Cool Season Perennial
There are three main types of brome: meadow, smooth and hybrid. Meadow brome is best suited for rotational grazing, smooth is best for hay, and hybrid is good for both. Salinity tolerance is good, and they all compete well in blends. Meadow brome has a weakly creeping root, smooth brome has an aggressive creeping root, and the hybrid brome will have an intermediate creeping root, depending on the hybrid. Meadow brome regrows quickly, smooth brome has slow regrowth and the hybrid will be intermediate, depending on the hybrid. All of the types have good palatability.
Seeds per pound:
Meadow brome 88,000
Smooth brome 140,000
Hybrid brome 140,000
Uses:
- Erosion control
- Soil builder
- Nitrogen scavenger
- Weed suppression
- Grazing potential
- Hay potential
Strengths:
- Long lived perennial
- Adaptable to many soil types and climate conditions
Concerns:
Smooth brome can take over a stand, Meadow brome hard to cut after three years, all basal leaves.
Grazing:
Meadow brome is best. Hybrid brome is good. Smooth brome is best under continuous grazing or for horses or sheep.
Hay:
Hybrid brome and smooth brome are best. Meadow brome is OK for the first two to three years, then is mainly basal leaves.
Mycorrhizal support? Yes
