The summer is winding down, and it’s been a hectic year for a lot of us. Even for folks who weren’t impacted by the more extreme storms and flooding in 2026, the wet weather created unique management challenges all over Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Compared to the last two years of drier weather, this year had higher weed pressure, challenging weather for second cutting hay, and increased disease prevalence. We’re also seeing some follow-on effects from previous years of dry weather. This article will go through a few things to check throughout this fall, plan for winter, and manage in spring.
High rainfall this summer gave weeds a chance to grow, and wet soils impacted our ability to spray and mow on time throughout the summer. We can see taller weeds throughout many pastures this summer, but many pastures also have smaller seedlings from biennial species present in other locations, too. Fall is a great time to scout for biennial and perennial weeds since systemic herbicides are particularly effective at this time of year and because you can use your knowledge of which weed species you have on your farm to make a management plan for next year.
Pair scouting for weeds with stand evaluations before the dormant season begins. A good goal for stem density is 55 stems/ square foot for alfalfa, grass pastures and grass-legume mixes. If you’re someone like me who misplaces quadrats and measuring tapes, just remember that 55 stems/square foot also equates to 36 stems under a single sheet of printer paper (8.5 by 11 inches). In optimal condition, pastures have less than 10% bare ground.
Legume density will vary by your operation goals, but having 20-30% legumes can help improve pasture yield at lower nitrogen application rates. If your pasture has more than 15-20% bare dirt, stem density below 40 stems/square foot, or a species mix that doesn’t work for your production goals, it’s time to consider which grazing management or pasture renovation options would help next year.
Fall is also when I’d recommend taking a soil test, especially if you have areas that were less productive than you were expecting or if you haven’t taken a test in the last three years. Fall testing will give you time to apply lime this year if needed, and it can help identify nutrient deficiencies that would impact next year’s plant growth or the establishment of any new seedings.
Weed management and addressing soil fertility issues can help promote growth in pastures even without reseeding. But if you have a lot of bare dirt or want to change the species mix on your farm, interseeding may be a helpful option. Frost seeding is an excellent way to introduce clovers and planning for interseeding with a no-till drill or other tools in the spring is a great way to add additional grass to your pastures.
Regardless of the specific challenges you faced in 2026, there are a range of management practices that can help improve pastures for next year.
Below are some management activities broken out by season to consider when making pasture renovation plans.
Fall
• Assess plant species diversity and stem density.
• Scout for weeds, focusing on perennials and biennials. Consider spraying systemic herbicides before dormant season.
• Soil sample if you haven’t in the last three years. Apply lime and potassium (if recommended by your soil test).
• Graze down pastures below 4 inches if you intend to interseed over winter or spring.
Winter
• Order seed if you plan to frost seed covers or plant perennials in the spring.
• Reflect on your grazing system and whether different management may improve pastures, such as changing rotational grazing plans to increase recovery time in some paddocks or updating water locations.
• Consider a dormant season herbicide application (see 2026 Weed Control Guide for some suggestions).
• Decide if and where a green-up nitrogen application may be useful on some of your pasture land, especially in areas where soils will dry out earlier for spring grazing.
• Frost seed in February or early March, when nighttime temperatures are below freezing and daytime temperatures are above freezing.
Spring
• Wait until grasses are 6-to-8 inches tall before grazing established pastures.
• Interseed pastures where needed, focusing on getting perennials planted during April where possible.
• Keep animals off new seedings for as long as possible. When animals are introduced to newly interseeded pastures, monitor their grazing so that they are eating older, more established plants (not the new seedlings).
• Spray annual and biennial weeds early in the season; control is lower when they get more than 4 inches tall.
