Shred or Spray

[LHF2019]

Also, in regards to county extension agents, I agree about meeting and speaking to them. The main thing to keep in mind, at least in my area in TN, is that our county agents won’t recommend spraying. They can identify weeds all day long but not recommend what herbicide to spray due to regulations.

That's interesting. They should be the ones giving advise so someone doesn't do something stupid. Otherwise all the person knows is what he has but not how to control it safely.

So where would somebody go in your area to get recommendations?

 

[Iowa Hillbilly]

We purchased a property 2 years ago that has 50 acres of wooded and creek area and 30 acres of areas that can be developed into a pasture. We are currently doing wildlife management, but I’m trying to decide on whether it’s worthwhile to develop some or all of the 30 acres into pasture. Preiously it was always used for grazing only and wasn’t hayed. With the spring rains that we’ve had one area of the pasture is pretty well grown up. It is various weeds and grasses that I’m gonna have to decide the best herbicide to use but what I would appreciate feedback on is should I go ahead and shred it first it’s pretty well 24 to 36 inches in some places high or should I just spray it. I just don’t have experience in trying to develop a grazed pasture into a hay pasture. I realize I should have done something back in April but that’s hindsight. I’d be receptive to anyone’s schedule on how they manage their pastures from Spring Green up to haying or how you do just weed management. Thanks

You mentioned that you're managing for wildlife. I manage my land for wildlife and I've been doing so for a long time. At this point I have fantastic hunting and I also get some nice financial returns from leasing hunting rights.

I manage principally for deer and turkey, but many other animals thrive with the same management that benefits those two species.

My suggestion is to not at all consider spraying any herbicides whatever, and I am especially suspicious of 2-4-D. A bush hog/shredder used later in the season is the way to go.

Based on my experience and knowledge the herbicides bio-accumulate up the food chain and reduce the health of the desired game. You won't see deer or turkey falling over dead because you sprayed with herbicides, but it makes a difference with fawning success and rack development. Turkeys live longer and get longer beards and bigger bodies when they aren't eating from sprayed fields. The turkeys also raise larger broods when they aren't consuming as much from sprayed fields.

I would also suggest that if you are managing for wildlife that you not worry too much about 'weeds.' A lot of so called weeds are important wildlife feed at certain points of the year. Deer will hit a certain species at what they consider peak desirability at different times of the year. Often that time frame is only a few days to a week, but when they want it they glut themselves on it and that species will vary from week to week. The 'weeds' are often really high in protein and calcium at that point and I think that is what moves a lot of deer with good genetics from the ~160 something inch range into the ~180+ inch range.

Also a lot of weed seeds become food for insects which then become food for turkeys. A high protein diet benefits them as well.

 

[dirttoys]

You got some great guidance (sorry a little late).

Best advice was get your county extension involved, they know the area, and you pay for them, and my experience is they like to help.

Goats are great if you have the fence for them.
Shredding will help/work if you can time it correctly, in my experience it is twice a year to make an impact.

The one I didn't see is spring burn, if you can do it combined with one spray a year with amine 2-4-d) has been my best results for reclaiming pasture unless it has saplings, then it is shred and spray.

Best,

ed

 

[Hay Dude]

We purchased a property 2 years ago that has 50 acres of wooded and creek area and 30 acres of areas that can be developed into a pasture. We are currently doing wildlife management, but I’m trying to decide on whether it’s worthwhile to develop some or all of the 30 acres into pasture. Preiously it was always used for grazing only and wasn’t hayed. With the spring rains that we’ve had one area of the pasture is pretty well grown up. It is various weeds and grasses that I’m gonna have to decide the best herbicide to use but what I would appreciate feedback on is should I go ahead and shred it first it’s pretty well 24 to 36 inches in some places high or should I just spray it. I just don’t have experience in trying to develop a grazed pasture into a hay pasture. I realize I should have done something back in April but that’s hindsight. I’d be receptive to anyone’s schedule on how they manage their pastures from Spring Green up to haying or how you do just weed management. Thanks

For first few years, I would just rotary mow it. Something else to keep in mind: You mentioned you have streams/lowlands. Herbicides may migrate into the waters. Herbicides should be used as last resort or for intensive farming.
I’d do mowing and see if you can control weeds this way. I have done this with excellent success. I have taken fields with 30’ tall saplings and the worst invasives and very quickly turned them into productive feed hay.
IMO, herbicides are “lazy” and should be used as a last resort. Contrary to popular belief, grazing animals eat plenty of weeds. Only hay that needs to be low on weeds is horse hay for picky people who think horses eat grass only.

