So work to get more than one species in your forage mix. A longtime champion of legumes, Ball suggests adding legumes to even out grazing distribution and improve overall forage quality. For example, he says white clover is a good choice if you're looking for a legume with some grazing tolerance. And alfalfa is a good addition to cool-season grass pastures. Likewise, annual lespedeza, although tending to be low in yield, is of good quality during the summer months, and the timing of its productive season matches well with tall fescue's, which tends to decline in summer.
Winter annuals can complement perennial forages.
Rye has more growth in the fall, while annual ryegrass has more in the spring, says Ball. Rye does well on the sandy, drought-prone soils of the Coastal Plain and is usually more productive than wheat. With ryegrass, production peaks during February and early March. Ball says the total yields from ryegrass may not be as important as when yields come. Wheat, by contrast, tends to produce its best grazing after rye and before ryegrass.