Renovating Pasture

[dirkwood]

There are too many variables in pasture grasses and weeds as well as soil types, local rainfall,availability of irrigation, heat and cold climate to ask specific questions on the forums. I would contact my local County Ag. Extention for your specific property.

Fair enough....I talk a lot to my local neighbors and it would also not suprise me to find on this forum others living close to my area whom can give me good advice.
Sofar I have had GREAT advice from this forum even on specifics...it's what forums are for and a chalenge to give good ones.Anyway I appreciate all of it.

 

[Cricket]

Have you looked to see if your local extension service has a pasture management section online? VT has an awesome one that I've found really helpful--TX must have one? Might help you come up with a plan, then run that by people.

 

[dirkwood]

Have you looked to see if your local extension service has a pasture management section online? VT has an awesome one that I've found really helpful--TX must have one? Might help you come up with a plan, then run that by people.

Ty ALL very much ...I am looking into our local extension service..I hope they have some advice and time for an old man with a hobby ...

 

[goodhors]

Depending on the amount of acreage, you may want to do a couple or three
soil samples, to get a true reading of the field. Top of the hills is going to
be a bit different than the low spots that catch everything running down from
the hills.

You want to use a spade to dig up the dirt down at least 6-8 inches below the
top. You want to sample in several places. I always feel like I am not giving
them enough dirt for a real reading!

Anyway, get your shovel full of dirt in several locations, let it dry on some
feed sacks, then take some dirt from each shovelful to put in the soil sample
bag. Our tests only call for about a cup worth if real dirt, so this idea of several samples
might be useful if you have greatly varying areas of growth in the field. I spread
manure in 1-2 fields each year, so they will test different than the other fields.

I would suggest getting new soil tests done every 3 years, especially with any
additions to the field, like donated manure or chicken litter which is extremely high
in certain minerals, but not others. With the soil test/s in hand, you can go to
the fertilizer plant and order exactly what your field needs for grass as your crop.
As jhm47 said, you are wasting money to buy fertilizer that is not what you need,
it will wash away. I get pelleted fertilizer, can spread it myself, so it is cheaper
than having the big boom truck come in to spray. My small fields are not a good
place for such big equipment.

With regular mowing if possible, you will keep a lot of weeds from reaching the seed
stage and let the grass roots really work for producing leaves. Keeping the leaves
of grasses short at 5-8 inches, makes them more edible to the animals with new growth.
Still covers the ground to protect from heat and erosion, develops HUGE root systems
that work for you in dry times. You don't really want grasses seeding out, they go dormant
after setting seed, so no new growth for you. And I have not noticed any new growth from
those seeds, so they are not helping make better pasture. I work on having better grass
roots, buy pasture grass seed to fix any bald spots for quicker results.

If you know you are going into dry times, quit mowing for a while, rotate the fields often
to prevent over grazing. We usually only have a short dry time here, 4-6 weeks in summer.
Clay dirt with heavy grass over it, keeps my growth going pretty well most years. Other
locations will have other results. Your County Extension Service is your big help in LOCAL
advice for grass seed choices, timing to do things. Fall fertilizing is a great time here, gets
some height on grasses to go into winter, roots are full of nutrition for spring sprouting.

Educate yourself about various grasses, since planting a mixed seeding will help keep something
producing grazing all season long. We have cold weather grasses, hot season grass and plants,
so my fields always have things to munch on for the animals. Some grasses, Johnson,
and I think Tifton 85, have shown problems under certain conditions with being Nitrate heavy, which
killed cattle. Canary grass likes damp places, corners, very coarse, yet will keep the animals
going in poor or rough times. Better than nothing, but animals would PREFER other grass if it is
available. The Fescues can cause birthing problems if you plan to raise baby animals, but still a
very good grass in hot locations if you take the correct precautions. County Extension should
be helpful here again.

 

[dirkwood]

This is awsomme info and reading "goodhors",ty so much...

 

[Baymule]

Here is a link to Cornell University's list of plants that are poisonous to livestock. It has pictures that make it easier to identify!

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/comlist.html

 

[dirkwood]

Here is a link to Cornell University's list of plants that are poisonous to livestock. It has pictures that make it easier to identify!

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/comlist.html

Fantastic side.......TY.