Weeds, Especially Challenging This Year in Both Pastures and Hay Fields!

Sep 05, 2025

By Victor Shelton

Weather has been the biggest variable again this year, and it’s made clear just how different conditions can be from one farm to the next. From my own place in southwest Indiana, we’ve had more rain than we’d like, while others nearby have been dealing with the opposite. No one set of observations covers every situation, so what I share each month comes from what I see at home, along with farm visits, conversations with producers and the questions and challenges you pass along. My goal is to offer ideas and principles you can adapt to your own conditions—rain or shine.

Weeds have been especially challenging this year across both pastures and hay fields. Prolonged periods of either excessive rainfall or drought have stressed desirable forage species, opening the door for opportunistic and often toxic weeds to expand. When cool-season grasses and legumes are weakened, weed species are quick to exploit the gaps.

Source : osu.edu

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