Long, folded leaves. Its broader spreading and more crown growth habit gives Harvestar the ability to handle close grazing. The short, soft awns along the sides of the seed head give the appearance of a fox's tail. per acre alone or 5 lbs. It is often used i Orchardgrass is also a great companion crop with a legume, such as red clover or alfalfa. Seed: 20 lbs. The blade is 5-12 mm wide and 8-40 cm long. Most varieties have good winter-hardiness, although few varieties have superior winter-hardiness. The species is rather slow to establish but persistency is good under hay, silage, and proper grazing management. Barenbrug breeders are continuously selecting for disease tolerance and HLR Orchardgrass is tolerant to rust and other leaf diseases. Stems are flattened and are either erect or bend abruptly at the base. With careful management, orchardgrass can perform a host of functions while adding nutrients and tilth to soil. However, there are several different varieties of foxtail, and some seed heads remain upright. “The most significant and important attribute of Persist is persistence. Identifying characteristics. It matures earlier than mid or late maturing varieties, has moderate winter hardiness, and regrows quickly. It is our best broad-spectrum variety and … A variety of wildlife consumes orchardgrass leaves and seeds. Bred primarily for rapid regrowth Crown Royale is an ideal choice for rotational grazing or hay production. The branched flowering head is 4 to 6 inches (10–15 cm) long with upper branches that are more erect and lower branches that are ascending to spreading. The foxtail seed head may droop over, which is a dead giveaway that it isn't timothy. Orchardgrass is a very persistent grass and reproduces by seeds and tiller formation with the ability to head out quickly and fill in a field very well over time. The seed head is dense and spike-like in appearance when it first emerges. A common use of orchardgrass is to seed it into alfalfa stands that have thinned. It does not spread vegetatively. Seed heads are up to 20 cm (8 in.) SheathThe part of the leaf that wraps around the main stem. Seeds are very small, narrow, pointed about 1/3 inch long with 95,000 to 1,300,000 seeds/kg. long with clustered spikelets. Acknowledgements Contact Webmaster, © 2016 Regents of the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. It matures earlier than mid or late maturing varieties, has moderate winter hardiness, and regrows quickly. Hallmark orchard grass is considered a very leafy, early to medium variety with excellent hardiness and persistence.~~~ Hallmark is widely used for pasture, hay and silage in the cool climate growing areas. Figure 4: Orchardgrass collar Life cycle and growth habit. The species is rather slow to establish but persistency is good under hay, silage, and proper grazing management. This Orchardgrass seed can be mixed with clover for hay … Long, folded leaves. Graze or cut to heights of 10 cm (4 in) or more. Orchardgrass is a very persistent grass and reproduces by seeds and tiller formation with the ability to head out quickly and fill in a field very well over time. LiguleA membrane or series of hairs on the inner side of the grass leaf where the blade joins the sheath. New diseases keep appearing in orchard grass stands. Cut boot to early head for first cut, then every 4-6 weeks thereafter. When seeding an orchardgrass-legume mixture, the two should mature at about the same time. In addition, there is a prominent midvein on the underside of the leaves, and the ligule is membranous. The lowermost branch separates like the spur on a cock's foot, hence one of its common names “cock’s foot”. The inflorescence is a dense, spike-like panicle and looks like timothy. Description. With maturity, it becomes open and branched. It is cultivated for cover cropping and livestock forage. Second and third leaves have fringed or torn ligules at the base of the leaf, but lack auricles. Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) is a perennial, cool-season, tall-growing, bunch-type grass with a deep taproot. Orchardgrass is best established on a prepared seedbed, though no-till establishment into an alfalfa … Auricles absent. Orchardgrass is a restricted noxious weed for lawn/ turf seed in the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia (USDA-AMS, 2010). per acre in pasture mixtures. Membranous ligule (long and pointed). Seeds are very small, narrow, pointed about 1/3 inch long with 95,000 to 1,300,000 seeds… In addition, orchard grass seed are grown for commercial forage production and often are found as a contaminate in turf-type tall fescue seed due to similar size and shape. Other identifying characteristics. Leaf blades are broadly linear, hairless, roughened, and approximately 1/10 to 1/4 inch of an inch (3–6 mm) wide. It is shade tolerant and resistant to occasional drought conditions. Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) is a bunch-type, tall-growing, cool-season perennial grass. Orchardgrass is more tolerant of shade, drought, and heat than timothy, perennial ryegrass or Kentucky bluegrass but also grows well in full sunlight. Several varieties of orchardgrass have been tested and were high-yielding in Pennsylvania variety trials. per acre in hay or pasture mixtures. Leave some of the plants to form mature seed heads and allow it to reseed for consistent supply of the plants. A medium to late maturity orchardgrass with excellent cold tolerance. Compatible with both three and four cut alfalfas. NodeThe place on the stem where a leaf attaches. Orchardgrass is a cool season grass that is valuable on light textured soils due to its outstanding drought-tolerance and is also well adapted to other soils and environmental conditions. Quick Draw HSG orchardgrass was selected for its quick regrowth, superior yields, disease resistance and palatability. HLR is … It matures earlier than mid or late maturing varieties, has moderate winter hardiness, and regrows quickly. Profit is a late maturity orchardgrass bred primarily for yield potential and compatibility with alfalfa for hay production. Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) is a common perennial weed of turf, and can be a contaminant in commercial tall fescue seed. Leaves are V-shaped and folded in the bud. The plant tends to have a darker blue hue than other grasses. Phosphorus and potassium to soil test. Seeds are small but light, awned and chaffy. 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