Get yourself a good bush hog and tractor. Keep the chemicals as a last resort.

 

[dusty3030]

Keep in mind on the 24d and products that contain it you can damage neighboring crops. If someone has cotton anywhere near you don’t use it.

 

[Aggie66]

You mentioned that you're managing for wildlife. I manage my land for wildlife and I've been doing so for a long time. At this point I have fantastic hunting and I also get some nice financial returns from leasing hunting rights.

I manage principally for deer and turkey, but many other animals thrive with the same management that benefits those two species.

My suggestion is to not at all consider spraying any herbicides whatever, and I am especially suspicious of 2-4-D. A bush hog/shredder used later in the season is the way to go.

Based on my experience and knowledge the herbicides bio-accumulate up the food chain and reduce the health of the desired game. You won't see deer or turkey falling over dead because you sprayed with herbicides, but it makes a difference with fawning success and rack development. Turkeys live longer and get longer beards and bigger bodies when they aren't eating from sprayed fields. The turkeys also raise larger broods when they aren't consuming as much from sprayed fields.

I would also suggest that if you are managing for wildlife that you not worry too much about 'weeds.' A lot of so called weeds are important wildlife feed at certain points of the year. Deer will hit a certain species at what they consider peak desirability at different times of the year. Often that time frame is only a few days to a week, but when they want it they glut themselves on it and that species will vary from week to week. The 'weeds' are often really high in protein and calcium at that point and I think that is what moves a lot of deer with good genetics from the ~160 something inch range into the ~180+ inch range.

Also a lot of weed seeds become food for insects which then become food for turkeys. A high protein diet benefits them as well.

Thanks for the input. That’s what I’m doing so far. I did spray two areas of our pasture with Pastora to control Sandburs to keep them from being distributed across the property. We drive a UTV and I have a tractor so I’m trying to minimize Sandbur infestation. If I see them I also do spot spraying to control. There are two areas that I’ve designated as food plots that I believe need to be sprayed one has coastal that is progressively growing in the food plot area, but I could just spot spray that with glysophate instead of the entire plot. Another plot has some type of a panicum grass that has grown as tall as my tractor tires so thick you can’t walk through it. I’ve shredded it and now I’m trying to identify if it’s an annual or perennial, which I believe it to be a perennial and probably will need to be sprayed. I noted on game cameras that I had deer and hogs coming to the feeder area all through the End of winter and in the spring but as this grass began to grow taller and taller my game camera showed no animals so I know that that grass needs to go. I may continue to just shred, but if it’s a perennial and a rhizome, I think I’ll have to spray. I appreciate your input because your suggestions are exactly what I’m trying to do. Thanks so much.

 

[EddieWalker]

My wife is finishing up the Master Gardner program with A&M. According to her instructors, the best way to improve a pasture is to constantly mow it. Spraying with 2,4-D works to, but you have to spray when the plants are actively growing in the Spring or the Fall. Now is the wrong time to spray. I bought a new cabbed tractor last year with a 12 foot batwing, and I've been amazed at how nice my place is looking with regular mowing.

According to a Texas State Wildlife Biologist that I spoke to a few years ago, he said that in my area of East Texas, and a lot of other areas, the natural habitat has been totally destroyed by clearing the land for farming, then letting the land grow back. When this happens, the land grows back so thick that the native wildlife isn't able to survive there. Fire is natures way of opening up the understory and cleaning up the open areas. If left alone, it will take centuries for the land to balance out to where it should be. Here, we have too many trees and they are choking out the land.

If you want your land to be the best it can be for wildlife, you need to figure out what it was like 300 years ago

If you want to hay it, then spraying and mowing will be the fastest way to get there.