How long to let a very over grazed pasture sit?

[Yander]

Gabe Brown – Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems

Gabe Brown is one of the mentor farmers who lead the way in regenerative agriculture.

www.csuchico.edu

 

[paulsharvey]

Take the advice of someone local over me, but up here, any grass put down in spring will germinate but they usually die in our typical hot and dry spell lasting July into early August. Again, seek local knowledge, but I won't be surprised if they tell you it's better to just deal with crappy rye thru next summer, and delay the cost of putting down Bahia until September. That is... unless they're selling seed, and have some interest in seeing you have to buy expensive seed twice!

When doing a new lawn without irrigation around here, we usually put down something cheap to get us thru the first summer (e.g. rye blends), and save the expensive tall fescue for late August or early September. If you have irrigation, then of course you don't need to mind the dry weather.

The rye will be dead by May, maybe June from heat. Our drought is normally spring, and we can go 60 days without rain, but a "typical" year, summer gets good rain, and another dry period in Oct/Nov, depending on tropical storms/hurricanes.

 

[WinterDeere]

The rye will be dead by May, maybe June from heat. Our drought is normally spring, and we can go 60 days without rain, but a "typical" year, summer gets good rain, and another dry period in Oct/Nov, depending on tropical storms/hurricanes.

Understood. But that doesn't necessarily change what I'm saying, in that young and fragile Bahia sprouts planted this spring may be equally dead before the conclusion of your mid-summer heat, at much higher cost.

Again, I know very little about Bahia and your climate. I'm basing this on making a corollary to planting Tall Fescue in Pennsylvania, so check with a local expert who does not have a vested interest in selling you more seed!

 

[Hay Dude]

Best time to plant hay grass stands in PA is late August/early September. That way they get enougha root system to take hold before frost, and have the winter & spring to continue to grow. Then it can handle June’s 1st hay cutting.

 

[paulsharvey]

I picked up 320# of pellet ag lime, 100# of 24-4-8 fertilizer, and 40# of Pensacola bahia. Thats going to be about 50% of my recommended lime, and just my first fertilizer application.

The Bahia, it's still too early to plant, but its not to far off, looks like "general guidance" is 2nd week of March. The rye is still doing well, but the small shoots are starting to get heat stressed already.

 

[paulsharvey]

The University of FLa and University of GA designer seeds both sounded very interesting, but also very pricey. I'm broadcasting, so that would get expensive. If I was drilling, the seed goes a Lot further, and $280/bag starts being less painful, when it stretches for 3-4 acres; but broadcasting, that same bag would likely do about 1 acre

 

[jyoutz]

Best time to plant hay grass stands in PA is late August/early September. That way they get enougha root system to take hold before frost, and have the winter & spring to continue to grow. Then it can handle June’s 1st hay cutting.

We plant native grass in early July, just at the start of the monsoon rains.

 

[WinterDeere]

I picked up 320# of pellet ag lime, 100# of 24-4-8 fertilizer, and 40# of Pensacola bahia. Thats going to be about 50% of my recommended lime, and just my first fertilizer application.

What's the size of this plot? Most of our fertilizers go down at 200 lb./acre. Our seeding rates are usually roughly 200 lb/ac. for overseeding, but more like 300+ lb/ac. for new seeding. Lime rates vary, but given most aren't tuning up for every 0.1 pH change, orders for lime are usually 500 - 1000 lb/ac.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Have you talked to the County Extension Agent? Not sure with all the budget/spending shenanigans there still are Extension Agents. But, if there are it would be worth taking to them.

 

[paulsharvey]

Have you talked to the County Extension Agent? Not sure with all the budget/spending shenanigans there still are Extension Agents. But, if there are it would be worth taking to them.

Yes, and I'm following, more or less their suggestions, while trying to spend as little as possible