Seeding Pasture

[EddieWalker]

I haven't done this myself, my approach is a little different. Friends have cleared their land, and then sprayed what's left to kill everything off. I'm told that you need to spray several times, and even then, there will be seeds in the ground that you miss. Ideally, you want to start spraying as soon as possible, disking, and spraying the ground monthly until nothing is left alive. They have all sprigged their ground once it's clean of weeds. These are guys who are selling horse quality hay and will continue to spray their pastures for weeds every fall and spring.

I personally go the cheap route and spray in the fall to get what I can in weeds, and spread some bermuda seed where I think it needs it. I have a dozen native grasses that are out there too, some good, some not so good that I'm fine with. I'm never going to bale it, so a mix isn't all that bad of a thing. Spraying is the secret, you have to have one that's big enough to do what you want, and take the time to do it every year, or twice a year.

 

[TheMan419]

For twelve acres:

After the spraying a couple or three passes with a Harrow (not disk) at different directionsView attachment 512926. Diamond harrows preferably. Then the seeding; perhaps a rotary spreader type. Go with a very light distribution and make passes at different directions. Then harrow again from two different directions and hope for rain that evening.

Mixing pelatized fertilizer or othe granular items with the seed may make the spreading go easier. Depends on the equipment.

[video]http://www.farm-king.com/Region-US/landscaping/drag_harrow/index.php[/video]

The diamond harrow was a very popular piece of farm equipment. Changes in farming methods have resulted in different equipment so perhaps they can be purchased at a very reasonable price.

Diamond harrow looks similar to what could be used to maintain a horse riding arena, so maybe some double duty there!

You're right about the costs. However there's more to it that you might not have considered. Each piece of equipment you buy$$$, fuel $$, licenses for the chemicals $$$, time $$$$. Now you're wanting to do it yourself. I'm with you on that as I do most of my own work myself. My 2 cents. Prep the soil yourself. Rent the sprayer from your local ag company with your fertilizer and weed control. They have the chemicals and the licenses. The spray rig will be setup in such a way that you don't have to worry about speed and they are usually larger and it won't take nearly as long to get the job done. I do have my own sprayer but it's only 14ft wide where the one I rent is more like 40ft. Makes a big difference. Also cost of chemicals will usually be less. Many things to consider.

Yes the equipment will cost money. However for example farmer wants $300 plus cost of roundup to spray. I can buy sprayer for $350 (40 gal 12 volt for the 3 point). Roundup is cheap. Based on what it takes me to bush hog I would have $10-$15 in fuel costs. So ultimately for $100 I end up with a sprayer. Yes it will take time for me to spray, but I am ok with that.

For the planting I have some other reasons to need a PTO driven tiller so I can put that to use on this project as well.

Seeding I think I am over thinking. **** if I really want my exercise I have a broadcast spreader that one walks behind and would use on a normal residential lot to spread fertilizer and the like.

 

[TheMan419]

I haven't done this myself, my approach is a little different. Friends have cleared their land, and then sprayed what's left to kill everything off. I'm told that you need to spray several times, and even then, there will be seeds in the ground that you miss. Ideally, you want to start spraying as soon as possible, disking, and spraying the ground monthly until nothing is left alive. They have all sprigged their ground once it's clean of weeds. These are guys who are selling horse quality hay and will continue to spray their pastures for weeds every fall and spring.

I personally go the cheap route and spray in the fall to get what I can in weeds, and spread some bermuda seed where I think it needs it. I have a dozen native grasses that are out there too, some good, some not so good that I'm fine with. I'm never going to bale it, so a mix isn't all that bad of a thing. Spraying is the secret, you have to have one that's big enough to do what you want, and take the time to do it every year, or twice a year.

We won't bale. It will just be forage for the horses. Yes spraying is going to be needed to keep the weeds down.

Right now I want to nuke everything growing, so roundup. Once we establish pasture it will either be 2-4-D or Grazon or something appropriate to not kill the "good" plants that we want to keep.

Some have mentioned licensing.... in Indiana I do not need one for roundup, 2-4-D or the like. I can buy 43% Roundup concentrate (or generic) in a 2.5 gallon container and buy all I want. Same with 2-4-D and Grazon.

