Minimum equipment for re seeding ?

[Dave5264]

Hi All, after a pretty successful first haying season, I recognise that a few of my fields need some rejuvination and re seeding.

One of them I may be able to mow more regularly and see it come back with fewer weeds and more timothy.

the others (20 acres +) I suspect will need re-seeding in some manner as the timothy has gone and a sort of wetland grass has taken over

so... since im new to all this, and I dont have any equipment for plowing, disking or seeding, Im looking to get a read on what I need to buy to get myself started at minimal cost.

Note that non of the locals seem to be interested in working my land either.

I have aprox 20 acres that will need to be seeded.

equipment I have:

52 Hp 4wd Tractor
Boxblade w Scrafiers
5' Bush Hog
set of old Diamond Drag Harrows

what I may need ?:

used 3 furrow plow with land wheel
used set of 10' disks
something to seed with

PS ground has alot of clay.

Do I need a plow or can i get away with just disks ?

 

[nybirdman]

With your current equiptment,brush-hog...you have an ATV..purchase a sprayer..round-up(kills all the weeds)..work up with box-blade(I don't believe you need to plow for grass),plant grass seed with AtV(another $150.00 or so).Grass plantings should be good for five or six years.

 

[MMagis]

My opinion only, your plan is WAY too much work for plain old hay. No matter what plan you go with, you need to have your soil tested. Personally I would cut the grass very low late this fall, add the recommended lime and fertilizer, and then frost seed in Feb or March. The lime/fertilizer alone will have a big impact.

 

[Dave5264]

Thanks for the input.

I will try the frost seed in March/April. We're usually under several feet of snow until mid march.

I do have it on plan to buy a 7' rotary cutter to speed up the mowing.

I assume I can spread lime with the same equipment as the seed ?

I did hope that I could use an ATV style spreader for the seed.

I did use the BB and Sacrifiers this past spring to re-do one small horse paddock (1/2 Acre). It appears it may work out ok to help get some seed into the soil for the bigger fields too.

I have a mounting pile of Horse manure too, Im gonna see if I can rent a manure spreader from someone locallyto get some of that on to the fields as well this fall.. I think that may help ?

 

[jlsmith]

I use a 6' disk and run it over the ground just enough to break the surface but not hurt the grass thats there. Then just get a 3 point seeder and you can use it to speed seed fertilizer and lime.

 

[MMagis]

I assume I can spread lime with the same equipment as the seed ?

You can spread pellet lime with an ATV spreader, but it will get extremely costly. I'd check with the local feed/seed store about renting a large spreader. They should be able to help.

I have a mounting pile of Horse manure too, Im gonna see if I can rent a manure spreader from someone locallyto get some of that on to the fields as well this fall.. I think that may help ?

Yes, it will help.

 

[smstonypoint]

You can spread pellet lime with an ATV spreader, but it will get extremely costly. I'd check with the local feed/seed store about renting a large spreader. They should be able to help.

I would check with coops/fertilizer dealers that deal with commercial ag. clients. Depending on your soil test results, you may have to add a large quantity of lime. Most dealers will spread lime/fertilizer with their spreader trucks for a reasonable fee. It would save you the time and hassle of renting a spreader and loading same.

Steve

 

[Dave5264]

I would check with coops/fertilizer dealers that deal with commercial ag. clients. Depending on your soil test results, you may have to add a large quantity of lime. Most dealers will spread lime/fertilizer with their spreader trucks for a reasonable fee. It would save you the time and hassle of renting a spreader and loading same.

Steve

Thanks Steve, will check into that.

 

[Luremaker]

Dave,

I am reseeding around 10 acres of pasture in the next two weeks. This is my plan.

• Cut grass as short as I can with my bush hog. (done)

• Spray roundup ultra 2 at 50% rate with some 2-4d for broad-leafs. I don't want to kill the grass I already have only slow it's growth until my seed can germinate.

• Make one pass with my modified rototiller (straight blades)

• Spread fertilizer with my 3ph spreader

• Spread a little fall rye with my 3ph spreader

• Make one or two passes with my disc-harrow to expose more dirt for the seed

• If needed I may run over it all with my chain harrow

• Pack it down with my cultipacker

• Spread my blend of seed (clovers, timothy, orchard grass and trefoil)

• Pack it down with my cultipacker

Depending on how it grows this fall I may frost seed next March

I used Agri-Food Laboratories for my soil test which cost $13.00 and tool less than a week for results.

http://www.agtest.com/

 

[MMagis]

50% strength on gly may very well still kill most of your grass. In fact, you could almost bet on it.

 

[Luremaker]

50% strength on gly may very well still kill most of your grass. In fact, you could almost bet on it.

I'll double check the pasture renovation section in the roundup manual. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[leonz]

about your machinery needs



you should have no problem renting a towed spreader for lime and gypsum from a co-op as you need gypsum for your clay for sure.

An overseeder like the newest Brillion unit with ground drive will get you a guaranteed seed germenation and you will not have to do a lot as it cuts its own slit in the new or old ground to drop seed and pack it in as well.

