PLANTING GUIDE TO GRASSES AND LEGUMES for Forage and Wildlife in Georgia Reviewed by Dennis W. Hancock, PhD. Prepared by R. Dewey Lee, PhD. This planting guide will help producers establish grasses and legumes commonly grown in Georgia. Although information is given for particular species, it should not be taken as a recommendation to grow that species. Not all of the plant species grown in Georgia are recommended by the University of Georgia. Abbreviations in this chart are footnoted. This chart does not replace the need to obtain additional information for good management practices. Consult current reports, bulletins and information for specific recommendations. Specific bulletins or reports are mentioned in the remarks section. Start with high quality. is available for most recommended crops. Get the most from your soil by testing your soil to determine nutrient need. Contact the county Extension office for information on soil sampling. Fertilize and lime according to soil test results. Plant at the proper depth in a good bed when soil temperatures and moisture are best. Use the correct ing rate per acre. For high yields maintain soil fertility and control s, insects and diseases. Harvest the appropriate time with properly adjusted equipment. Protect quality by proper handling and storage.
GRASSES Bahia 0,00-,000 D/B: 0- lbs/a C: First frost free day Barley 0 D/B: 90-0 lbs/a LV: Sept. -Oct. P: Sept. -Oct. Bermudagrass common (hulled) hybrid 0 99,000-0,000,000 sprigs/ bu. D/B: -0 lbs/a 0-0 bu/a S: May -July S: Feb. 0-Aug. annual: silage hay 9 0. See UGA Ext. Bulletin for more info. Bahiagrass may become a pest in hybrid bermudagrass fields 9 0/lb. Not well adapted to C. Very sensitive to acid soils. 90 (living sprigs) Can contain other living plants. Well suited for conservation. See UGA Ext. Bulletin 9 for more info. Use certified varieties. Corn 0-0,000-,000 /A in rows Tall Fescue 0,000-,00 Dallisgrass,00-,0 D: 0- lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a D: - lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a LV: Apr. -May 0 P: Apr. -Apr. 0 C: Mar. -Apr. LV: Sept. -Oct. P: Sept. -Oct. annual: silage, feed 90 99 None hay, S: Feb. -Mar. 0 Johnsongrass 0,0-0 lbs/a S: Apr.-July, hay, silage browntop,000-,900 foxtail an common Hungarian Japanese 0,00-,00 9,000-9,00 D: 0-0 lbs/a D: -0 lbs/a D: -0 lbs/a P: Apr. -Aug. C: Apr. -Aug. P: Apr. -Aug. C: Apr. -Aug. P: Apr. -Aug. C: Apr. -Aug. Produces top quality silage. Narrow rows (0 ) improve yields. 0 9 0. Use low endophyte varieties only. 0 0.0 Produces - as much dry matter as bahiagrass. Difficult to establish. 0 90 0. Is a serious pest in GA. Should not be planted for use is a noxious. 0 90 0 Matures in 0-0 days., hay 0 90 0. Matures in -90 days. 0 9 0. Very similar to barnyard grass. Seed matures in approx. 0 days. Good feed for ducks. No minimum requirements. For sale, must have germ, purity and on tag. Reduce rate by /-/ if mixing with a grass or other legume. Plant small ed legumes and grasses 0-/ deep. Other legumes /-/ deep. Small grains and large ed legumes such as lupine should be planted / - deep. UGA Cooperative Extension Circular Guide to Grasses and Legumes for Forage and Wildlife in Georgia
pearl 0,00-,00 proso,0-,000 Oats,000-, Orchardgrass,00-9,00 D: - lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a R: 0-0 lbs/a C: April -July, hay, human consumption,, feed P: April -Aug. C: April -Aug. D/B: 90-0 lbs/a S: Sept. -Oct. annual:, silage, hay D: 0- lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a Rye, D: -. bu/a B: - bu/a Ryegrass 0,-,00 Sorghum grain 00-,00 D: - lbs/a B: 0- lbs/a Sorghum forage Sorghum sweet,000-,0 0,000-,0 Sudangrass 0,0-, Sorghum/ Sudan Hybrids 0,00-,00 LV: Sept. -Oct. 0 9 0. Planted in April should be ready to graze in 0 days. Production for 0 to 00 days. 0 9 0. Matures in 0- days. S: Sept. -Oct. B: 0-0 lbs/a S: Sept. -Oct. D: - lbs/a - /ft. R: - /ft. (- lbs/a) R: 0- lbs/a R: -0 lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a LV: May -July P: May -July C: April -July LV: May -July P: May -July C: April -July LV: Late April- May annual: silage, feed green chop, silage human consumption LV/P: May -Aug. annual: silage, hay, P: April -Aug. C: April -Aug. silage, hay Triticale 00-90 D/B: 90-0 lbs/a C: Oct. -Nov. annual:, feed 9 0/lb Used primarily as a companion crop with clover and other grass. 