As with most of the country summertime here in Texas tends to be hot and dry. Along with the weather your pastures can suffer during this time. Two common types of pasture grass people use are either a type of fescue or bermudagrass. Here are some tips for both of those to help them survive.
Fescue
Fescue doesn’t really handle hot and dry conditions very well. It should not be grazed or mowed during this time to avoid damage to the sward. If you do end up mowing it, leave at least 4″ of leaf material to ensure that photosynthesis can occur.
Also you should not keep cattle on summer dormant fescue pastures. Doing this can cause overgrazing as well as soil compaction which creates openings for weed encroachment. You should have a plan in place to move animals somewhere else. Preferably onto a pasture with warm-season perennials or summer annual forages because they will keep growing when it’s hot.
Bermudagrass
Bermudagrass is a very popular warm-season grass, mainly here in the southern US, because of it’s hardiness and ability to handle warmer temperatures. Even with it’s hardiness there are some steps you can take to help it keep growing. You should brushhog the fields to cut down on weeds then fertilize with about 50 to 60lbs of nitrogen per acre. Since grass grows back faster this can promote more growth while at the same time chocking out any unwanted weeds.
If drought conditions persist you should handle bermudagrass with care to allow your pasture to survive the dry conditions. Avoid excessive vehicle or animal traffic on the pasture in order to prevent soil compaction. If hay is needed use a “sacrifice” pasture to avoid spreading weed seeds to your other pastures. Keep an eye out for weed growth later in the season and treat them proactively to avoid long term encroachment.
In the long term you should stay proactive by having other options available if drought like conditions ever show up because in Texas we are either in a drought or about to be. Planting Sorghum-sudangrass or pearl millet is a good option because they are relatively drought tolerant. Now they might not grow enough in extremely dry conditions but may be enough plant for cows to eat. Remember, if you take care of your pastures then your pastures will make your life easier and save you some money in the long run.
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