2" - 3" of pasture top soil then nothing but limestone...

[Reload5]

Looking to get some ideas on how to solve my basically solid rock goat pasture issue... Ideal end state would be baseball field grass...

Power rake? Cultivator? Bring in 6" of topsoil all the way over?

ETA: I have no goats...

 

[sixdogs]

Wow, if that was granite underneath I'd say welcome to New England.

Skim it with a rototiller, put down a grass seed with a strong root system, fertilize and forget about it. Fertilize annually. Adding dirt is like bailing the ocean so just go with what you've got. There's a lot more dirt there than you think and lots of crevices and cracks for roots to go.

 

[jaxs]

Based on what I've seen in different areas of Texas,I highly recommend leaving it alone for now. Ask your county agent what if anything can or should done. The key to grazing the Western half of Texas is native grass. Trying to improve land that doesn't want to be improved is a looseing game. If that sound's nuts,how bout this? Millions were spent between the mid 50s to the mid 70s to eradicate Mesquite brush in arid West Tx. Per acre grazing capacity temporarily increased then fell flat,much worse than it was before Mesquite was removed. Sadly,it was discovered too late that Mesquite roots reach deep into earth to bring moisture near the surface where grass and forbs can use it. In the process,the lowly bush fixes nitrogen in soil to benefit grass. TX A&M developed Mesquite to reestablish it where it had sucessfuly been eradicated. Ask your county agent to help you find ways of helping what you already have.

 

[sweettractors]

No till drilling seed could be a viable option where rock is a concern. Ken Sweet

 

[Z-Michigan]

Move?

Based on what I've seen in different areas of Texas,I highly recommend leaving it alone for now. Ask your county agent what if anything can or should done. The key to grazing the Western half of Texas is native grass.

Good advice and info.

With such thin topsoil, anything that disturbs it is going to be a losing battle. I would not do any kind of tillage at all. Your options are either to keep the existing vegetation and work with how it is, or bring in truckloads of topsoil (and maybe something cheaper beneath it, like fill sand, if you want a lot of depth) and establish your desired grass on that new surface. That could be done, but will probably be very expensive.

 

[jaxs]

Looking to get some ideas on how to solve my basically solid rock goat pasture issue... Ideal end state would be baseball field grass...

Power rake? Cultivator? Bring in 6" of topsoil all the way over?

ETA: I have no goats...

If you want help,don't say you have a goat pasture then edit to say you don't have goats. If you seriously want it to look like a baseball field,I revise my advice to say you have two choices. #1. Install artificial turf like on the Toronto Bluejays' field or #2. Try growing Kentucky bluegrass in Texas like some people here are recommending.

 

[powerscol]

Are their cow and horse folks around? See if you can get their poo (age it a year) and just gradually keep adding it to the pasture with a spreader to build up organics and improve the soil ability to hold water. To improve groth each spring use a chain harrow. You did not say how big it is, but with my 3 acres I say improvement the 2nd year after adding the poo and harrow it in.

Good luck

BTW - I also recommend getting with you local agg agent too.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I would also ask the local ag agent about growing alfalfa - if it will tolerate the soil conditions and if it will improve them. Alfalfa is originally a desert crop, drought tolerant with very deep roots. I don't know if it can breakup such a shallow bedrock or not, but I would ask.

If you like surfing, start here:
Crops & Soil - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

 

[leonz]

Deep mined Gypsum to break up the clay and broadcasting Sainfoin seed about a week afterwards. In saying that if you can rent or hire a grass drill slit seeder. Chemically rendered Gypsum will also work but will be more expensive per bag.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Have the cedar trees hydroaxed to mulch, put a bit of soil here and there where you want to plant a garden or flowers. Native prairie grasses are best for heat and drought tolerance. Maaaaybe some type of drought resistant bermuda. Your soil's ph is going to be way on the limestone side of things.