0 0. Best suited to the mountain regions of GA. 0 9 0/lb Used mainly for or green mature. Cut for silage in heading stage. 0 90 0 Reduce ing rate if used in conjunction with small grain and clover. 0 9 0. Plant when soil temp. is above F. 0 9 0. Thick spacing increases lodging. Use wide rows. 0 9 0. Often called cane. 0 9 0. Performs best on medium to heavy textured soils. High quality forage. 0 9 0. A cross between forage sorghum & sudangrass. Generally outyields pearl millet. 9 0/lb See current small grain performance test bulletin for var. yield results. No minimum requirements. For sale, must have germ, purity and on tag. Reduce rate by /-/ if mixing with a grass or other legume. Plant small ed legumes and grasses 0-/ deep. Other legumes /-/ deep. Small grains and large ed legumes such as lupine should be planted / - deep. UGA Cooperative Extension Circular Guide to Grasses and Legumes for Forage and Wildlife in Georgia
Wheat 0 0-,00 D/B: 90-0 lbs/a LV: Sept. -Oct. P: Sept. -Oct. C: Oct. -Nov., feed 9 0/lb Excellent quality silage. See small grain performance test bulletin for var. yield results. Use Hessian fly resistant cultivars. LEGUMES See UGA Ext. Bulletin for more information. Alfalfa 0,00-,00 Beggar (Florida) Birdsfoot trefoil Caley pea (rough/ winter) 0,00-,000 0,000-,000 D: - lbs/a B: - lbs/a D/B: 0- lbs/a D/B: - lbs/a 90-, D: 0- lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a alyce 0,000-, arrowleaf berseem crimson 0,00-,000 0,000-,000 0,0-9,00 LV: Aug. -Sept. 0 P: Sept. -Oct. 0 C: Sept. 0-Oct. 0 C: April -June LV/P: Sept. -Oct. 0, hay, hay, hay S: Sept. -Oct. 0 annual:, soil D/B: -0 lbs/a C: May -June annual:, hay, soil D: - lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a D:- lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a D: -0 lbs/a B: 0-0 lbs/a LV: Aug. -Sept. 0 P: Sept. -Sept. 0 C: Sept. 0-Oct. 0 annual:, hay C: Oct. -Nov. annual: LV: Aug. -Sept. 0 P: Sept. -Sept. 0 C: Sept. 0-Oct. 0 annual:, hay, soil 0 99 0. See UGA Ext. Bulletin 0. Correct soil acidity prior to ing. Harvest at early bloom stage. Usually lives as an annual in GA. Considered to be a serious pest. 0 9 0. Offers good when mixed with tall fescue or orchardgrass. Natural reing. Seed are poisonous to cattle. Grows well on heavy textured soils of moderate acidity. 0 99 0. Best suited to extreme South Georgia. 9 0. Provides till late May or early June. 9 0. Best suited to South GA. 9 0. Most productive from late Feb. to mid-april. No minimum requirements. For sale, must have germ, purity and on tag. Reduce rate by /-/ if mixing with a grass or other legume. Plant small ed legumes and grasses 0-/ deep. Other legumes /-/ deep. Small grains and large ed legumes such as lupine should be planted / - deep. UGA Cooperative Extension Circular Guide to Grasses and Legumes for Forage and Wildlife in Georgia
red subterranean white (ladino) 0,000-,000 0,-, 0,000-,000 D: -0 lbs/a LV/P: Sept. -Oct. B: - lbs/a D: - lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a Cowpea 0 - D: 0 lbs/a B: 0-90 lbs/a (kobe) common korean sericea unhulled hulled bicolor -0,000-,000, hay S: Sept. -Oct. 0 annual:, hay D/B: - lbs/a S: Sept. -Oct., hay D: -0 lbs/a B: 0-0 lbs/a -, D: -0 lbs/a B: 0-0 lbs/a 0,-,0 0,-,00 D: -0 lbs/a B: 0-0 lbs/a D: -0 lbs/a (0- R) Live plants: 0,000/ R S: May -June annual:, hay,, soil LV/P: Feb. - Mar. LV/P: Feb. - Mar.,,, soil S: Mar. -Apr. hay,,, soil P/C: Mar. -May 99 0. Usually does not persist more than - years. Excellent when mixed with tall fescue & orchardgrass. 9 0. A good reing plant. Can be maintained in permanent grass sods where properly managed. 9 0. Does best on moist, upland land soils. Widely used in overing fescue pastures. 