Why Add Legumes to Grass Pasture
Legumes like clover and alfalfa fix nitrogen from the air, reducing the need for purchased fertilizer while also boosting the protein content and palatability of your pasture. A grass-legume mix typically outperforms a pure grass stand in both animal performance and soil health, making interseeding one of the more cost-effective pasture improvements available.
How to Interseed Successfully
Graze or mow existing pasture short before interseeding to reduce competition for the new seedlings, and use a no-till drill where possible for good seed-to-soil contact. Late winter frost seeding works well for clover in many regions, taking advantage of freeze-thaw cycles to work seed into the soil naturally. Watch for bloat risk when animals graze legume-heavy pasture, and introduce them gradually with full stomachs to reduce that risk.
