Renovating Drought Damaged Pastures

By Sara Ziegler, Research Specialist, University of Vermont Extension, Heather Darby, Professor of Agronomy, University of Vermont Extension, and Elizabeth Seyler, Outreach Specialist, University of Vermont Extension

Last year’s drought created one of the toughest seasons in Vermont’s recent history. The breadth and severity of damage will continue to impact us as we struggle to fill forage inventories and grapple with the economic repercussions. The best we can do now is prepare for the coming season focused on recovery. In another article, we shared strategies for identifying pastures that require additional seeding to recover their production potential and management strategies to avoid further damage. In this article, we focus on the specifics of how to successfully seed damaged areas.

First, as with any seeding, several factors greatly influence success: seed-to-soil contact, moisture, and depth. For interseeding, we must also consider existing residue and competition with living vegetation. In pastures that were severely damaged, there may be significant open soil, little residue, and little competition with existing vegetation. In other pastures, there may be more competition. Understanding this variation and adjusting our methods and/or expectations accordingly is critical. Frequently farmers say that renovating stands doesn’t work, that you have to fully reseed or do nothing. They aren’t entirely wrong; if you just throw seeds on the ground results can be slow to materialize as germination rates can be low. But we can do better than that if we carefully assess the situation and select seeding methods, timings, and species likely to serve our goals.

The first opportunity to get seed into these pastures will be early this spring. Frost seeding is generally done when most or all the snow has melted and the ground freezes at night but thaws a bit during the day. This fluctuation helps the seed settle into good contact with the soil, which is critical for successful germination. If seeds are spread while too much snow is on the ground, it can move off the field during rapid melting. In addition, frost seeding is typically less effective on sandy soil because shrinking and swelling is less prevalent. Frost seeding is also less effective on pasture with a thick thatch layer or other debris covering the soil, making it less likely that seeds will make good soil contact. Because this strategy’s success is so contingent on hitting these conditions just right, you have to be ready to go when the time comes. Gather your equipment, seed, and a plan so you can hit the ground running.

Frost seeding can be done with a variety of equipment. If just a few areas were particularly damaged, such as around water tubs or on sandy hilltops, you may opt to use something low tech like a hand spinner. If you have more acreage to cover, spinner type seeders can be mounted on tractors or ATVs. If you choose to use them, make sure you know the width of the spread pattern and the seed output so you can adequately cover your fields and achieve your target seeding rate.
Frost seeding works best with species that germinate and grow rapidly. These include legume species, such as red and white clovers, and some grass species, such as perennial ryegrass and orchardgrass. Slow growing species such as birdsfoot trefoil, bromegrass, and timothy do not frost seed as well. As with any seeding, consider the soil type, fertility, and climate as these influence establishment and persistence of the forages. For example, perennial ryegrass has variable winter hardiness across the Northeast. If you are expecting it to survive over the long-term, make sure it is adapted to your area, and select varieties that have better winter hardiness.

Frost seeding keeps expenses and risks low, but don’t expect a lush new seeding; frost seeding is a slower process. Seeding rates will vary depending on species, on whether you are seeding it alone or in a mixture, and on how damaged the field is. Generally, seeding rates for frost seeding are around 2 to 8 pounds per acre, while fully reseeding a field typically requires 15 to 20 pounds of seed per acre. Use these guidelines and the rates in Table 1 to determine your seeding rates. Choose the higher end of the ranges for more damaged pastures. If you are using a spinner type seeder for a mixture of grass and legume seed, be aware that grass seed is lighter and won’t spread the same way as the heavier legume seed. It may be worth spinning them on separately to achieve the right rate, mix, and distribution.

If you miss the window of opportunity for frost seeding, there may still be other opportunities throughout the season. However, managing moisture and the existing vegetation can become more challenging. Once our pastures are growing, it is best to seed after a grazing event, which helps expose the soil and helps to limits competition between germinating and growing plants. Although we don’t want to further damage existing plants by grazing them too low, we need to limit how much they’ll compete with new seedlings. Therefore, it is best to graze a bit lower than normal but then make sure you don’t regraze the pasture until the plants have fully recovered. This practice will allow existing plants to replenish their energy reserves while giving new plants time to establish. In addition, the next time the pasture is grazed, make sure the animals do not graze too low—to protect the new seedlings.

After the window for frost seeding closes, it is often advantageous to use a no-till drill rather than broadcast seed. Forage seed should be planted shallow (1/8 to 1/2 inch deep), so having adequate and consistent soil moisture is critical for quick germination and seedling growth. A no-till drill can provide precise control over seeding depth and thus a higher success rate; however it is absolutely critical not to plant too deep. Moisture is key needing enough so the drill easily slices through the sod and closes the furrow but not too much which can cause compaction or poor seed furrow management.

Just as in frost seeding, it is critical to have everything ready so you can go when conditions are right. Make sure you calibrate the drill seeding rate and depth for the species or mixture you are planting. Table 2 includes seeding rates for a wide range of forages that are common in the northeast.

During the growing season, farmers have used their livestock as a means to incorporate seed into the soil. The hoof action in the right conditions can push seed into the ground, creating adequate seed to soil contact for growth. This option generally leads to variable results and is highly dependent on soil moisture. In wet conditions, animals can bury the seed too deep and also cause compaction leading to poor germination and growth. Frost seeding and interseeding are strategies that can help rebuild our pastures after drought damage. However, for best success we must keep seed-to-soil contact, moisture, seed depth, and residue management in mind as we choose when and where to use these strategies. Although we often want the lowest-cost option, be realistic about the outcome you seek and the likelihood of achieving that outcome with frost seeding or interseeding. Remember, the areas that will benefit the most from these strategies will be those that just need a little bit of filling in. Areas with extensive damage may require full reseeding.

The authors can be reached: Sara Ziegler, Research Specialist, University of Vermont Extension, St. Albans, VT 05478, Heather Darby, Professor of Agronomy, University of Vermont Extension, St. Albans, VT 05478, Elizabeth Seyler, Outreach Specialist, University of Vermont Extension, St. Albans, VT 05478

Posted: to Organic Production on Tue, Mar 3, 2026
Updated: Fri, Mar 6, 2026