How to Grow Mixed Hay Grasses
Wikimedia Commons
Mixed Hay Grasses
Phleum pratense (Timothy), Dactylis glomerata (Orchard Grass), Bromus inermis (Smooth Brome)
grassA combination of three cool-season perennial grasses commonly grown together for high-quality mixed hay production. These grasses are valued for their nutritional content, palatability to livestock, and ability to establish productive, long-lasting pastures and hay fields. Timothy, orchard grass, and smooth brome complement each other, providing consistent forage across varying soil and moisture conditions.
When should you plant Mixed Hay Grasses in your zone?
Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.
Example Mixed Hay Grasses timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
-
Plant Mixed Hay Grasses
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
-
Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
-
Harvest Mixed Hay Grasses
Late summer into fallBefore the first fall frost (≈ Nov 8)
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Mixed Hay Grasses dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Zones 3-7 are ideal; cool-season grasses thrive in northern climates and moderate elevations
Sign up free to see if Mixed Hay Grasses grows in your zone — and get a personalized planting timeline.
Get my Mixed Hay Grasses timeline →Growth Stages
Germination & Establishment
3-6 weeksSeeds germinate within 7-14 days in cool, moist conditions. Fine seedling roots develop; grass emerges as thin shoots. Stand density builds gradually.
Keep seedbed moist but not waterlogged. Avoid heavy foot traffic. Control competing weeds through light grazing or mowing above 3 inches. Do not harvest during first year in cool climates.
Vegetative Growth
4-8 weeks (spring through early summer)Tillers multiply and thicken the stand. Leaf blades elongate, creating dense foliage. Root systems deepen. Plants develop the characteristic growth form of each species.
Maintain soil moisture during dry periods. Apply spring fertilizer (nitrogen 30-50 lbs/acre for timothy/orchard grass blends) before active growth. Ensure good stand coverage to suppress weeds.
Boot Stage to Heading
1-2 weeksInflorescences develop within leaf sheaths (boot stage), then emerge as distinctive seed heads. Timothy forms dense, spike-like heads; orchard grass produces clustered panicles; smooth brome shows open panicles. This is the optimal harvest stage for hay quality.
Monitor closely for boot stage onset. This is the critical window for hay cutting—cut when timothy heads are visible but not fully emerged, or orchard grass is just heading. Early cutting preserves forage quality and digestibility.
Flowering & Seed Maturation
1-3 weeksFlorets open and anthers are visible; pollen is shed. Seeds begin to fill and harden. Forage quality declines as fiber content increases. If allowed to mature, stands can self-seed.
Avoid harvest at full anthesis if high forage quality is desired; cutting during early flower preserves more nutritional value. If timing missed, allow some heads to mature for stand persistence in perennial systems.
Regrowth & Aftermath
4-6 weeks between successive cutsAfter harvest, remaining tillers and crown buds regenerate new shoots and leaves. Second and third cutting cycles may be achieved in one season depending on climate and management.
Remove hay promptly to allow sunlight to reach regrowth. Apply modest nitrogen fertilizer (20-30 lbs/acre) after first cut to encourage aftermath growth. Maintain soil moisture for vigorous regrowth.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
-
Monitor for economic threshold; late-season cutting disrupts life cycle; apply insecticides if populations exceed 6-8 per square foot; predatory wasps and natural enemies often provide control in established fields
-
Mow early to reduce habitat; in severe outbreaks, use insecticide applications; maintain diverse ground cover to encourage parasitic wasps; tolerate moderate populations in pastures
-
Most damaging in seed production; seed treatments offer preventive control; not typically a major issue in established hay fields
-
Minimal impact in most hay systems; overseed if stands thin; mow at appropriate height to maintain competitive advantage
-
and
(fungal: Puccinia spp., Drechslera spp.)
Choose disease-resistant varieties; maintain good air circulation and avoid waterlogging; harvest at appropriate stage; disease rarely requires treatment in hay systems
Uses
Livestock Forage
CulinaryMixed hay of timothy, orchard grass, and smooth brome is widely used as feed for cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. The blend provides balanced nutrition, with timothy being particularly palatable to horses. [source]
Pasture Establishment
HouseholdThese three grasses are commonly seeded together to establish long-lasting, productive pastures that provide continuous grazing throughout the growing season with minimal maintenance. [source]
Wildlife Habitat
WildlifeMixed grass stands provide cover and forage for songbirds, grasshoppers, pollinators, and beneficial insects. Diverse grass structure supports a variety of ground-dwelling species. [source]
Seed Production
CraftTimothy and orchard grass seed are commercially important and can be produced by farmers for sale to forage producers and seed dealers, representing a secondary income stream. [source]
Erosion Control & Soil Conservation
MedicinalDense root systems of these perennial grasses stabilize soil, prevent erosion on slopes, and improve soil structure and organic matter over time, supporting land restoration projects. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Harvest for optimal quality at boot to early heading stage (timothy heads visible in boot, orchard grass just emerging from flag leaf, smooth brome at early panicle emergence). This timing maximizes digestibility and nutritional value. Delay harvest for seed production but quality declines. Cut in late morning after dew dries but before afternoon heat; use mowers or sickle bars. Bale when moisture is 15-20% (typically 3-5 days after cutting depending on weather). Multiple cuts possible: first cut late May to early June, second cut mid-July to early August, and possibly third cut in early September in favorable climates.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Timothy grass is named after Timothy Hanson, an American farmer who promoted its cultivation in the 1700s; it became America's most important hay crop.
- 🌱 Orchard grass (also called cocksfoot in Europe) gets its name from its traditional use in orchards where it grew under fruit trees without damaging tree roots, providing summer shade understory forage.
- 🌱 Smooth brome is extremely winter-hardy and drought-tolerant, making it the preferred grass for western rangelands and semi-arid regions; it can produce quality hay with as little as 12-14 inches of annual precipitation.
Join 30,000 gardeners planning their gardens with LizPlants.
Get your personalized Mixed Hay Grasses planting timeline
Tell us your zip code and we'll calculate exactly when to start Mixed Hay Grasses seeds, transplant seedlings, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Includes calendar reminders and printable task lists. Free to start.
Get my Mixed Hay Grasses timeline →