How to get a pasture to bare dirt?

[EdGooding]

The old 8N Fords only had 24 HP and were designed by Henry specifically to pull 2 bottom plows all day long.

Absolutely! I plowed with a Dearborn 2-14 behind my '52 8N (23hp) for years. Used it behind my 33hp diesel MF tractor after that.

 

[Gord Baker]

I have an acre of field grass. Its also lumpy and bumpy. I want to get rid of the grass and smooth the field with a box scraper. Kill the grass, run a disc over the field, then the scraper box, or??

Or kill the grass then turn it under with a two bottom plow?

33HP

 

[Gord Baker]

Use a big tractor, 3 furrow 12" bottom plow and plow it deep if there are no rocks or roots. Disc it in both directions, Sideways and lengthways.
Then you have a choice of Spring Tooth or Harrow to further break it up. If you have a roller, now is the time. If you are planting grass on it, wait a few weeks and spray with RoundUp to kill new green stuff. Wait a couple more weeks then plant grass seed. Plant it twice as heavy as recommended. Some scatter straw or mulch over it, to help retain moisture and thwart birds as it germinates. Water it twice as often as you think it needs.
Good Luck.

 

[jeff9366]

Use a big tractor, 3 furrow 12" bottom plow and plow it deep if there are no rocks or roots. Disc it in both directions, Sideways and lengthways.
Then you have a choice of Spring Tooth or Harrow to further break it up. If you have a roller, now is the time. If you are planting grass on it, wait a few weeks and spray with RoundUp to kill new green stuff. Wait a couple more weeks then plant grass seed. Plant it twice as heavy as recommended. Some scatter straw or mulch over it, to help retain moisture and thwart birds as it germinates. Water it twice as often as you think it needs.
Good Luck.

The OP has one (1) acre.

 

[Gord Baker]

I know that. I suggested equipment to do what he wants done.

 

[FrancisC]

I would say as a few others have said. Herbicide, wait until it's dead, rototiller a few slow passes so you don't have clumps. Depends on soil type you have, time frame you want it done and how much money you want to spend tbh. Small rototiller will work fine on 33hp (more like 28hp on PTO) but that's only an acre so not a huge amount of work required. While there, get soil samples and top up fertilizer/lime for the type of grass you want to put on it. Alternatively, maybe just a power harrow to make the acre nice and smooth and live with the current type of grass and supplement the acre with the other seeds. Eventually it will take over. As I said, depends on time frame, soil, and how much you want to invest in it

 

[two_bit_score]

2,4D works well for me. Spray, basal bark or stump cut treatment.

 

[Fields_mj]

I'd probably bush hog it first. If you're tractor has a loader on it, use the loader to knock off the top of any really rough stuff (back drag over it). After that, mow it (short) for a month or two. That should give time for all of the seeds to germinate and get mowed off. The goal here is to minimize the amount of seed that you "plant" when you run a tiller over it. After a couple of months, hit it with glyphosate, then run a tiller over it 4 to 6 weeks later. If you are opposed to herbicide, just till it twice 4 to 6 weeks apart. No need to go very deep. The tiller is mainly going to level the ground and provide a prepped seed bed. After that, seed as directed.

When you start mowing the new grass, mow it as tall as you can. Heck, use the bush hog even. The goal is to let the grass grow tall enough to crowd out other weeds. This also helps retain moisture, allows the grass to establish a stronger root system, and allows the grass to seed itself more effectively.

 

[Jrasband]

Sucks to see how much people want to take the lazy idiot route and use poison. I have been cultivating and growing crops for going on a decade and not once have I used that nasty stuff.

 

[Vigo327]

I think it just depends on timeframe.. the faster you want it done the more aggressive you need to be. That might make sense if you’re trying to stay ahead of the fleeting early years of childrens lives. I definitely relate to that in my own life. I busted butt to get on a 5 acre property for my kids about to turn 2 and 5 now. Im taking a break because its summer in tx (heat advisory every day etc) but when cooler weather comes back around I’ll be right back on the job trying to remake areas for children’s fun and safety.

 

[paulsharvey]

Sucks to see how much people want to take the lazy idiot route and use poison. I have been cultivating and growing crops for going on a decade and not once have I used that nasty stuff.

I believe you mean cheap and effective route. Shame on everyone who would suggest a cheap and effective method to do something. Now; if the OP had said he refused to use modern technology, yep, get you 4 mules and a turn plow, and turn it 3 times, and wait 3 seasons of rain to level it out.

Seeds are already there, and your best bet is to kill them with a herbicide. You Can turn plow them, but you will be fighting invasive/native vegs for years, and in the end, you'll resort to spot spraying at the least.

Use precautions, but herbicides are used on every road, sidewalk, farm (minus the 0.1% organic ones), ect. Be smart, but use the tools available.

 

[rScotty]

I have an acre of field grass. Its also lumpy and bumpy. I want to get rid of the grass and smooth the field with a box scraper. Kill the grass, run a disc over the field, then the scraper box, or??

