Living Crop Museum

Home

© Wilmington College 2005 

  Cool Season Forage Crops

Common Name:

 Orchardgrass

Latin Name:

 Dactylis glomerata

Variety:

 Axiom

Crop Origin:

 Europe

Type:

 Cool season perennial

Date Planted:

 24 June, 2003

Growth Stages in Ohio

Orchardgrass Jan 1 06.JPG (3413461 bytes) Orchardgrass feb 6 06.JPG (1832860 bytes) Orchardgrass March 4 06.JPG (3556448 bytes) Orchardgrass Apr 4 06.JPG (3381358 bytes) Orchardgrass May 5 06.JPG (2994455 bytes) Orchardgrass 3 June 05.JPG (3576922 bytes)
January February March April May June
Orchardgrass 1 July 05.JPG (3851994 bytes) Orchardgrass 7aug05.JPG (2764576 bytes) Orchardgrass 3 sep 05.JPG (2683407 bytes) Orchardgrass 1 oct 05.JPG (2784080 bytes) Orchardgrass 4 Nov 05.JPG (2905452 bytes) Orchardgrass 2 dec 05.JPG (3546977 bytes)
July August

September

 October November December

Cultivation in Ohio

Primary Uses:

 Forage

 Planting:

 Plant 0.25 - 0.5 inch deep.  If broadcast increase seeding rates 5^%.

 Seeding Rate:

 12-15 lbs pure live seed/acre.

Fertility:

 Does not tolerate wet soils or prolonged flooding.  Prefers moderately well-drained soils.  Will tolerate pH levels from 4.75-8.25 but grows best around pH 7.0.  Apply 50 lb N/acre after each harvest.

Insects:

 No serious insect pests.  Slugs may be a problem on poorly drained soils.

Diseases:

 Stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis), Leaf scald (Rynchosporium orthosporum) and Orchardgrass mottle virus (CfMV)

Harvest:

 Allow a regrowth of 6-8 inches after each cutting for recovery.  

Comments:

  

Identification

Leaf:

 Orchardgrass_leaf2.JPG (2231252 bytes) Orchardgrass_plant.JPG (1077458 bytes)

Flower:

 Orchardgrass_flower2.JPG (1215742 bytes) 

Seeds:

 Orchardgrass_seed.JPG (1356686 bytes) Orchardgrass_seedhead.JPG (1883964 bytes)

Distribution:

 orchardgrass_distribution_map.jpg (30782 bytes)

More Information

Links:

 http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DACTY 
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/pnw/pnw502.pdf