0 9 0. Does best on well drained fertile soil. Many cultivars re. Used mostly for, soil. 0 9 Also known as striate. Not suited for sandy soils. Seed yields higher when no hay is harvested. 0 9 Not suited for sandy soils. Seed yield higher when no hay is harvested. 0 9 Use a herbicide to control competitive s. For hay, harvest in mature growth. May be used for conservation purposes. 0 9 Use wide rows. Shrub must be managed to prevent unwanted growth. Excellent cover & food for. No minimum requirements. For sale, must have germ, purity and on tag. Reduce rate by /-/ if mixing with a grass or other legume. Plant small ed legumes and grasses 0-/ deep. Other legumes /-/ deep. Small grains and large ed legumes such as lupine should be planted / - deep. UGA Cooperative Extension Circular Guide to Grasses and Legumes for Forage and Wildlife in Georgia
thunbergii Lupine (blue, white) 0,00-,00 0-00 (white usually has larger than blue) D: -0 lbs/a (0- R) Live plants: 0,000/ R D: 0-90 lbs/a B: -00 lbs/a Partridge Pea D: -0 lbs/a B: -0 lbs/a Rhizoma peanuts (perennial) Vegetatively propagated Sesbania 0,00-,90 0-00 bu Rhizomes/A Sweetclover 0,000 D/B: 0- lbs/a Vetch common (hybrids) Vetch hairy Winter peas (Austrian) P/C: Mar. -May LV: Sept. -0 P: Sept. -Oct. C: Oct. -Nov. P/C: Mar. -May C: Dec-early March, soil annual: soil, hay, D/ C: May -June, soil LV/P: Sept. -Oct. 0 0 00-,000 D/B: - lbs/a P: Sept. -Oct. C: Sept. -Nov. 0,000-,0 D/B: 0-0 lbs/a LV/P: Sept. -Oct. C: Sept. -Nov. biennial:, hay, soil annual:,, soil annual:,, soil 0 00-00 D/B: 0- lbs/a S: Sept. -Oct. 0 annual: soil, 0 9 Use wide rows. Shrub must be managed to prevent unwanted growth. Excellent cover & food for. 0 9 0. Adapted best to sandy, loam soils. Only sweet varieties are suitable for. May require acid scarification to improve germ. Hard. Most productive type is showy partridge pea. 90 living sprigs Can contain other living plants Most Varieties developed in FL. Can be high quality hay. Very tall growing. Grows well in poorly drained areas. Considered a pest in GA. 0 99 0. Used primarily for soil s and a crop for honey production. 0 9 0. New hybrid varieties have shown poor winter hardiness. Produces growth and earlier than hairy. Res. to many nematodes. 0 9 0. A cold hardy vetch. Poor reer and susceptible to nematodes. 0 9 0. Growth period similar to vetch. Commonly used for soil. No minimum requirements. For sale, must have germ, purity and on tag. Reduce rate by /-/ if mixing with a grass or other legume. Plant small ed legumes and grasses 0-/ deep. Other legumes /-/ deep. Small grains and large ed legumes such as lupine should be planted / - deep. UGA Cooperative Extension Circular Guide to Grasses and Legumes for Forage and Wildlife in Georgia
OTHER Buckwheat,-,00 Chufa varies D: - lbs/a ( R) B: 0-0 lbs/a Sesame,000-,000 D/B: 0-0 lbs/a S: Apr. -June annual: forb, grain,, soil D: lb/a in Rows C: May -June 0 sedge, C: May -June annual: forb,, oil, crop, human consumption Sunflowers 0 0-00,000-,000 C/P: April-June feed, A short season crop. Good for honey production. Should be planted in sandy textured soils. Very similar to nutsedge. Also known as orobenne. Most varieties shatter readily. Require 90-0 days to maturity. 9 0. Use oil types for food plots. No minimum requirements. For sale, must have germ, purity and on tag. Reduce rate by /-/ if mixing with a grass or other legume. Plant small ed legumes and grasses 0-/ deep. Other legumes /-/ deep. Small grains and large ed legumes such as lupine should be planted / - deep.
extension.uga.edu Circular Revised December 0 Published by the University of Georgia in cooperation with Fort Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and counties of the state. For more information, contact your local UGA Cooperative Extension office. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (working cooperatively with Fort Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the counties of Georgia) offers its educational programs, assistance, and materials to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action organization.