Monitor your grass growth

Grass growth starts when soil at a depth of 10 cm reaches 5°C for five consecutive days. White clover and other legumes begin to grow at 8°C. Grass in compacted and wet soils will start growing later because the high moisture content makes the soil colder. To monitor your fields, measure soil temperature using a soil thermometer for a quick, easy and cheap method of identifying when the plant is actively growing so that nitrogen fertiliser can be applied to promote growth. Typical monthly grass growth in March is 10 kg DM/ha per day, with some sites achieving up to 20 kg DM/ha per day. At peak growth, all three leaves can be replaced within two to three weeks, but in midwinter, when grass growth is at its slowest, it can take 30 days to produce one new leaf.