Help - what to do with Old food plots

[Bdavis]

I have about 4 acres of old food plots (about 4 years old) that I have been trying to keep from growing up with saplings and trash trees. The previous owner was into hunting, I am not. The area is real rough and uneven.
I think he just disc it up and threw some sort of seed out. I don't even know what was planted

I have had the place about three years and with all the other projects I have going there I have only been able to cut it once a year. Also lots of the area stays wet it is so uneven so when I have the time I have not be able to cut it. I really want to get it leveled out and plant some sort of grass so I could bush hog it about 4 or 5 times a year to keep it from growing up.

I don't have a disc but I do have a rachet rake and box blade. My plan is to try and level it up with the RR and box blade and then spread some sort of seed.

What grass would be best ? (southwest MS)

Would I be better off to try and spray the whole area with herbicide ( round up) and then try to level it out and start over ?
Thanks

 

[whistlepig]

You might want to try a ground cover crop like Crown Vetch.

 

[Reyer Farms]

Hey bud. Our native grass will grow, but is that okay ? The grass in there now will make it tough to work. Get rid of the grass then you can level your dirt with what you have. The disc is about the only option to level with grass.
Spraying is cost effective, but what is you final goal? If you just want to cut it your bush hog will level out high spots over time. Do you want pasture for grazing? I'm about dead center of the state and I like bermuda, fescue for grazing but I don't care what I bush hog.

 

[Bdavis]

Hey bud. Our native grass will grow, but is that okay ? The grass in there now will make it tough to work. Get rid of the grass then you can level your dirt with what you have. The disc is about the only option to level with grass.
Spraying is cost effective, but what is you final goal? If you just want to cut it your bush hog will level out high spots over time. Do you want pasture for grazing? I'm about dead center of the state and I like bermuda, fescue for grazing but I don't care what I bush hog.

If I can get it level it will make the bush hoging a lot quicker and I will be able to do it more often. The property was planted in pines before and I would like to do it again. The guy clear cut and did not replant so some of the property is too far gone and will need dozer work. So I am just trying to keep this from growing up until I can get a handle on things.
Bermuda sounds great I was not sure if it should be that are bahia. I think I am going to try a small section and see how it goes. Do you think I can just broadcast the seed around and just run over it with my RR again and mix it up enough that it will grow ? Or do I need to use some sort of seeder.

Thanks for the help

 

[Reyer Farms]

Would not even udder that grass's name, tough on you and cutter. You need soil contact with seed so better prep the ground the better stand. Only planter that will help is a drill, nrcs may have one you can use. What county you in?

 

[Bdavis]

Would not even udder that grass's name, tough on you and cutter. You need soil contact with seed so better prep the ground the better stand. Only planter that will help is a drill, nrcs may have one you can use. What county you in?

I guessed that it might be tougher than bermuda from what I found online, but as you can tell I know nothing about grasses. All I know that cutting it once a year usually in October is not doing the job. It is getting tougher every year between the low areas , rough terrain , rag weed and saplings it is a chore.

I really appreciate the help and am going to start on a small area first of the year and see how it goes.
I had read that you really need to get them 1/8 to 1/4 inch in the ground. I think I will just rake it all clean do my best to mix it in with the RR and see what happens.
My property is in walthal near tylertown.
Thanks again for the help

 

[muddstopper]

If you want the bermuda, then plan on planting after April. Bermuda is a warm season grass and doesnt like planing in the cold. Also look for unhulled seed. Now days, most bermuda seed is hulled for faster germination. Hulled seed might germinate and get killed if planted to early. The hulled seed is also usually coated with a clay substance and is sold by the lb. This means you are paying for a lot of clay instead of seed.

I would forget the crownvetch. It is a legume which spreads with rhyzomes. Once it takes a hold it will spread like crazy. Its also bad for horses and livestock if they eat it. If you do decide to use crownvetch, the seed needs to be inocculated with a specific innocculant in order to germinate. It will germinate without using the innoculant, but not as fast and some of the seed wont germinate at all.

Bahia is a good forage grass if maintained short, but once it gets up, its as tough as whit-leather to mow and nothing will eat it.

Orchard grass might be another good choice for cover and forage. It does'nt grow extremely tall.. Looks similar to fescue, but withstands heat an drought a little better. It also makes excellent hay, which means you might get some farmer to keep it mowed for the hay, meaning you dont have to.

 

[Bdavis]

If you want the bermuda, then plan on planting after April. Bermuda is a warm season grass and doesnt like planing in the cold. Also look for unhulled seed. Now days, most bermuda seed is hulled for faster germination. Hulled seed might germinate and get killed if planted to early. The hulled seed is also usually coated with a clay substance and is sold by the lb. This means you are paying for a lot of clay instead of seed.

I would forget the crownvetch. It is a legume which spreads with rhyzomes. Once it takes a hold it will spread like crazy. Its also bad for horses and livestock if they eat it. If you do decide to use crownvetch, the seed needs to be inocculated with a specific innocculant in order to germinate. It will germinate without using the innoculant, but not as fast and some of the seed wont germinate at all.

Bahia is a good forage grass if maintained short, but once it gets up, its as tough as whit-leather to mow and nothing will eat it.

Orchard grass might be another good choice for cover and forage. It does'nt grow extremely tall.. Looks similar to fescue, but withstands heat an drought a little better. It also makes excellent hay, which means you might get some farmer to keep it mowed for the hay, meaning you dont have to.

The more I read about bermuda the better I like it. Also from the research I have done online it is probably the most widely used grass for my region. Really appreciate the information about the hulled
and unhulled bermuda and the best time to plant
Thanks