First timer- field prep for field grass

   / First timer- field prep for field grass #41  
Looks great! Ready to grow. :thumbsup:

I've gotten lazy in the past about packing/not packing and have even used my 3-wheeler to pack the field. One year, I used my JD110TLB with the hoe off and the loader bucket off and packed a small field that I had rototilled and planted.

The 110 has R4 tires so, they're flatter and not so aggressive and I figured the tractor wouldn't compact things too awful bad... Well, long story - short; got a great stand, good germination - darn horses pocked it up, pulled up the grass, etc. etc. when I turned them into it late in the fall!

So, the next Spring I hand filled in the holes and raked and replanted and rolled the crap outta it with that HEAVY roller. That fall; after the first killing frost - the grass did just fine with the horses on it.

AKfish
 
   / First timer- field prep for field grass
  • Thread Starter
#42  
Looks great! Ready to grow. :thumbsup:

I've gotten lazy in the past about packing/not packing and have even used my 3-wheeler to pack the field. One year, I used my JD110TLB with the hoe off and the loader bucket off and packed a small field that I had rototilled and planted.

The 110 has R4 tires so, they're flatter and not so aggressive and I figured the tractor wouldn't compact things too awful bad... Well, long story - short; got a great stand, good germination - darn horses pocked it up, pulled up the grass, etc. etc. when I turned them into it late in the fall!

So, the next Spring I hand filled in the holes and raked and replanted and rolled the crap outta it with that HEAVY roller. That fall; after the first killing frost - the grass did just fine with the horses on it.

AKfish


Thanks , but I think I'm about to ask a remedial question:eek:
On the (horse field in the last post), she wants to over seed it- but even though we know it probably needs lime, planning on just overseeding it (tight budget) . that being said- is the process ? (from how that field is tilled and disced in the picture)
broadcast seed, then till?-can't be? can it?., then compact, and watch it grow
or is it- ,overseed, and she has done this before- lightly cover the seeded area with scattered hay and once wet seemed to keep the seed in place? but then eventually the horse will tear it up and pock mark it into oblivion this fall.. I got to admit from here on out I'm a little lost on the best order and the best way to actually seed the field, and the compaction part,
Sorry this post is probably not well worded.. one more thing I think my sister may have a slit style 6-8' wide fertilizer spreader, think it may need a tire - will check into this In the next couple days -for the actual threads field

thanks everybody for the all the help, and encouraging words I really do appreciate it dan
 
   / First timer- field prep for field grass #43  
Thanks , but I think I'm about to ask a remedial question:eek:
On the (horse field in the last post), she wants to over seed it- but even though we know it probably needs lime, planning on just overseeding it (tight budget) . that being said- is the process ? (from how that field is tilled and disced in the picture)
broadcast seed, then till?-can't be? can it?., then compact, and watch it grow
or is it- ,overseed, and she has done this before- lightly cover the seeded area with scattered hay and once wet seemed to keep the seed in place? but then eventually the horse will tear it up and pock mark it into oblivion this fall.. I got to admit from here on out I'm a little lost on the best order and the best way to actually seed the field, and the compaction part,
Sorry this post is probably not well worded.. one more thing I think my sister may have a slit style 6-8' wide fertilizer spreader, think it may need a tire - will check into this In the next couple days -for the actual threads field

thanks everybody for the all the help, and encouraging words I really do appreciate it dan
Just top dressing the field with lime and fertilizer will improve the stand of grass that is there now.
 
   / First timer- field prep for field grass
  • Thread Starter
#44  
The #s from the soil test are in!!???? soil sample test results 001.jpg I'm guessing the soil is acidic, just as every one thought , will call the extension office as requested by the lab for explanation of findings and report their recommendations
 
   / First timer- field prep for field grass #45  
Thanks , but I think I'm about to ask a remedial question:eek:
On the (horse field in the last post), she wants to over seed it- but even though we know it probably needs lime, planning on just overseeding it (tight budget) . that being said- is the process ? (from how that field is tilled and disced in the picture)
broadcast seed, then till?-can't be? can it?., then compact, and watch it grow
or is it- ,overseed, and she has done this before- lightly cover the seeded area with scattered hay and once wet seemed to keep the seed in place? but then eventually the horse will tear it up and pock mark it into oblivion this fall.. I got to admit from here on out I'm a little lost on the best order and the best way to actually seed the field, and the compaction part,
Sorry this post is probably not well worded.. one more thing I think my sister may have a slit style 6-8' wide fertilizer spreader, think it may need a tire - will check into this In the next couple days -for the actual threads field

thanks everybody for the all the help, and encouraging words I really do appreciate it dan

Looks like you already have everything tilled up nicely. Generally the seed is scattered (3-point broadcast spreader or drop seeder) then run over with a cultipacker to get the seed in contact with the soil. The old timers around here who couldn't afford much equipement would scatter the seed then VERY LIGHTLY go over it with the disc. VERY LIGHTLY....as in only let the blades of the disc go into the soil like 1 inch. I want to make sure you read VERY LIGHTLY again or you will bury your seed too deep and it will not germinate. Then after everything germinated and got somewhat established, they would go back over and put lime and fertilizer on. Just make sure it's dry so you don't rut up your nice field.
 
