Planting Grass

[rf33]

I've been working on getting about 15 acres of our property disced up enough to get some grass going this year. After I get it nice and tilled and flat with the disc and the chain harrow, I am going to have it fertilized (pretty cheap to hire it done, guys are spreading 2.5 tons for ~$400.00), and then I am having it sprigged with Tifton 85 bermuda. I had considered tossing the sprigs myself, but 15 acres at 40 bushels per acre would likely take me too far into the summer and the dry weather.

The ground was pretty bad to start with, as some of it had never been disturbed (at least not in the last 100 years), and other parts of it were rowed as it was planted in sweet potatoes. Lots of passes with the disc - chain harrow combination. Here are a couple of pictures of some of the work in progress...

This is a picture of one small pasture, before anything was done to it.

 

[rf33]

And here is a picture of the same pasture after one pass with the chain harrow behind the disc...

 

[rf33]

and another picture of the same pasture, this time a different angle...

 

[rf33]

And here is a section I have gone over twice. Much of it is ready after two passes, but some of the worse parts take three or even four passes.../w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[rf33]

And this is a setion which I have gone over three times, and is ready for planting (well at least after it gets fertilized it will be)...

 

[Thomas]

Looks like nice growing soil and your JD5520 did a smoth job.

What a difference...your tress are leaved out plus you have green on the ground,and our trees up here are in the first stage of buds...not much green grass yet.

 

[Tscott]

rf33, I,ve used various harrows before but I am not familiar with the disc-chain type, can you send a pic ?

 

[cowboydoc]

rf,
Is that bermuda you're planting like that world feeder? If not what are the costs to do the bermuda that you're doing and what are they charging you to to the sprigs?

 

[rf33]

Sorry I was not more clear about what I used to do this. I actually just attach my chain harrow to the back of my disc, so that I can do both with a single pass. I have attached a picture so that this is more clear.

 

[rf33]

Oops, forgot to attach the pic

 

[rf33]

Doc, Tifton 85 is another bermuda hybrid, and was developed in Georgia. It is not world feeder, and in fact has been found to be far superior to the world feeder product. The yield is even greater than coastal bermuda, and it has a very high tdn. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/turf/publications/foragebermuda/bermuda.html>Here</A> is a link to a study done by Texas A&M university showing the relative yields of some of the more common grasses used as forage and for hay. It is a fairly long article, but the jist of it is that world feeder gives about 75% of the yield of coastal, and Tifton 85 gives 145%. It seems that the self hype of the world feeder is not scientifically based. At least it does not grow like they say it does here in a couple of areas of TX. I am paying $160 per acre for the sprigging and rolling. For this price they are putting down 40 bushels per acre.

 

[Alan L.]

rf33 - Thats some nice looking dirt. I'm trying to get about 8 or 10 acres of my place ready for coastal bermuda, but I don't want to pay the cost of sprigging until my soil is improved. About half of what I want to do was wheat about 15 years ago and grew up in mesquite and locust, the other half is heavy yellow clay that is the spoils of digging a 1.5 acre tank.

Last fall I disked the bare yellow clay and sowed annual rye. This weekend i mowed it and disked it again. I need to go over it some more, as the clay is still in strips, all stuck together. It will take years of manure crops to get it in shape I'm afraid. This clay seems always either just a little too damp to break up, or hard as rock. I DID notice though, that the rye grass has an incredible amount of roots in the soil that it didn't have before, so thats a start.

I plan to plant Sudan or Buckwheat for the summer.

I wonder how that breed of bermuda would do between Dallas and the OK border? Our soils are a little bit alkaline here as compared to east Texas.

 

[rf33]

Alan, I think that this grass is pretty close to coastal in terms of where and in what conditions it will grow, but perhaps your ag extension agent in your county (Grayson?) can give you more info. Also might consider talking to the TX Ag rangeland specialist down at A&M. I will see if I can dig up his name.

You also might want to consider putting down a little Ag grade gypsum if you want to help break down that clay a little quicker. I have heard that it can really help with the clay in the top foot or so of soil. Again, perhaps sending a soil sample in to A&M. (I did and it cost $10.00 got the form from our ag extension agent, and in about 2 weeks got the results back showing what we needed to add to plant grass.). I think that it is a slightly higher charge to get them to do soil texture samples too, but all in all, well worth the $$.

