Seeding Rates –Pure Stand vs Mixtures

Seeding Rate (a)

Forage Crop

Legal Wt

per bu

Estimated Seeds

per lb

Seeds/ Sq ft

@ 1 lb / acre

Pure

Stand

In Mixture

Legumes

Alfalfa

60

225,000

5

15-20

8-15

Alsike Clover

60

690,000

15.8

6-8 b

3-5

Birdsfoot trefoil

60

380,000

8.7

5-8

2-5

Cicer Milkvetch

60

135,000

3.1

20-25

10-15

Crownvetch

60

120

2.8

8-15

5-10

Hairy Vetch

60

20,000

0.5

20-30

10-20

Kura Clover

-

-

5-6

8-10

-

Lespedeza (Korean)

40

235,000

5.4

20-25 (c)

10-15

Ladino clover

60

800,000

18.4

3-5 (b)

1-2

Mammoth red clover

60

295,000

6.8

10-12

4-8

Medium red clover

60

275,000

6.3

10-12

4-8

Sweetclover

60

260,000

6.0

15-20 (c)

4-8

Grasses

Kentucky bluegrass

14

2,177,000

50

5-10

2-6

Orchardgrass

14

2,177,000

50

10-12

3-6

Perennial ryegrass

-

275,000

6.3

25-35

10-15

Redtop

14

4,990,000

114.6

3-6 (b)

1-3

Reed canarygrass

46

530,000

12.2

10-12

4-8

Smooth brome

14

136,000

3.1

20-25

4-10

Tall fescue

25

227,000

5.2

20-25

4-8

Timothy

45

1,200,000

27.5

7-10

2-4

Big Bluestem

-

165,000

3.8

10-12 (d)

5-6

Indiangrass

-

175,000

4.0

10-12 (d)

5-6

Switchgrass

-

389,000

8.9

5-7 (d)

3-4

Millets

-

Variable

----

20-40

----

Sudangrass

32

Variable

----

25-30

----

a - Use pounds of bulk seed unless specified otherwise

b - Not recommended as a pre stand.

c- Use scarified seed

d – Pounds of Pure Live Seed (PLS).  PLS%=(% Germ X % Purity) / 100