Smooth bromegrass seed should be harvested when the culm, or stem just below the seed head, has matured and dried out, ideally on a day when the humidity is less than 50 percent. Once it has been collected, the seed should be turned daily to prevent heating. The stubble can also be collected but is much less nutritious than earlier-season hay. In summary, smooth bromegrass can be a valuable cool-season grass, especially in conjunction with a legume such as alfalfa. However, smooth bromegrass is slow to recover from poorly timed or extreme grazing or mowing.
Older stands require N fertilization to remain productive.
It should not be grazed or cut shorter than four inches and works best as part of a rotational-grazing program. Matthew Bassford contributed to the development of this publication. This guide is also available in Portable Document Format. Click the PDF button to the left to get it. For information about PDF files, see the X PLOR PDF help page.