 

[cowboydoc]

Thanks Ron,
What's the company that sells that grass. I'd like to talk to them.

Thanks

 

[rf33]

Doc, this is not exactly like world feeder in that there is no specific company who markets it (at least not that I know of). A local grass farmer here is who is doing it for me, and I assume that he grows the stuff himself. Here in TX, we have a county ag extension agent for each county, and they have a list of certified Tifton growers in each county, but I do not know if KS has such a program. I also am not sure about the cold tolerance of Tifton 85. You might need to ask around about that one. Here is a list of names of some growers in TX, who might help to get you in the right direction:

Name Location Telephone #
Donald Brady ?? 210-639-4380
Paul Carr Pickton 903-866-2480
Clifford Giese LaGrange 409-968-5477
Jasik's Grass Farms Pleasanton 210-393-6527
Jack Kellam Van 903-963-8602
Jessica Lacy Humble 281-540-7739
Marbar Farms Waller 409-931-3006
Milbarger Turf Farms Co. Bay City 409-245-8175
Doug Phelan Austin 512-472-3844
Poe & Sons Thorndale 512-898-2478

 

[Woody1]

Up here in Iowa , we got lots of clay too. A recommendation givin to me, which works to fertilize and help the clay break up. Plant some alfalpha in with your annual rye grass. The rye grass will come up quickly to give you ground cover, then alfalpha will come up later. When fully established, the alfalpha will generate roots to anywhewre from 2-4 ft. in ground. If/when you cut it, and dont bale it, and mulch it on the ground, it adds to the nutrients. It also adds nitrogyn to the soil. I did 4 acrs this way. Took 2 years, but broke up the clay pretty well. In the meantime, i had deer munching on it, bees pollinating it, birds in it. It just is a good crop to better your soil. Thats why farmers up here rotate crops to hay every so often for a few years, so it replenishes the soil. Also acts as a buffer strip if your conditions require one.

 

[rf33]

Sounds like some good advice Woody. Here nobody grows much alfalfa, I think because of the threat of blister beetles. Perhaps clover might have a similar beneficial effect on the soil? I suppose it does not matter if all you are going to do with the alfalfa is to mulch it up, but I think that it is not a good NE Texas crop to use for rotation. Maybe your ag extension agent has the magic answers??

 

[TresCrows]

hey, I have been trying without much success to get some alfalfa going. I finally got some to come up. I also planted in red clover and some of that is coming in also. My main cover in the back four is broam but I was also told alfalfa would add nutirent to the worn out wheat field and break up the clay. What is the secret to getting a stand of alfalfa? Since the braom is rather thin I have been trying to get the clover and alfalfa up to thicken the coverage. I have been told alfalfa is auto toxic. Innoculation of the seeds with nitrogen fixing bacteria (for legume crops) may also be needed if the soil is from a monoculture field such as wheat where herbicides have prevented clovers etc form growing for years or even decades. J

 

[cowboydoc]

The secret to alfalfa is that the soil has to be exactly right. The most important aspect of this is the ph. If the ph isn't right alfalfa won't grow. Then you need to make sure the rest of your nutrients are right as well. Alfalfa is very sensitive and won't grow unless all conditions are optimal.

 

[Carl_NH]

Ron,

You don't mention the final use will this be for hay, for feed, a ground cover to till in or what's you final plan with this grass?

I agree with Woody, plant some rye. What we did when farming was rotate crops every year - Corn - Wheat - then Hay for two or so years to build the soil back up. In addition a quick way to do this is to take the summer/fall crop off then plant a rye grass or winter wheat, and in the spring plow it in which adds the nutrients back to the soil.

With discing you only scratch the surface - 3-5" typ without really getting into the subsoil. Plowing under a crop of rye after a year will add nutrients to the soil as well give the soil a well needed aeration. Many farmers also do sub soil tilling - 12" or more to get the same effect - this is a lot due to no-till crops though.

WRT Ph of the soil, this is key, as we did this every year in order to determine the right mix for the crop planted. Once established with a little history of rotation you actually reduce the amount of fertilizer and lime needed.

FFA (Former Farmer of America)

Carl