olds

I have a couple pastures which the weeds are stilll in abundance (due to water logged conditions --- mild winters) and I want to change them into nice seeded pastures. I still haven't gotten my implements I dicussed before but I wanted to readdress this again. I was thinking of getting a 6' box scraper and tearing up the ground with that --- then going back and fertilizing with lime and then landscape rake and then grass seed. Can anyone recommend a better course of action? This land is hardpacked in some areas due to the horses etc, so I think I really need to box scrap with the hooks and all ---- Any idea on the amount and type of fertilizer/lime or grass seed for each 1acre pasture? Looks like the box scraper is going to run about $400 for the 6' --
and the rake is a little less I believe. Really want to plant something like Bahia --- any ideas or comments? I am here in southern Louisiana.... One more question ---- Will a middlebuster work as a cheap trench digger to open up some wet areas and induce proper drainage?

Pics of my 2 items to be bought ------




Thanks again.
Andy

Stewart

I am in the same boat with a pasture that is very uneven. It was suggested to me to have it disked and then drug level. Right across the road there is 15 to 20 acres that the farmer puts in winter wheat. He used a dick with a big piece of steel behind that on chain. The disk really did a good job and the railroad track type steel made it almost level.

I have no idea what a disk would cost but think the steel was railroad track and wouldn't cost much for it and the chain. I haven’t decided what course to take as well since I don't have a tractor that will pull a disk and the pasture is only about 1.25 acres. If I remember correctly you have a pretty good-sized tractor, let us know what you decide to do, spring is almost here!!

spook291

Andy:

Over on the farmall cub forum we have been discussing the virtues of middlebusters. We don't seem to have them here in NB, but from all acounts, that is what the good folks south of the border use to dig potato's as well as ditches for drainage and such.

Not all that sure about the box blade though. Most of the work that I have done, I just used a TD7 Bust it up, walk on it some then back drag. Works real good. Then use the landscape rake.

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parts man

Andy, I'm not sure I can really answer your question, but I'll tell you what we do for seeding. We do fall plowing and let the sod rot over the winter, as soon as the ground has dried out in the spring we go once with the furrows and once across the furrows with a disk. Then we cross harrow with spring toothed harrows until it is smooth as a babies bottom ( for hay ground) and then go once in the direction of travel for haying or any other subsequent jobs. The last trip makes a huge difference when your traveling the field later, if you go across the direction of travel the field is ripply and your always bouncing up and down.
As to amount of seed, I'm not sure,, CEO handles that!

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Argee

Andy- I would invest in a good disk unit. Set it for a radical cut and run over it several times over the course of a couple of weeks. Then set it back to a normal cut and smooth out your fields. You could do it all with a disk, from first cut to smoothing it to seed ready.

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Stewart

So the disk isn't a bad idea???

Live Oak

Andy, unless you address the weed problem; you will be making a real nice seed bed for last year's weed seeds awaiting germination this spring. On my father's farm, they practice "no till" farming. If you are wanting a good grass pasture this spring. It would be best to get a pre-immergent herbicide down along with a good fertilizer and lime. A good soil test you can have done at your local ASCS office can give you a good idea of which area's your soil is needy in with respect to fertilizer and lime.

Something you may want to consider is checking around your area at your local Walmarts, Lowes, and Home Depot's, etc. and see if they have weed and feed left over from last season. I do this and sometimes I am able to make a "thrifty" deal on buying the entire lot the store has as a substantially reduced price. (i.e. 50 cents a bag if I agree to buy the entire lot) You may get a deal on some real cheap fertilizer and herbicide and may not need to do all of the soil tilling unless you are just looking to over seed. You can get the local Coop to bring a lime spreader truck out and do your fields. How many acres are you talk about? I put down about a ton to the acre.

Another route would be to apply Round Up Ultra, till, and then over seed. But the Round Up will not get the weed seeds that have not sprouted yet.

Anyhow; just thought I would throw a few ideas out there.

slipshod

Plow, Disc, Harrow, would be a great solution. Doing the whole job with a disc would also work, but not turn up the soil very deeply.That may be OK for what you are trying to acomplish. If you can borrow one or buy one cheaply enough that your 8N can pull.
But the box scraper, and york rake will give you two pieces of equipment that you will use for many other jobs.The box scraper will do a very nice job of ground. Soil turned to approximately six inches,level with no pot holes.
When you finish rake all the goobers,roots,and debris will be removed.I have done many, many, lawns this way with great results.

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Live Oak

Andy, how is the weed n feed doing? Any results yet? Have you gone over the pasture with a brush hog?

olds

The pastures are doing very well! Once I get all of those annoying stumps removed we will be doing even better!
Counted 25 actual stumps, but I am only getting 20 removed (5 are way out in the woods, near fence lines etc --- no problem in those areas) The rain has been heavy and has kept everything soaked in nicely thusfar this year. I would really like to get a nice PTO spreader, and a Dearborn turning plow (single or double bottom) and maybe a nice set of discs and I would be happy.

Hopefully be able to pay to have the stumps removed sometime within next week or two.

Andy