Seed Bed Creation

[ajllynco]

I'd like to create a 24'X100' seed bed from a flat piece of horse pasture. I'm not a farmer so I'm ignorant of the process of transforming the tall grassed pasture into a nice flat seed bed. Can someone go through the process including which implements to use for what purpose and in what order? The ground is currently a sandy loam and I'm sure I'll have to amend it. I'll be using a John Deere 3032E tractor. TYIA

 

[jeff9366]

I'd like to create a 24'X100' seed bed from a FLAT piece of horse pasture.

Mow the grass as short as possible. Scalp.

Spray the stubble with Roundup or generic Glycophosphate.
(Herbicide is most effective when the grass is growing vigorously.)
(In Florida pasture grasses are variations on Bahia. Bahia roots go down 6" to 9".
Unless herbicide is used, mechanically disturbed grass roots will rebound before garden seeds can get a good start.)

Wait ten days for herbicide to have effect, then dissipate.

When the soil is Moist but not wet, use a PTO powered roto-tiller to mix and level the soil.

Two passes with the PTO powered roto-tiller may be necessary.


Do not over till. Two passes should be sufficient.

 

[Gator6x4]

I'd like to create a 24'X100' seed bed from a FLAT piece of horse pasture.

Mow the grass as short as possible. Scalp.

Spray the stubble with Roundup or generic Glycophosphate.
(Herbicide is most effective when the grass is growing vigorously.)

Wait ten days for herbicide to have effect.

When the soil is MOIST, use a PTO powered roto-tiller to mix and level the soil.

Two passes with the PTO powered roto-tiller may be necessary.


Do not over till. Two passes should be sufficient.

Agree with all, plus add a couple 50 pounds of lime between tiller one and tiller two pass. Depending on what you intend to plant in the seed bed I would also probably include with the lime a couple 50 pound bags of 10-10-10 fertilizer with the trace elements along with the lime.

 

[jeff9366]

While not germane to your question, a soil test is the highest value way you can spend money to promote a successful new garden. Soil tests are about $8.00 each in Florida.

Amending soil without a soil test is flying blind. For instance, where I live in Florida soil pH is naturally very high ~ 7.5. The addition of lime without a soil test would raise pH even further, probably resulting in near zero seed germination to green stage.

 

[dirttoys]

While not germane to your question, a soil test is the highest value way you can spend money to promote a successful new garden. Soil tests are about $8.00 each in Florida.

Amending soil without a soil test is flying blind. For instance, where I live in Florida soil pH is naturally very high ~ 7.5. The addition of lime without a soil test would raise pH even further, probably resulting in near zero seed germination to green stage.

This is spot on, and I think it is germane.

Get your soil test so the amendments can be done while you till. Know what you want to plant, fescue likes different ground than bermuda, and veggies all have their own tastes as well.

Tilling works well, if you are renting equipment, consider a harley rake, nothing makes a seed bed better.

Best,

ed

 

[big bubba]

deleted

 

[ajllynco]

I'd like to create a 24'X100' seed bed from a FLAT piece of horse pasture.

Mow the grass as short as possible. Scalp.

Spray the stubble with Roundup or generic Glycophosphate.
(Herbicide is most effective when the grass is growing vigorously.)
(In Florida pasture grasses are variations on Bahia. Bahia roots go down 6" to 9".
Unless herbicide is used, mechanically disturbed grass roots will rebound before garden seeds can get a good start.)

Wait ten days for herbicide to have effect, then dissipate.

When the soil is Moist but not wet, use a PTO powered roto-tiller to mix and level the soil.

Two passes with the PTO powered roto-tiller may be necessary.


Do not over till. Two passes should be sufficient.

I'm planning to sell organic vegetables from this plot, won't Roundup affect the plants? Also, What is a Harley Rake? (Mentioned in comments )

 

[ajllynco]

This is spot on, and I think it is germane.

Get your soil test so the amendments can be done while you till. Know what you want to plant, fescue likes different ground than bermuda, and veggies all have their own tastes as well.

Tilling works well, if you are renting equipment, consider a harley rake, nothing makes a seed bed better.

Best,

ed

What's a Harley rake?

 

[dirttoys]

What's a Harley rake?

Powered box blade. Rotating drum with teeth. This one is for skid steer, they make a 3pt as well

 

[RalphVa]

The really old method was to use a plow, disc or otherwise, followed by a multidisc and/or harrow/bed springs, etc. to level it out.

I've VERY thick, lush grass in the creek overflow area down below that I put a 50x75 garden in back around 2001 until about the end of 2012 and had to move it up here in raised beds because I got congestive heart failure.

