Aerating Pastures After Rain

[Houndsman]

All the points just brought up are super. RobJ's thread just reminded me to add on that I laid 2500lbs of Llama poo 3-4 nights ago, and laid it w/ this last short snow storm in mind.

My trade off between compacting saturated soil (it ain't, you made me go out and check) and getting old compacted soil to mix w/ the Llama "beans" is to go for the "beans".

As a matter of fact, see you. I'm off to aerate.
v/r mark

 

[jimg]

Mark
Sounds like you do have some fertilizer in the form of old manure/straw. Thats good! Do you have the means to spread that but keep the horse off it? If so Id go that route and then aerate.

 

[mark.r]

Mark
Sounds like you do have some fertilizer in the form of old manure/straw. Thats good! Do you have the means to spread that but keep the horse off it? If so Id go that route and then aerate.

Oh yes, we have plenty of that! I spent last Wednesday cutting and spreading it around the fields with the harrow. The biggest problem will be keeping the two horses off of it for long periods of time. Our property is divided up into three pastures (something I am going to correct within the next year), two smaller, and one very large field. We can keep them contain in any of these for a few days at a time and feed them hay but with the grass being so bad now we really have to let them roam so they can get enough.

 

[RobJ]

Yep, them horses will eat you out of house and home!!

 

[mark.r]

Yep, them horses will eat you out of house and home!!

And they are not even mine!

 

[LoneCowboy]

well, a lawn care aerator won't do much, but it won't hurt, go ahead. If it stays dry though, it will dry out faster, just FYI.

Lawn core aerators (and everyone knows what these are right?) are for sod. They are designed to go thru thatch (the dead grass) and get into the soil. They aren't really designed to pull soil (they do sometimes, but that isn't their job)

Pastures are not generally sod, there's nothing to aerate.
A pasture aerator looks like this.

that's an Aerway but there are a couple similar brands out there.
Those tines are 8" long, they get into the soil (because there is no thatch on a pasture) and let the air and water flow.
Big difference.

But yes, after a rain is best (things go into the ground) but not soggy.

 

[mark.r]

well, a lawn care aerator won't do much, but it won't hurt, go ahead. If it stays dry though, it will dry out faster, just FYI.

Lawn core aerators (and everyone knows what these are right?) are for sod. They are designed to go thru thatch (the dead grass) and get into the soil. They aren't really designed to pull soil (they do sometimes, but that isn't their job)

Pastures are not generally sod, there's nothing to aerate.
A pasture aerator looks like this.

that's an Aerway but there are a couple similar brands out there.
Those tines are 8" long, they get into the soil (because there is no thatch on a pasture) and let the air and water flow.
Big difference.

But yes, after a rain is best (things go into the ground) but not soggy.

That's good info, I had no idea. The only thing I can tell you is that the one I rented is a Gill/Woods unit that I am told weighs close to 800-900lbs and is 5ft. wide . . . according to the guy I talk to.

 

[inseeme]

Mark did you have some good results from Aerating your pasture?

 

[mark.r]

Mark did you have some good results from Aerating your pasture?

Honestly, I think it is hard to tell. It didn't hurt but I think I waiting a bit too late. I has pretty much been wet since I did it. I mean we haven't had rain daily or anything like that but the top level, say 2 inches of top soil and sod never really dried out and the horses have just wreak havoc on everything. Anything below 2.5 inches was still pretty hard at the time. Honestly the whole place is just unhealthy an needs to be tested for lime and fertilizer.

 

[inseeme]

Thanks for the reply if you don't mind let me know how this works out for you as I am thinking of doing the same thing, I live in Rockingham county which borders VA.