How do you select timothy grass seeds? What are the seedling cultivation methods?
Timothy grass, also called cat's tail grass, is a perennial tufted herbaceous plant of the genus Phleum in the grass family, and is also a superior forage grass with high feeding value, mainly distributed in Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan and Taiwan, China and other provinces and regions. The whole plant is used medicinally, and also has the effects of dissipating blood stasis and stopping bleeding, and clearing heat and relieving cough. So how do you select timothy grass seeds? What are the seedling cultivation methods? Let's take a look together below.
1. How do you select timothy grass seeds?
Timothy grass seeds are relatively small, generally brown or dark brown. To plant timothy grass, you should choose healthy, plump seeds. Timothy grass seeds have a layer of hard shell, and before sowing the seed shells need to be broken to allow uniform germination.
If the amount of seed used is small, a hard object (such as a brick) is often used to rub and break the seed shells; for large planting areas with a large amount of seed, a small rice mill is used for crushing. After the seed shell treatment, soak in 30-35°C warm water for 12-18 days before sowing, and sow once the embryo buds have been promoted to sprout.
2. What are the seedling cultivation methods for timothy grass?
1. Sowing time
The sowing period of timothy grass varies by region. South of the Yangtze River, spring sowing or autumn sowing can be used, usually autumn sowing is better, while in North China, Northwest China and southern Northeast China autumn sowing can also be used, but in areas with autumn drought, spring sowing is still better. Spring sowing should be early rather than late, and sowing should be done when there is sufficient soil moisture to ensure emergence.
2. Sowing method
The sowing methods for timothy grass include direct sowing and seedling transplanting. The advantage of direct sowing is saving labor, while the disadvantages are uneven emergence, difficult control of planting density, and lower yield; the advantages of seedling transplanting are uniform growth, reasonable close-planting spacing, and high yield. In production, seedling transplanting is recommended.
3. Seedling management
Timothy grass is generally sown at 0.75-1.0 kg per 667 sq m, with row spacing of 15-30 cm for drilling, sowing depth of 2-8 cm, and 1-2 times of pressing after sowing. Timothy grass likes a cool and humid climate and has strong cold resistance, and can safely overwinter in cold and humid areas; both seedlings and mature plants can tolerate frost of minus 4°C to minus 3°C. Its heat tolerance is relatively weak, and it is difficult to survive the summer when the temperature is above 35°C with continuous high temperature and dryness.
4. Pest and disease control
Timothy grass has few pests and diseases, and generally no pesticide application is needed. During the seedling stage there are locusts and aphids causing damage, and when a certain amount occurs, trichlorfon, deltamethrin or imidacloprid can be sprayed for control. No highly damaging diseases have appeared, so chemical control may be omitted.
The above is an introduction to timothy grass. Timothy grass is a perennial cultivated forage grass, and this species is a top-grade feed for livestock, the most widely used in the world, with higher palatability for horses and mules.
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