withstand hot, dry seasons as well as smooth brome. Good tolerance to short periods of drought or flooding. Has some similarities to Smooth Brome; works well as a mix with Alfalfa and Clover. Plant 10 to 12 lbs/acre @ ½ depth. 

  (CRESTED): is a drought and cold tolerant, cool season, long-lived perennial semi-bunchgrass. Requires up to 4 years to be fully established from seed but performs well in areas that receive little rain, as low as 10 inches annually. Has ability to hold it’s own with annual weeds like cheatgrass or medusahead. Does not do well in moist soil and high humidity. Will produce better for hay if planted with a legume to add nitrogen for growth, otherwise plan on supplementing with fertilizer. Can be aggressive in a seed mix, if properly managed will produce for 30 years. Works well with Alfalfa if there is enough rain fall. Plant 8 to 12 lbs/acre @ ½ depth.

VARIETIES:

Hycrest- great seedling vigor and more productive.

Fairway- shorter, less productive making it great for low maintenance situations, also very salt tolerant.

(VALVILOV II SIBERIAN): similar to Crested, except more palatable in dry conditions, more digestible, good fall grazing if enough rain to green up. Plant 6-12 lbs/acre @ ½ depth.

(ALKAR TALL): is an introduced, cool season bunchgrass. Starts development and matures later, not shade or close grazing tolerant, not very palatable, may be subject to winter kill, does better in high water table and salty areas. Excellent cover for upland game birds. Plant 15-20 lbs/acre @ ½ depth.

(INTERMEDIATE): similar to Crested, except not as strong sod former, more winter-hardy, excellent soil stabilizer, does not tolerate shade but withstands high temperatures. Application of fertilizer is necessary when not grown with a legume and matures 2 weeks later. Plant 10-15 lbs/acre @ ½ depth.

 (BASIN): is a native, cool season bunchgrass. This grass is slow to develop but lives long once it is. It is palatable in spring and winter, does not tolerate close grazing, heavy shade, but withstands heavy grazing and is great as a wind break border. Does well in high water table areas, very palatable in early spring and ideal for winter forage. Adapts well to a broad range of soil moisture conditions. Plant 3 to 6 lbs/acre @ 1 depth.

(DAHRUIAN): : is a self-pollinating, short-lived (1-3 yrs) perennial bunchgrass (could persist longer with higher precipitation). Can be grazed in early spring but the root system is shallow and if not well established in a wet spring the plants could be easily pulled up. It is not tolerant to winters with no snow cover and is a competitive grass, therefore should be limited in mixes. Tolerates high saline and adapts to all soil textures. Produces greater amounts of forage than some wheatgrasses in the first few years and can be grazed 2 to 3 times per season with good regrowth after, but will decline in later years. Plant 14 lbs/acre @ ½ to ¾ depth.

(SANDBERG): is the most common native bluegrass. It is difficult to establish but greens up in early spring. Tolerant of some shade, grazing, and alkaline soil. May dominate overgrazed dryland pastures. It does not do well in flooding or high water table areas. Adapts to most soil textures but does well on rocky or droughty soils. Use only in mixes. Plant 1-2 lbs/acre in a mixture @ ½ depth.

(SHERMAN BIG): is a drought resistant, bunch type bluegrass. It makes early spring growth even 4 weeks earlier than Crested Wheatgrass. It is easy to establish and retains high root production. It has high palatability but does not support heavy grazing. Tolerates drought and high water. Use only in mixes. Plant 1 to 2 lbs/acre @ ½ depth.

is a long-lived, awnless, cool season sod forming grass. It is easy to establish but a poor producer in most areas of Utah. Used mostly in areas where too much water is an issue for other grasses. Grazing tolerance is excellent and recovery is fast after grazing or cutting. Tolerant to shade, flooding, and frost. Not tolerant to drought or salinity. Adapts to sandy to medium soils, especially ones with poor drainage. Mixes well with legumes or other grasses. Plant 1 to 3 lbs with legumes or grasses. Seed is light so it needs a carrier like rice hulls. Plant no deeper than ¼ inch depth.

is an even blend mixture with Smooth Brome, Tall Fescue, and Orchardgrass. This mix serves well both as a go to mix for your pasture or as a base mix to add other grasses, clovers, or legumes as requested to make it fit your needs. We suggest at least one season of growth before grazing. Plant 25 lb per acre if drilled, 32.5 lb per acre if broadcast, seed depth no greater than ½ inch. Takes about 2 years to become fully established. 

is a mix of  Hycrest Crested, Vavilov Siberian,  Intermediate, Tall and Slender Wheatgrasses, Smooth Brome, Annual Rye Grass, Sainfoin, Ranger Alfalfa, Small Burnet & Yellow Sweet Clover. We suggest a couple of seasons of growth before grazing. Because these grasses survive with very little water it will take 3 to 4 years to become fully established. Plant 20 to 25 lb per acre if drilled, 25 to 30 lb per acre if broadcast, seed depth no greater than ½ inch.

 is a mix of Fairway Crested Wheatgrass, Streambank Wheatgrass, & Sheep Fescue. These grasses are all shorter varieties which make them a great fit for roadsides and similar areas where lower maintenance inputs are desired. Also works great for erosion control. This mix can be grazed but is not recommended if the sole purpose is to feed livestock. Plant 20 to 25 lb per acre if drilled, 25 to 30 lb per acre if broadcast. Takes 2 or more years to become fully established.