Used a Gravely rotary plow. It did fine, not getting all that grass wrapped around the plow like would happen with a rotatiller unless you do what Jeff suggests.

When I got the 4wd JD in 2004, I used an old JD M soil ripper retrofitted to work on the 3ph followed by big opposed discs on the soil ripper bar to make raised rows. Don't think the soil ripper would have worked with all the grass that was there 4 years earlier.

 

[big bubba]

I'm planning to sell organic vegetables from this plot, won't Roundup affect the plants? Also, What is a Harley Rake? (Mentioned in comments )

if you're planning to sell certified organic, doubt you'd qualify using Roundup. wouldn't take much research to find out. guess it all depends on the grower's honesty. great project, worth doing the homework.
Realizing that i counter the American mainstream's heavy use of glycophosphates, i wouldn't dream of using the product for food consumption at any stage & know many would argue otherwise. regards, good luck.
will you have the means to irrigate the patch? seems to me drought will be a challenge these days

 

[jeff9366]

I'm planning to sell organic vegetables from this plot, won't Roundup affect the plants? Also, What is a Harley Rake? (Mentioned in comments )

You cannot claim organic status for any vegetables grown with herbicides, which certainly includes the herbicide Roundup/Glycophosphate. If you go "certified organic" whoever controls that term in your location will be visiting you periodically, unannounced, to check your produce and soil for residual herbicide/pesticides. Generally speaking, it takes four (4) years of cultivation to purge chemicals from pasture soil before produce can be labeled organic. Sophistidcated soil tests, which the farmer pays for, are the progress checkers.

I was involved in certified organic grape growing in California for ten years. Growing organic produce of any sort is a much more complicated and expensive process than growing the same produce with chemicals. I would NOT attempt growing produce organically until having several profitable years growing vegetables with chemicals.

I will also add, I hope unnecessarily, that marketing vegetables grown with chemicals as organic is FRAUD which could subject the fraudster to severe penalties, including incarceration. In California the Department of Agriculture monitored the Farmer's markets, in my day. Some consumers are allergic to herbicides and pesticides and buy organic produce to protect their health. Potential for civil suits against fraudster if consumers sickened. Attorneys happy to take on such law suits on a contingency basis in California.


HARLEY RAKE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzxTa2odFFI

For preparing/cultivating your commercial garden you need to buy or borrow a 12" or 14" moldboard plow and buy a PTO powered roto-tiller and buy row cultivators way before you need a Harley Rake.

ROW CULTIVATOR:

 

[jeff9366]

If you add your LOCATION to your T-B-N PROFILE you will receive advice much better tailored to your region.

 

[RalphVa]

You could use vinegar. Just do a soil test after you've plowed, disced or rototilled it.

 

[MF243RedTop]

I'm planning to sell organic vegetables from this plot, won't Roundup affect the plants?

Roundup/Glyphosate will only effect what you're spraying it own. If it's a concern for your organics wait a couple weeks and a good rain before planting.

 

[Gee Ray]

I do not understand the need to use Round Up for a simple garden plot. Plow it this fall. Cover it with organic materials, leaves, straw, saw dust after taking the soil samples. Plow it in the spring at 90 degrees and then disk it. Add fertilizer at each row of plants.

There is no magic way to prep your garden it will be work. The second year will be better. I would also get one of the propane sidewalk deicers to kill the weeds between the rows.

If you are going to do raised beds with a plastic covering the prep will still be the same.

Start looking for organic compost pile materials.

 

[ajllynco]

I'd like to create a 24'X100' seed bed from a FLAT piece of horse pasture.

Mow the grass as short as possible. Scalp.

Spray the stubble with Roundup or generic Glycophosphate.
(Herbicide is most effective when the grass is growing vigorously.)
(In Florida pasture grasses are variations on Bahia. Bahia roots go down 6" to 9".
Unless herbicide is used, mechanically disturbed grass roots will rebound before garden seeds can get a good start.)

Wait ten days for herbicide to have effect, then dissipate.

When the soil is Moist but not wet, use a PTO powered roto-tiller to mix and level the soil.

Two passes with the PTO powered roto-tiller may be necessary.


Do not over till. Two passes should be sufficient.

Great info Jeff, thanks. I'm considering covering the bed with weed cloth as opposed to spraying the area with herbicide, your thoughts?

 

[jeff9366]

Weed mulch cloth is fine but inorganic, costly and labor intensive.

Consider at thick blanket of straw as mulch, or other organic material without seed heads, which will decay into the soil, improving it. Wood chips from a tree service is another possibility, although slow to decay. Some cities compost fall leaves, which residents can haul away at no cost in late Spring.