Perennial Forage Grasses

herbaceous plants cultivated for livestock feed that have a life span of more than one year. The yearly life cycle of these grasses consists of the following phases: spring sprouting, tillering, heading, flowering, fruiting with repeated tillering, autumn vegetation, and winter dormancy. Plants of the families Gramineae (timothy, foxtail, wheatgrass) and Leguminosae (clover, alfalfa, sainfoin) are among those cultivated most often for forage. Grasses and legumes are generally sown together; this combination favorably affects the quality of the forage and the fertility of the soil. Because of the repeated tillering, it is highly advisable to fertilize perennial forage grasses in the second half of the vegetative stage.