# When does grass start to grow?



## mhorses (13 February 2015)

After today's rain my field is looking a little sorry for itself. The field has very little grass left and was just flat/Harding mud until yesterday but now it is a mushy bog. I am wondering when grass usually starts coming through and whether I should separate half of my paddock off to allow some growth for spring or will this cause laminitis or colic to occur? Thanks


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## Mike007 (13 February 2015)

Grass only stops growing in August .Believe it or not! The rest of the time it grows but the speed varies.


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## be positive (13 February 2015)

It is growing here in Somerset, the horses droppings have become noticeably greener despite the recent frosts so some must be coming through when the sun came out, I will be dividing my fields in the next week or two to allow them some time to pick up before they get harrowed once it dries up, after the mud of last winter they are not looking too bad this year I just hope it does not continue to rain like it did today, I had got used to it being dry.


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## twiggy2 (13 February 2015)

Mike007 said:



			Grass only stops growing in August .Believe it or not! The rest of the time it grows but the speed varies.
		
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Who toldyou that?

the temperature and sunlight controls the growth rates, below a certain temperature it cannot grow at all-that is why a frosty but sunny day increases laminitis risk as the sugars increases due to photosynthesis but the grass cannot use the sugar to grow so it is stored for a short while rather than used thereby increases lami risk


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## Mike007 (13 February 2015)

twiggy2 said:



			Who toldyou that?

the temperature and sunlight controls the growth rates, below a certain temperature it cannot grow at all-that is why a frosty but sunny day increases laminitis risk as the sugars increases due to photosynthesis but the grass cannot use the sugar to grow so it is stored for a short while rather than used thereby increases lami risk
		
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 Who told me that , lots of folk including Reading university.The only time grass actualy stops growing is when it seeds.


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## twiggy2 (13 February 2015)

Mike007 said:



			Who told me that , lots of folk including Reading university.The only time grass actualy stops growing is when it seeds.
		
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It sounds sensible that it stops growing when it seeds but not that it can grow what ever the temperature and sunlight (or lack of) is available-not saying your wrong just seem odd


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## mhorses (13 February 2015)

Yes last year I had to sow my grazing with new seeds as it was just a mud bath, it has lasted so well this winter considering March is in a fortnight.


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## PollyP99 (13 February 2015)

" Grass hardly grows at all when the temperature is below 5°C, but grows vigorously in the warm wet conditions that are typical of the April, May and June period."

http://www.ukagriculture.com/crops/grassland_management.cfm


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## Mike007 (13 February 2015)

But it only stops in August


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## FfionWinnie (13 February 2015)

If it's above 5c at night it will grow noticeably all winter. It's been a mild winter with plenty of growth. The horses will be eating it as fast as it grows but look at the verges or ungrazed fields.


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## honetpot (13 February 2015)

I thought it starts to grow properly when it reaches 10C air temperature


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## FfionWinnie (13 February 2015)

honetpot said:



			I thought it starts to grow properly when it reaches 10C air temperature
		
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If that was true we would hardly have any grass in Scotland lol


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## Auslander (13 February 2015)

Mine hasn't really stopped growing all winter. All the grazed areas are coming back nicely, and my guys are eating grass in preference to hay. I've only bought 5 4ft bales of hay - was getting through 5 8ft bales a month from Nov-March last year!


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## popsdosh (14 February 2015)

Mike007 said:



			But it only stops in August
		
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Wrong! grass grows all the year round if the temperature is high enough to sustain it and it has moisture.Length of daylight also influences growth.
Look at the spot the difference article in the link below,it shows you growth throughout the year.

http://innovis.typepad.com/pasture_princess/2011/10/


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## MissMistletoe (14 February 2015)

I've often wondered if soil type effects soil temperature, therefore effecting grass growth.

 Eg. Clay vs. sandy, due to the physical structure of the soil allowing heat through or not....?


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## Goldenstar (14 February 2015)

I think it does stop as it seeds however if grass is being managed so it does not seed it keeps growing until the light is short and the ground is cold .


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## Thriller (14 February 2015)

It grows when the ground temp is over 5 degrees, at any time of year. It doesn't suddenly stop in August.


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## Mike007 (14 February 2015)

Grass never stops growing and if it does them it is when it seeds. guess when that is.


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## popsdosh (14 February 2015)

June!!

 It doent stop then as it sends out new tillers and just carries on. The only thing that stops grass growth completely is Frost and roundup.


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## JillA (14 February 2015)

MissMistletoe said:



			I've often wondered if soil type effects soil temperature, therefore effecting grass growth.

 Eg. Clay vs. sandy, due to the physical structure of the soil allowing heat through or not....?
		
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The wetter the soil the colder it is generally speaking, so clay and other water retaining soils are much slower getting to the temperature at which plants grow (5 degrees - soil temperature - as I understand it). Sandy soils dry out quicker so warm up quicker.


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## _HP_ (14 February 2015)

All I know is I've just mowed my lawn...


