Timothy (Phleum pratense L.)

Timothy adapts well to a variety of soil types. As it is a shallow rooted, bunchgrass, it performs best with regular rainfall and good fertility. Timothy had good winter hardiness and does well on waterlogged soils. It tolerates a range in pH 4.5 to 7.8, but does not tolerate salinity and alkalinity.  

 

Contract Quality: The quality specs of the contract influence the field selection, in terms of weed issues. Some weed issues to consider are, catchfly, cleavers alsike, and Canada thistle.

 

Seeding: Seed companion crop at half the normal rate and reduce nitrogen levels. Cereals and flax work well as companion crops. When selecting a cereal variety, choose one that stands well and is early maturing. Cover crop lodging is a concern in getting a strong establishment.

 

Seeding depth: up to ½ inch (1 cm)

 

Seeding rate: 2 lb/acre (1 kg/acre)

 

Fertilizer: 80 to 100 lbs N/acre (40 to 50 kgs/acre) Ensure nitrogen is available to the plant when it breaks dormancy in spring to achieve maximum yield potential.

 

Weed Control: Grassy herbicides are best avoided. However, there are good broadleaf herbicides available for timothy seed production, consult our field staff for options.

 

Harvest: Swathing of Timothy seed begins mid-August. Swathing timing is important to ensure maturity while minimizing shatter losses. Combining can start from 5 to 14 days after swathing. Timothy seed is easily thrashed. Seed is safe to store at 12% moisture or less. Resources such as moisture charts and combine settings are available.