   / First timer- field prep for field grass #46  
The #s from the soil test are in!!????View attachment 312517 I'm guessing the soil is acidic, just as every one thought , will call the extension office as requested by the lab for explanation of findings and report their recommendations

Yep.. you've got acidic soils. pH of 7 is neutral. Lower values are acidic and higher numbers above 7 are alkaline. You're gonna need to lime it and/or use a fertilizer blend that is sulfate based and provides positive ions (+) to the soil that will neutralize the negative ions (-) that are present in excess with acidic soils.

Regarding overseeding: I have broadcast timothy seed with my fertilizer application in the late fall on my hay fields and have gotten good results with that - new growth and a thicker stand. The key is too allow the new grass enough time to grow and establish a root base that will 1.) provide energy reserves for regrowth after grazing and 2.) strong enough - large enough that horses won't pull the whole plant outta the ground!

That's hard to accomplish with standing fields... you want/need to use the acreage; but, the new plants need time.

The easiest method is to rent/borrow a no-till drill or an overseeder drill. Landscapers and garden supply businesses will sometimes rent overseeders. NRSC offices in Alaska provide no-till drills for rent to landowner's for pasture and hay field improvements.

AKfish
 
   / First timer- field prep for field grass
  • Thread Starter
#47  
Got to meet with the Extension Educator, and was very helpful in working out the quantities of the chemicals , to be applied
they punch the size of the field in length x width= just under an acre, then the amount of lime to bring the field back to a ph of 7.0 worked out to just about a ton. The local Co-Op sells the re-usable poly bags of 1000 lbs. of lime so will be picking up 2 of those , the purity has to be near 100% to use those #s or recalculated by %age,
organic matter at 7.3% was ok ,the Ammonium, was ok and also the Nitrate


The K -potassium was also plenty ,actually high, and finally the Phosphorous was low at 2.5 ppm need to apply 30lbs. once a year to this field...to the 3rd year and i guess ( if memory serves -this one lasts for a few years once it's up)


Ok the costs that I have checked - lime 1000lbs. poly bag $143.82 x 2 =287.64+tax=$304.90
haven't checked phosphorous yet

$75.00 a day for a pull behind roller and have not picked out the seed for sure Educator suggested the blue grass mix / wife not crazy about that one... TBD..


Also picked up the fertilizer spreader from sister (going to need work- flat tire , the pto driven belt drive is heavily corroded and frozen) ,it was getting dark ,need to unload and pressure wash and check it out I believe its a King??
Anyway- that's where everything stands today, and it's getting late will update when more progress :) progresses
 
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   / First timer- field prep for field grass #48  
Ok the costs that I have checked - lime 1000lbs. poly bag $143.82 x 2 =287.64+tax=$304.90
haven't checked phosphorous yet

Maybe I'm missing something, but that sounds a bit high for lime to me. I can get pelletized lime retail from Tractor Supply for $3.99 a 40 lb. bag. 25 of those is 1000 lbs. and costs $100 plus tax. I just did this same thing and being as it's pelletized, I easily spread it with my Brinly pull behind spreader.
 
   / First timer- field prep for field grass
  • Thread Starter
#49  
Maybe I'm missing something, but that sounds a bit high for lime to me. I can get pelletized lime retail from Tractor Supply for $3.99 a 40 lb. bag. 25 of those is 1000 lbs. and costs $100 plus tax. I just did this same thing and being as it's pelletized, I easily spread it with my Brinly pull behind spreader.

That's great- if the price is lower, the price quoted is from calling the local Co-Op. I just assumed they would be the most reasonable, and have to pay a fee for the two polly bags until they are returned...
We also have a (big R) store and Home depot guess I will check with them.. and their price, the lime from Co-Op is dolomite/ lime the other way it is sold is by 50lb. bags atc$10.85 each or $9.30 each 10 or more, but that is even more money...
does the lime you bought have a purity rating on it? Not sure if the lime qouted here is ground or pelletized

The fertilizer spreader pto was froze solid got it broken loose but when I rotated the shaft in the direction the PTO runs it immediately ran one of the belts off of the idler pulley- will pull it apart , no one knows exactly how long ago it was used :confused: and the drop rate control needs work (bent up and frozen) anyway thanks for the heads up on the pricing - hoping this is not related to geographical location...
 
   / First timer- field prep for field grass #50  
I'm about to put in an order for 8 tons of lime. I got a quote from the largest Ag supplier in the State and the Pelletized lime is $485/ton, the Ag lime is $295/ton and a coarse, granulated Ag lime is $250/ton. It will cost me an additional $35/ton to have it trucked down to my place from Anchorage - 165 miles.

Based on what I'm paying - it looks like you're paying too much! Or, it's not really Ag lime..

AKfish
 
 
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