Grass and hay—the bread and butter of any farm in Farming Simulator 25 (well, technically, grass and hay, but you get the idea). Whether you’re a fresh-faced newbie or a seasoned virtual farmer, this guide will help you master grass work, haymaking, and everything in between. What’s more, this guide applies to all platforms, and we’re sticking to the base game—no mods, no stress!
Growing Grass & Hay Guide
Grass and hay are indispensable in Farming Simulator 25, whether you’re feeding livestock or selling for profit. This guide walks you through every step, from field preparation and planting to mowing and turning grass into high-quality hay!
Preparing the Field
Start by checking your field’s soil composition:
- Red Tints: Needs plowing.
- Blue-Green Zones: Add lime to boost growth.
- Fieldstones: Clear them with a stone picker to protect your equipment.
If you want less hassle, you can disable stones, lime, or plowing in the game settings, but where’s the challenge in that? After prepping the soil, use a plow, subsoiler, or cultivator to ready the land for planting. If you’re interested in learning more about field prep, make sure to check out my detailed guide about Field Preparation in Farming Simulator 25!
Good news: once grass is planted, it regrows automatically after each harvest, meaning field prep is a one-time deal unless you switch crops.
Planting Grass
Buy grass seeds from the shop and load up your seeder. To plant grass, you’ll need a regular seeder, which you can find under the “Seeder” category. In this section, look for the icon indicating grass, and you can choose any of the available seeders to plant grass on the ground. Some seeders, like this one, even apply fertilizer as they work. This can save you time by giving the grass an immediate boost of nutrients.
Some seeders have special features, such as the ability to plant directly without the need for prior plowing or cultivating. This feature is indicated in the description, like here where it says, “No previous cultivating required.” However, keep in mind that if plowing is still required, you’ll need to do that before using a direct seeder.
You can find seed under the “Seed” tab, where you get more value for your money. Fertilizer can be bought as solid fertilizer, either here or there, depending on your preference.
Once you’ve got everything ready, drive to the field and press R to load the fertilizer, then press R again to load the seeds. If the seeder initially shows wheat, simply press Y to toggle to grass seeds. After unfolding, press V to lower the seeder and B to turn it on.
Caring for Grass
Grass is low maintenance but benefits greatly from fertilization. Apply fertilizer after planting for a major yield boost. Some seeders fertilize as they go, so check your equipment specs to save time. If you want to learn more, here’s my detailed guide on how to fertilize in Farming Simulator 25!
After applying one fertilizer state, you can apply a second one using a fertilizer spreader next month. Grass only requires one fertilizer state per harvest, so you don’t necessarily need to fertilize again, but it can be beneficial to do so, ensuring the grass is well-nourished.
I always recommend fully fertilizing your fields whenever possible, as this reduces the amount of fertilizer required in future harvests. When you add two fertilizer states initially, only one additional layer is needed per harvest after that. This keeps maintenance low and your yields high.
Also, rest assured, you don’t have to worry about weeds growing in grass fields. Grass doesn’t support weed growth, which is a huge advantage. You won’t have to deal with weeding on this field, making it a hassle-free crop to manage.
You can also use a grass roller to apply an additional fertilizer state. The roller is part of the “Grassland Care” category. It’s different from a regular roller, as it helps to spread fertilizer when used. If you don’t want to seed grass with it, simply skip the seeding step and use it solely for fertilizing. After you harvest the grass, use the roller to apply the fertilizer, keeping your field healthy for future growth.
If you’ve enabled seasons in the game settings, planting and harvesting have specific windows. Grass can be planted from March through November, but you can still harvest it during the winter. Just keep in mind that, with seasons enabled, you won’t be able to plant grass outside of these months.
Mowing & Harvesting Grass
Once your grass reaches the “Ready to Harvest” stage, it’s time to mow, but just a quick note—harvesting too early won’t give you the best yield. Fast-forwarding another day can make a noticeable difference. Yes, it’s a bit of a wait, but it’s worth it for that extra yield.