Or kill the grass then turn it under with a two bottom plow?

33HP

I wouldn't use any chemicals; doing that limits future options. The best way is also he easiest: Just plow it and then disk it and then till it. You may have to do so several times regardless of what method you use.
That will give you the best long term results and make the best soil.

 

[Jrasband]

I believe you mean cheap and effective route. Shame on everyone who would suggest a cheap and effective method to do something. Now; if the OP had said he refused to use modern technology, yep, get you 4 mules and a turn plow, and turn it 3 times, and wait 3 seasons of rain to level it out.

Seeds are already there, and your best bet is to kill them with a herbicide. You Can turn plow them, but you will be fighting invasive/native vegs for years, and in the end, you'll resort to spot spraying at the least.

Use precautions, but herbicides are used on every road, sidewalk, farm (minus the 0.1% organic ones), ect. Be smart, but use the tools available.

your wrong!

 

[charlessenf]

I have an acre of field grass.

Googol'd you post title and go a million answers:

https://www.google.com/search?q=How+to+get+a+pasture+to+bare+dirt&oq=How+to+get+a+pasture+to+bare+dirt&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l2.3694j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Best I can determine the answer is "It depends."

 

[LD1]

The issue is the sod clumps. Even if you spray it and kill it.....try tilling it a month later and you are still fighting clumps of sod that will eventually break down and you will be right back to a lumpy yard in a year.

So if you want to spray.....I would suggest keeping it sprayed for a year to truly have bare dirt and not remnant vegetation that will cause issues.

The quickest way to get rid if the vegetation and have actually workable dirt is to turn it with a plow. And a 2-12 plow should work fine....and take about 2 hours to do the acre.

Then disc it with a harrow or drag behind, seed it, then cultipack or a light (store bought) water filled lawn roller.

Apply 24d for the first couple years if you want a clover/grass mix. 24d wont kill the clover unless you go really hot with it. But will kill most of the other undesirable broadleaf weeds in the yard. If you desire clover....stick to 24d and 24d alone. Anything with dicamba, MCPP, MCPA, triclopyr, etc will knock out your clover.

And while many dont like clover....it is a good compliment to grass. Grass needs nitrogen....clover puts nitrogen back into the soil lessening fertilizer need if you desire a green yard

 

[mra400ex]

Cut/Mow it short as you can. Then spray to kill it. If possible I have had success by burning all the old grass off. A chisel plow I have has broken the ground a little. Then till or disc. Like another post said, a disc (6 to 7 foot) behind our smaller tractors takes a lot of time because they don't have a lot of weight

 

[Fields_mj]

Anything with dicamba, MCPP, MCPA, triclopyr, etc will knock out your clover.

FWIW, Triclopyr normally doesn't kill clover unless you hit it pretty hard or use it every year. I've used it in the spring to kill Creeping Charly. It did a number on the clover, but didn't kill it. The clover didn't bloom that year, but has had no issues blooming since. If anything it probably restored a more healthy balance of grass/clover. I prefer to avoid chemicals when I can, but my patience has limits...

 

[bill karrer]

I never use a plow or disk and haven't for many years. Wether it's last year's garden or untouched grass sod, just take a good tiller to it. It would not hurt to mow the plot as close as you dare first. A good tiller will break up that sod, till it under and smooth at the same time. Yes, you will probably have to go over it more than once and then let it lay for a week or so. Go through your tilling process one more time and you will have a good seed bed. If you are looking for an acre of lawn, we are rapidly approaching the fall seeding time in many areas. Get that grass seed started and it will have a good start this fall. Next spring, your front line of weed control will be mowing the lawn. Mowing the grass actually encourages its growth which crowds out weeds and weeds don't respond well to being constantly mowed down.

 

[Fields_mj]

Sucks to see how much people want to take the lazy idiot route and use poison. I have been cultivating and growing crops for going on a decade and not once have I used that nasty stuff.

A friend/co-worker of mine is starting to go organic on his farm. This is his first year. He brought in 100 acres of winter wheat this summer. Yield was down 30% BUT so were the costs so his profit was the same. Those fields already have a reasonable amount of microbes and earth worms are already coming back in.

I wouldn't call chemicals the lazy route. If you want big yields, that's what you have to do. The problem is how most farmers measure progress/success. Historically the goal has been to maximize yields and Chemicals do that better than anything else, especially if you're doing no-till. The problem is that the better the yields are, the less the market pays for the crop, and the more Dupont and their friends charge for the chemicals. There's big money to be made, but the farmer doesn't end up getting to keep much of it. If we can shift the focus to minimizing cost, the profits can stay pretty close to the same in the near term, and go up in the long term as the land becomes more fertile on its own. It's hard to see yields drop by 30% and not feel like it was a bad year, but when your bank account says you made just as much money, it eases the pain

 

[dbritt]

Bring it here to Missouri for the summer. It will all be dead and dried up by the end of August.