Procedure Help. Forest to pasture.

[markrich]

I am in the process of doing the same, Forest land to horse pasture.. I'm ready to plant. I suggest that you do a soil analysis. My results recommend 1.8 tons of dolomitic lime per acre. Without, little grass will grow.

I plan to disc, fertilize, lime and plant, then run a chain harrow upside down to cover.

 

[atgreene]

Here's a thread I started a while ago about some land I cleared. The Power Rake ended up being the best tool once it was roughed out with the excavator. I tried plows, harrows, pasture harrows, the teeth on my excavator, a root grapple and a front road-runner rake. Hands down, the power rake was the best and easiest.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/land-clearing/206188-clearing-some-new-land.html

On edit, for lime I used mostly ash from the local paper mill. Takes a lot more, but much cheaper. If you are going to do lime check for bulk delivery. Bulk delivery spread on my fields is $100 per ton here, if I buy it by the bag (TSC is cheapest when on sale) it's $150 per ton and I have to handle it.

 

[jeff9366]

ATGREENE: Please post more information on your Power Rake. Would it also be known as a Harley Rake?

Thank you.

 

[west2nashvl]

Well, I talked to an old timer farmer and he suggested just running a disc harrow, he even gave me an old one he had lying around. The build a drag harrow to smooth it out. He said the risk to reward on the tiller idea wasnt worth it. Especially for pasture.

The forestry mulcher got me "close" to comfortable while bushhogging. Just need it to be a little smoother. A few spots will need a little extra attention. Should I just disc the mulch in or rake it up?

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Should I just disc the mulch in or rake it up?

How thick is the mulch?

Mine ranges from the first pic to the others in size...

Be well,
David

 

[longshot47]

I'll echo atgreene's comments, since my experience was much the same.
First the excavator with a hydraulic brush hog mounted on the boom. This thing turned whole cedar trees into salad. Then dropped the hardwoods with a chainsaw, assisted by the excavator with bucket/thumb mounted. Stumps were left tall to ease removal, also by excavator, once the debris was cleared. Following that, a skidsteer with a Harley rake worked over the surface to the point of satisfaction. Brush hogged once the following season and the area, about 3 acres, now looks like the eleventh fairway at Tall Oaks.

 

[west2nashvl]

How thick is the mulch?

Mine ranges from the first pic to the others in size...

Be well,
David

Mine is a combo between picture 2 and 3. I know i'll have to get the bigger pieces up.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Mine is a combo between picture 2 and 3. I know i'll have to get the bigger pieces up.

I switch between the rachet rake on the bucket, and my root grapple.

The burnable sized stuff I grapple to the burn pile, the littel stuff I spread around and shove to the edges outside the fence line (inside the tree line).

David

 

[woodlandfarms]

IMO it depends on how AR you want to be and what sort of livestock you want to run. It is wet were I live so stuff rots really fast, thus we don't do a lot of cleanup. For our meadows, we pick up the big stuff (over "1.5" and let the rest rot. Landscape rake for smoothing so no one trips and running the tractor over the ground (which I am sure was torn up by your logging operation anyway so it should be loose).

For us you can let it sit, and grass will make its way in or you can get bags of seed and spread it around. Don't mow the first year, or at least wait until it is well established. Livestock has a way with pastureland, so rotating pastures is a practice we use here, or having a winter and summer pasture.

But I don't do this professionally so probably better advice than me around here.

 

[mkane09]

I had about 4 acres cleared for horse pasture 3 years ago. It was jungle before the excavator and hi-lift cleared everything. I was left with a LOT of 1-4" branches. I used my 6' yard rake to get as much as reasonably possible. Here is East TN you'll need 4-6 tons of lime per acre to plant grass after clearing woods. I limed, fertilized, then seeded with a horse pasture mix of fescue, orchard grass, rye, timothy, and clover. First year I let it grow all year, no cutting. Second year I overseeded and started cutting it to about 8 inches. This year, same thing. I've kept my horse off of it until now and it is, for the most part, thick and lush. I'll have it all fenced by winter and will let him stay there. I would try to get as much of the branches and limb parts off your field before you seed it. More wood down equals the need for more lime and of course seed won't take under limbs, sticks, branches. I would also keep your animals off it for at least 2 years to let the grasses get a good root system going. Horses can be very hard on a field if it is A) too small an area for the number of horses, or B) not fully established.

mkane09