I can find them brand name, generic, loaded not loaded. I feel sorry for those of you that have restrictions, but I get it. Did not realize cotton was so susceptible to that stuff.

We plant mostly resistant corn and soy around here.

 

[Egon]

Arena maintenance equipment would probably do the job for you. I'm not familiar with that equipment.

 

[TheMan419]

Arena maintenance equipment would probably do the job for you. I'm not familiar with that equipment.

Often people will use Loyal Drag Harrow, 8 ft. x 8 ft. - For Life Out Here or similar. I would prefer something more like Spider Rotary Harrow for Horse Arenas by Country MFG. as it gets deeper to deal with the compaction from the weight of the horse.

 

[scdeerslayer]

You'll want to spray as soon as possible. Spraying in the fall may not give as good of results. I recommend getting a sprayer with a roller pump, at least get one with an adjustable relief so you can fine tune it.

At tractor speeds I'm not sure a phone gps will give very accurate speeds. Maybe they're better, but I know some handheld GPS struggle to accurately calculate slower speeds. This is probably the easiest way to calculate your gallons per acre (just make sure rpm, psi, and everything else is always the same):Field Sprayer Calibrator | GEMPLER'S

 

[jeff9366]

Often people will use Loyal Drag Harrow, 8 ft. x 8 ft. - For Life Out Here or similar. I would prefer something more like Spider Rotary Harrow for Horse Arenas by Country MFG. as it gets deeper to deal with the compaction from the weight of the horse.

I am sceptical regarding results possible from Country Mfg. Spider Harrow, based on my experience owning/operating a much heavier Rotary Harrow from King Kutter. KK Rotary Harrow was purchased for smoothing woodland walking trails for senior citizens. I would rate its performance as 'D'. It is gone.

These tools, which are ground powered, are designed to aerate and smooth sand, nothing heavier. In anything but sand, highest hard ground contacts first one tine, then another, so turntable does not revolve, it oscillates, yielding somewhat the effect of a Spike Harrow, but less good.

Rotary Harrows are NOT for relieving soil compaction.

Consider the Field Cultivator, Photos 3 - 4.

 

[TheMan419]

You'll want to spray as soon as possible. Spraying in the fall may not give as good of results. I recommend getting a sprayer with a roller pump, at least get one with an adjustable relief so you can fine tune it.

At tractor speeds I'm not sure a phone gps will give very accurate speeds. Maybe they're better, but I know some handheld GPS struggle to accurately calculate slower speeds. This is probably the easiest way to calculate your gallons per acre (just make sure rpm, psi, and everything else is always the same):Field Sprayer Calibrator | GEMPLER'S

Yep plan is to get sprayer this weekend. Looking at forecast might have to do some spraying during the week after I get home from my day job. Want to have 24 hours of dry weather for the roundup to set in.

Thanks for the link.

 

[fishheadbob]

Nobody mentioned soil ph and soil test. If the ph is way off you're not going to have very good or very long lasting results with anything but whatever grasses grow well in a wrong soil, and those grasses will likely go dormant in hot weather while the horses eat them to the nubs, wrecking the future. A ph test is free a lot of places and very well worth the time compared to a failed crop as a lot of time, money and effort otherwise go out the window.
Indiana isn't a backwards state, there should be an extension agent around who can give good, free advice on which forages, fertilizer recommendations, lime. whatever will work best under your conditions for what you want to do. Hopefully without putting you in the poorhouse.
Reminds me that my old lime sower , a dairy farmer by profession, referred to our horses as "profit burners".

 

[scdeerslayer]

Yep plan is to get sprayer this weekend. Looking at forecast might have to do some spraying during the week after I get home from my day job. Want to have 24 hours of dry weather for the roundup to set in.

Thanks for the link.

Don't need that long with the right product. I've been using Tractor Supply generic Roundup for several years. I think it says rain ready in either 1/2 or 1 hour. I don't chance it that much but I've had it rain within a few hours and been okay. They key is to get a product with surfactant in it, or add surfactant to it. That's important for the best results regardless of how long after application that it rains.

Also, it's just as important to not spray when the grass is wet (after rain or morning dew) as it is to not spray when it's going to rain soon after.