Equipment Needed to Renovate Pastures

[Billy_S]

Thanks once again, gentlemen.

When I talked to the extension office a couple of weeks ago, he recommended a fertilizer place that would be very helpful to me. I just called them and he was right, they were most helpful. Walked me through how to get a soil sample. He didn't treat me like the idiot I am and said that is the place to start. So that is what I will do.

The guy at the fert place said the same thing you did, Brian. It is unlikely that I will need to rip up my pastures and start over.

 

[Luremaker]

Fertilize. Get a soil sample, take it down to the ag extension agent ...

... Ag extension will tell you what kind of weeds you have and what controls them.

A little off topic here but you guys are really lucky to have ag extension agents to call for advice. Around here there are no ag extension agents, no free soil tests, no free weed advice. I called the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and the advice I received was to call an Agriculture Consultant. I guess we just do not pay enough in taxes ...

Steve

 

[Billy_S]

<snipped> I guess we just do not pay enough in taxes ...

Well, at least you have free health care.

 

[Glowplug]

Well, at least you have free health care.

Ain't nothin' in life "free"!

 

[bx23barry]

I have a BX23 (same as a BX2230). I redid 2 of my @ 1 acre pastures last fall. I did about 3 passes with my 50” tiller, 3-4 with my 48” box blade, 3-4 with log/chain drag, planted with small wheel drive broadcaster and cover seed with 6’ ring roller. Yes it took awhile but I used to do “real” farming where working one field could take a couple weeks. I put about 50 hours on the tractor and I don’t feel it was hurt (that is what I have it for). I plan to do some leveling and irrigation line moving on the third before planting it this year. I may do the same on the back pasture next year. Doing a couple/four acres with a sub-compact isn’t much different then doing a couple hundred acres with a 100+ Hp rig and that thing won’t fit in the stalls.

 

[Rara Avis]

A TR3 RAKE...
The Absolute Innovations line of Arena Drags: Featuring the TR3™ Rake!

 

[tcreeley]

I like to do things on the cheap. I've had good luck reclaiming old pasture by mowing it. I think of it as a lawn or park and keep mowing. The frequent mowing kills off a lot of the useless weeds that block the grass that's there. After a while it's just the grass and the weeds are gone. Of course once you stop mowing, like anything they will come back. Think about what you put on the ground. Would you want your horse to eat some grass that grew sprinkled with weed killer. I once bought some lush hay - the guy used sludge from household septic tanks for fertilizer. That winter I had my three horses colic-ing. One died in March before I tracked it to the hay. (thought it was the grain and I stopped giving them any.)
-I had 6 bad bales set aside and fed them accidentally in June. Another horse died. Colic - rolling - twisted gut - vet puts them down. Awful painful death. Now I only buy hay from fields that I know have not been fertilized. I'll feed crummy stuff before I feed nice stuff- just to be sure there is no sludge on it.
Everyone here loves sludge because it produce nice thick growth. I hate it - toxic poison.

 

[grsthegreat]

I wanted to fertilize 10 acres of grassland here....they wanted $2,500 for the fertilizer.

I guess it wont be getting any fertilizer any too soon.