Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


 Plants used for pastures differ greatly in temperature, fer-
tility, moisture and soil requirements. The adaptability of the
more important pasture species is discussed.
 Most Florida soils are low or deficient in 1 or more of the
mineral nutrients which are essential for rapid, normal plant
growth. The fertilizer practices depend upon the plants to be
grown, the fertilization history of the soil, and upon the soil
type.
 The grass species differ greatly in growth responses to liming
and fertilization. Carpet and varieties of Bahia grasses grow
on lower fertility levels and with less lime than Dallis, Pangola
and Bermuda varieties. Growth responses and composition of
plants show that the flat pine soils are deficient primarily in
phosphorus, but also in calcium, potassium and nitrogen.
 Lime and fertilizer recommendations are given for establish-
ing various grasses and legumes on the flat pine lands, hammock
soils, and sandy muck soils underlaid with lime.
 Proper fertilization increases the growth and improves the
mineral content of pasture plants.
 Seedbeds should be free of weeds and firm. It is desirable to
cover grass seed lightly, especially Dallis and Bahia varieties.
Legume seed should be inoculated. Planting dates vary with
grass and legume species.
 Proper management of established pastures encourages the
maintenance of desirable plant species and the production of a
good yield of high quality herbage. These objectives may be
accomplished by fertilization, weed control and careful grazing
management.
 Erect annual or biennial weeds such as thistles or dogfennel
may be controlled by mowing or with rotary choppers.
 On the mineral soils the established grass pastures respond
 primarily to nitrogen. Application of other minerals in con-
 junction with nitrogen improves growth and composition.
 Since established grass pastures are stimulated primarily
 by nitrogen fertilizers, and because nitrogen fertilizers do not
 accumulate in soils, it is apparent that legumes (provided they
 are adapted) should be grown with grasses to supply nitrogen.
 On adapted soils grass-legume mixtures furnish a better quality
 of productive herbage than grasses alone.
 Annual fertilization is necessary for maintenance of legume-
 grass pastures on most soils. Fertilizer recommendations for
 maintaining grasses and leguminous pasture plants are included.