The Brillion unit will help get more lime and gypsum in the sol quicker as well.

 

[leonz]

adding to what I mentioned earlier

If you bought a small a flailmower you could destroy a lot of weeds by using overseeding blades which tear the weed roots out and leave the good sod in place and that way you dont need round up- its commonly done for grass turf.

(you will need to remove the grass knives first to avoid cutting the good hay but thats easy to do).

you will need to mow close to the ground when the grass season is done to do the overseeding with the dethatching blades and then you can spin cast the seed if you want to do it that way or deliver fertiliser at the same time using the brillion overseeder (which is waste proof) as the seed and fertiliser is dropped directly in the slit made by the over seeder and then packed down by the rear roller.

You could get by with a 1 or 2 bottom used plow and change the shares and the coulters to a weiss industries deep conservation coulter and plow share where it would plow 14 inches deep with huge suction and low power requirements as the share is actually very small in square inches and the 14 inch coulter would speed the sod breaking.

A very small three point disc harrow with a shredder disc and solid disc on the rear from TSC or someone else would be plenty for your needs with no issues.

The Brillion overseeder can be used in finished ground as well as it will drop and pack seed just like the ground drive Brillion turf seeders.


And the seed and fertiliser will be planted and not be blown away or eaten by the birds saving you money.

If you used the flailmower to overseed with the dethatching knives you would have a good grass crop but you would use a bit more seed and fertiliser.

and if you buy the gypsum it wil not wash away as it will land in the slit sod and help dissolve the clay even faster giving you better sod.

Hi All, after a pretty successful first haying season, I recognise that a few of my fields need some rejuvination and re seeding.

The Brillion overseeder will cut through old turf with its slitter blades
and you will have no waster seed or fertiliser.

One of them I may be able to mow more regularly and see it come back with fewer weeds and more timothy.

the others (20 acres +) I suspect will need re-seeding in some manner as the timothy has gone and a sort of wetland grass has taken over

so... since im new to all this, and I dont have any equipment for plowing, disking or seeding, Im looking to get a read on what I need to buy to get myself started at minimal cost.

Note that none of the locals seem to be interested in working my land either.

I have aprox 20 acres that will need to be seeded.

equipment I have:

52 Hp 4wd Tractor
Boxblade w Scrafiers
5' Bush Hog
set of old Diamond Drag Harrows

what I may need ?:

used 3 furrow plow with land wheel
used set of 10' disks
something to seed with

PS ground has alot of clay.

Do I need a plow or can i get away with just disks ?

 

[MarkV]

All of this is so regional the best advice is to talk to you county extension agent. Leonz mentioned gypsum as a must for your clay. Well I live in Georgia red clay and learned about gypsum on this forum. When I talked to the local co-op they looked at me like I was smoken stuff from the hedge row. Never used in my part of the country. I don't know why, may just be availability.

MarkV

 

[flusher]

Hi All, after a pretty successful first haying season, I recognise that a few of my fields need some rejuvination and re seeding.

One of them I may be able to mow more regularly and see it come back with fewer weeds and more timothy.

the others (20 acres +) I suspect will need re-seeding in some manner as the timothy has gone and a sort of wetland grass has taken over

so... since im new to all this, and I dont have any equipment for plowing, disking or seeding, Im looking to get a read on what I need to buy to get myself started at minimal cost.

Note that non of the locals seem to be interested in working my land either.

I have aprox 20 acres that will need to be seeded.

equipment I have:

52 Hp 4wd Tractor
Boxblade w Scrafiers
5' Bush Hog
set of old Diamond Drag Harrows

what I may need ?:

used 3 furrow plow with land wheel
used set of 10' disks
something to seed with

PS ground has alot of clay.

Do I need a plow or can i get away with just disks ?

Use the discs. I'm getting ready to plant my second annual hay crop (Kanota oats) on 6 of my 10 acres (plant in Nov, bale the following May).
In a few weeks when we get some rain and the fire season is over, I'll mow the stubble and weeds with my new 5-1/2 ft flail mower



Next, spread 16-20 fertilizer (100 lb/acre) with my grain drill (an old Minneapolis Moline P3-6 drill, 10-ft wide, 20 drops, single disc openers)



Then I'll till with an old 7-ft Towner offset disc (about 500 lb of extra weigh and a tire drag to break up the clods)



I'll plant the oats (also 100 lb/acre) with the grain drill.

Here's what the hayfield looked like last April


Good luck with your haying.

 

[Dave5264]

Thanks for all the input, i have a few things to check into .

Luremaker, are you near Keppel ? We looked at property there a few years ago. Beautiful area

 

[Luremaker]

Thanks for all the input, i have a few things to check into .

Luremaker, are you near Keppel ? We looked at property there a few years ago. Beautiful area

My property borders Derby and Keppel townships.
Steve

 

[pitt_md]

Another option that might end up a lot cheaper is to hire the planting/tilling done. You don't have to do this all that often and once you buy the sprayer, planter, plow, disk, and seed your going to be supprised at how much you have into your operation. I went to my local coop and got the names of people that do what I needed and had them plant after I had preped the field.

Good luck!