Broom straw grass

[Anonymous-0]

I have about 9 acres of this that has turned the beautifull orange color. Does this grass have any value as far as hay is concerned? Is it desireable as a winter cover crop?

 

[keh]

Cows have to be very hungry to eat it. It dies in the winter, but the root system will hold the soil. A solid field of broomstraw is a sign the field needs lime.


KEH

 

[newbie haymaker]

Here in TN if you can cut and rake, roll you can sell it for 50.00 / bale. I have rolled 60 bales of mixed grass tired fields, My horses will lick the ground clean of this hay. It is acutually better for them than straght alfalfa. It has a lower sugar content. It is amazing.

 

[BC in TN]

Bill:
Broom Straw, broomsedge, broomsage; there are many names for this. The presence of this indicates that your soil ph is very low. In other words, that soil likely won't grow anything productively until you add lime and change the ph.
Most of our TN soil will require 2-4 tons of lime per acre to correct the imbalance. However, you won't need to add more than 2 tons per acre / per year. Only hungry cows would eat it - if it is all I had to feed I'd sell my cows - I wouldn't mistreat them by feeding broomsedge.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Right now this is just vacant land that just sits idle. I dont have a house on it yet so guess I will leave it like it is and just keep mowinig it twice a year. A neighbor cut it twice this summer for the hay and did say the hay was good quality but he also said the field needed line and then fertilizer.