Sprayer Do I need a sprayer?

[deereman10]

I'm trying to decide if i need to spend a couple hundred dollars on a sprayer. I have about 8-10 acres that i'm going to plant this year. The land hasnt been used in a while and is just field grasses. I mowed it last fall right before it snowed so it very short. I was wondering if i just moldboard plowed it under without spraying if that would be good enough or if i'd have major weed problems?

 

[TripleR]

Any time I have worked the soil, new weeds and grasses have sprung up. Even by applying herbicides, it is not a one time application. Over time, a good stand of grass will cut down on weed growth as will regular mowing. Even under good circumstances we still have weeds pop up if we don't mow regularly.

 

[deereman10]

So if i skip the sprayer, plowing it under could be just as good?

 

[clemsonfor]

Id say no.

 

[whistlepig]

Keeping a pasture mowed and knocking the weeds down before they seed will let the grass overtake the weeds. I have sprayed in the past but have found regular mowing just as effective as spraying. Its no different than a yard. Regular mowing keeps the weeds to a minimum.

 

[TripleR]

So if i skip the sprayer, plowing it under could be just as good?

I would not spray before turning it under with a mold board plow, but be prepared to do some spot spraying later. I use a sprayer on some of our property to keep the weeds down if it is not mowed regularly. It has to be mowed frequently to keep the weeds down, but in my area, clover will find its way in even with mowing, so some spraying is still need to deal with that.

We planted quite a bit of our land, maybe sixty acres or so in Native Grasses such as Big Blue Stem, Little Blue Stem, Indian Grass and Switch Grass and after a few years even as dense as that stuff is, weeds began to appear because we do not mow it regularly.

 

[forester2]

What are you planting?

 

[blueriver]

A sprayer is a valuable tool when you need it. Pastures for example that you don't want to mow the grass you can then spray them for weeds. Hay fields that are limed, fertilized and cut on a regular schedule may not need weed control or may need certain areas sprayed ... also an excellent way to apply liquid fertilizer ... you can also spray your garden, fruit trees and the like for bugs. Not to mention the fence lines.

Field Corn and Soybeans in todays world are Roundup ready ...

 

[boggen]

a sprayer comes in handy.

trying to use those little hand pump sprayers are a big pain in the rear. some sort of pull behind sprayer for like a riding lawn mower. that has a 12volt pump on it. works nice, to pull behind a tractor or truck. or buying a cheap 12volt pump and using a 30 or 55 gallon drum to load up in the bucket of a tractor or in back of a pickup truck. an buying the hose and a spray gun.

booms are always nice on a sprayer, but if ya not going for a golf course. i would skip the booms and save the cash. and just spend a couple hours longer initially to spray the thistles and clover, and other weeds ya don't want. then once it is half way under control. being able to use just the spray gun for spots works out better for me.

mowing does a good job in keeping the different weeds in check and letting grass grow. but ya gotta be on it and keep it maintained. so the weeds don't grow back.

if ya end up with dead spots or dirt spots should say after spraying. for myself back in the pasture. as long as i don't mow when it is to wet. after a year or 2 grass finds it way in those dirt spots well at least most of them. and fills everything in.