But here’s a fun twist: while we say “harvest,” technically, we’ll be mowing the grass. You can use any mower for this, and here are some options:
- The mowers in the equipment shop can be hooked up to a tractor. You can attach them to the front or rear for better coverage. The front-mounted mowers, like the butterfly models, are designed to work with a rear mower for full coverage. The pull-behind ones work fine on their own, though.
- Windrowing: Some mowers have windrowers, which gather the grass into neat rows. This can be helpful, and I’ll explain more about this in a second.
- You can also use a forage harvester with a mowing header for this. These machines are great for mowing large areas, and they pick up any leftover crop residue too, if needed.
Switching up the work modes is important here. Wide spreading mode spreads the grass evenly across the field as we mow. Swath dropping creates rows of cut grass, which can be more efficient if you’re planning to collect it.
You also have the option for left swath and right swath modes, which might seem a bit confusing, but basically, they determine which side of the mower the grass will be dropped on. Most of the time, though, you’ll use the wide spreading mode unless you’re preparing hay.
TIP: Mow as soon as grass is ready to harvest. Waiting for a second stage gives only a small yield boost, while mowing early allows up to four harvests per year.
Turning Grass into Hay
Hay is essential for feeding livestock or selling for profit. After mowing, follow these steps:
- Tedding: Use a tedder to fluff and spread grass for faster drying. Drying is weather-dependent, so avoid rain and keep an eye on forecasts.
- You’ll want to make wide passes, as you’ll likely need to windrow the hay afterward anyway.
- Once lowered and turned on, it will spread the grass out, turning it into hay and giving it that classic texture.
- Windrowing: Once grass is dry, use a windrower to gather it into neat rows, making collection much easier.
- Here’s how it works: As you drive over the grass, the windrower collects it into tidy rows. This makes it far more efficient for later stages of the process, such as baling. You don’t have to windrow, but it certainly saves time.
After windrowing, let’s talk about collecting the grass. You can use a forage wagon for this step. It will collect your swaths of hay, grass, or straw and store it for later use.
Here’s how the forage wagon works: After lowering it and turning it on, simply drive over the swath, and it will start picking up the material, whether it’s hay or grass. Your capacity will fill up in the bottom-right corner as you collect more material.
Baling (Optional): Compress hay into bales for easier storage or transport. There are two types of balers: square and round. Square balers are great for continuous baling without stopping to unload, while round balers are more versatile with adjustable bale sizes.
You can choose between various square and round balers depending on your needs. For instance, the round balers can produce bales from 125 cm to 180 cm in size, while square balers are available in smaller sizes or larger ones, such as 180–240 cm.
When using a baler, you’ll need to consider the type of twine or film netting you want to use. Be sure to keep a stock of twine or film binding in case you run out during the process.
Once you have your bales, transporting them can be done using bale spikes or auto-stackers, depending on your needs. Auto-stackers make transporting bales much easier and quicker. Some can carry up to 24 round bales, while others handle square bales.
After harvesting, a roller can be used to add a layer of fertilizer to the field. It’s a more manual process compared to using a fertilizer spreader, but it’s highly effective for maintaining your grass field’s productivity.
Uses of Grass & Hay and Wrapping Up
Now, regarding what to do with the grass and hay you’ve collected: You can sell it directly at the nearest sell point, or you can use it for feeding animals or making silage.
Before I let you go, here are some bonus tips and tricks that you might find handy:
- Save on Fertilizer: Build a silo for solid fertilizer under the Containers tab. It stores fertilizer and lets you buy it cheaper (1,700 per 1,000L compared to 1,920 in the store).
- Weeder vs. Roller: Prefer efficiency? Use a weeder instead of a roller for fertilization—the wider working width saves time.
- Snow Hazards: Avoid mowing during snowy seasons. Melting snow can glitch the grass, moving or deleting it altogether.
Grass and hay are the backbone of any farm in Farming Simulator 25, offering simplicity and versatility for players of all skill levels. With proper prep, care, and harvesting, you’ll have a steady supply for your animals or a consistent cash flow.
