Carlton is an improved traditional smooth brome, well adapted to northern climates. Well-suited for hay smooth brome is very high yielding, palatable, long-lived, drought tolerant, and winter hardy.
For hay, it matures about the same time as timothy but the leaves remain soft and green for a longer period of time. Smooth brome prefers sandy loam to light clay loam soils, and in general, succeeds anywhere timothy can be grown.
Like Timothy, the majority of the yield is in the first cutting. Expect one strong first cutting and a possible fall cutting. High levels of fertility are not essential, but on lighter soils an annual application of a high nitrogen fertilizer is recommended, unless it is growing with a legume. Smooth brome can also be grazed, but avoid grazing during stem elongation.