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## Gloi (14 February 2015)

_HP_ said:



			All I know is I've just mowed my lawn...
		
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Mine needs doing too, may do it if it doesn't rain today. It needs mowing in August too!


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## katymay (14 February 2015)

Like be positive,  I've noticed a change in dropping colour so there is grass coming through, really muddy bits that I've fenced off are starting to sprout grass again  it's just growing far too slowly at the moment!


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## Sussexbythesea (14 February 2015)

I'm guessing that heavily grazed or mown grass never gets to seed therefore never stops growing? 

Our ungrazed paddocks haven't grown noticeably over winter even though it has been mostly mild but the horses don't seem to want hay supplementation now we have swapped paddocks so I guess there must be enough in there.


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## HaffiesRock (14 February 2015)

There is definitely some growth on my paddocks. Both ponies droppings have changed colour, the 2 paddocks which have been rested for the last 3 weeks are definitely greener looking and where the muck heap was taken away in November, there is nice green covering.


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## marmalade76 (14 February 2015)

PollyP99 said:



			" Grass hardly grows at all when the temperature is below 5°C, but grows vigorously in the warm wet conditions that are typical of the April, May and June period."

http://www.ukagriculture.com/crops/grassland_management.cfm

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This is how I've always understood it to be. My horses are eating it faster than it's growing ATM and are clearing up their hay now, but in mild winters (like the last one) we had plenty of grass all winter and hardly used any hay at all.


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## FairyLights (14 February 2015)

grass doesnt stop growing in August, theats absolute rubbish. Grass grows if the temperature is abouve 5 degrees C and there is enough daylight.


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## tallyho! (14 February 2015)

The grass has hardly stopped growing hence four fat horses despite NO hay or hard feed.


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## amandaco2 (14 February 2015)

I think its grown a lot this winter. 2 fields rested since sept neon green, the ones rested since December are still just coming up. Hopefully in the next 3 weeks it will be warm and sunny enough for it to really start growing


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## ribbons (14 February 2015)

Grass will grow if soil temperature is 5 degrees or more.
The August theory is certainly not rubbish though.
 If grass is ungrazed and uncut it will produce seed in August, it will therefore halt growth in order to put everything into seed production. If grazed or cut it will grow continually.
Fairylights, you might like to do some research before rubbishing fact.


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## JillA (14 February 2015)

Might be true that it stops growing in August. But it starts in September


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## Exploding Chestnuts (14 February 2015)

Soil temperature 5 Degrees C or more but there are natural cycles, spring and autumn flushes ...... high sugars low fibres  lo magnesium.


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## L&M (14 February 2015)

Avoiding any scientific arguments (!), I find mine starts growing visibly in March, then peaks May/June time. At the height of summer it then slows down unless we have significant rain, then has another good spurt Sept/Oct.

In 'grazed' fields it can be hard to tell if anything is coming through yet&#8230;..


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## nostromo70 (14 February 2015)

If grass only stopped growing in August because of flowering, then that would imply that all grasses flower in August, which they don't.
It takes an air temperature of around 13°c and a soil temp of around 9°c for most grasses to grow (some will grow at lower temps), the soil temp will take longer to warm up. Sandy soils will warm faster than clay soils.


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## Wagtail (14 February 2015)

Mike007 said:



			Grass only stops growing in August .Believe it or not! The rest of the time it grows but the speed varies.
		
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Better tell our lawn then as hubby has to mow it every one or two weeks all summer, including August. It all depends on how much it rains.


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## FfionWinnie (14 February 2015)

Whether or not the stops growing when it seeds thing is true, you can't say categorically it would be August this happened. Grass seeds at different times depending on many many factors.


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## popsdosh (14 February 2015)

ribbons said:



			Grass will grow if soil temperature is 5 degrees or more.
The August theory is certainly not rubbish though.
 If grass is ungrazed and uncut it will produce seed in August, it will therefore halt growth in order to put everything into seed production. If grazed or cut it will grow continually.
Fairylights, you might like to do some research before rubbishing fact.
		
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Actually grass does not stop growing when it seeds it keeps putting out tillers otherwise it would just die so dont rubbish what others are saying either that or my grassland management degree and managing 400 acres of grass was wasted. It visibly slows down but is still growing but you cannot see it due to the top cover.
However if thats an issue its due to pretty poor management in the first place.


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## Bobbly (15 February 2015)

Grass? What is this green stuff you all speak of?


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## Highlands (15 February 2015)

Had neighbour with massive muck collector do fields and it harrows too, grass defo starting to pick up my small holdin paddock looks fab!


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## Exploding Chestnuts (15 February 2015)

If grass is forming seedheads it is still growing, it is bulking up it weighs more than it did the previous week.


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## Magda (15 March 2020)

Mike007 said:



			Grass only stops growing in August .Believe it or not! The rest of the time it grows but the speed varies.
		
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I think a lot of people missread or didnt read your comment propperly.it makes sense that it stops growing when it is seeding.wich doesnt mean it doesnt keep growing if it is continuousely eaten and not left go to seeding stage.


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