Reed canarygrass is a tall-growing, perennial grass which is widely adaptable. It is particularly well adapted to wet and dry soils and soils with a pH below 6.0. However, newer varieties of reed canarygrass are equal in quality to other cool-season grasses when harvested at similar stages of maturity. Yield of reed canarygrass is closely related to the rate of N fertilization.
Key Features
- Widely adapted
- Grows on wet soils
- Early spring growth
- Good for pasture, hay, haylage/ baleage
- Goes from high to low quality faster than most other species, requires close management to get high quality
- High tolerance to frequent harvests Medium to late relative maturity
- Excellent persistence
Establishment
Use the small box of the drill
Seeding rate: 12-18lbs/acre
Seeding Depth: 1/8”-1/4”
Seeding dates: Late summer or early spring
When using reed canarygrass for pasture, excessive forage
growth must be avoided to maintain quality and palatability.
Growth starts early in the spring. Maintain the grass below
12 inches tall during the rapid spring growth of May and
June. Short duration rotational grazing with a heavy grazing
pressure will allow the best utilization and greatest animal
gains per acre. In addition, rotational grazing is
recommended to allow hay harvesting of the ungrazed
pastures during the spring. Reed canarygrass should not be
grazed closer than 3 to 4 inches above the ground. A
recovery period following grazing will also improve
productivity