Steve Wilson
Well-known member
I have a neglected 10 acre pasture that I wish to reseed this spring in Reed Canarygrass and medium red clover. Last summer it had a lot of cheatgrass in it, but this fall there was quite a bit of fescue among the dead cheatgrass. Should also mention that last spring I sprayed it with Grazon and missed some areas. The misses were very evident in the late summer; the remaining iron weed strips looked like fence rows. Last fall, I disked a strip and seeded it with winter wheat and turnips, as a test to see if the Grazon residual had gone away yet. Yup, got a nice stand for the deer to munch on.
We are planning to move the cow herd onto the pasture as soon as they finish grazing the one they are in now. I know they won't touch the cheatgrass. One issue is how to deal with the cheatgrass. Waiting until it has sprouted and then spraying with Round Up probably isn't a good option, because it will delay replanting. I've read university publications that recommend disking deep enough to bury the cheatgrass seeds a minimum of 3 inches. They also tell you to graze, mow or cut for hay before it has formed seed heads. Though other sources say that will only cause it to send up shorter seed stalks. Most all inform that cheatgrass seeds will only persist in the soil for up to three years. Gonna have to beat this stuff down into submission, by persistant management it seems.
The other issue is the remaning strips and patches of weeds, caused by misses when I sprayed. I don't want to postpone replanting another year, while I deal with the rest of the weeds. I will kill the clover when I respray the misses later this spring. The plan is to use 2,4,D instead of Grazon for the weed clean up. That's OK, I can live with replanting those areas with clover again next August or September.
This is a rolling pasture; that's why I'm considering adding something like oats, to help control erosion, since canarygrass is so slow to establish. Does anyone have advise on the seeding rates for the canarygrass, oats and red clover? Or any other suggestions they can make? I can rent the county's Great Plains Solid Stand no till drill at $10 per acre, get a fertilizer buggy or use my 3 point hitch spreader. We also have a 24 foot flex tine harrow that I plan on using to smooth the field after disking and can use again to tickle the soil after seeding, if I don't drill the mixture.
This is to be a hay field, primarily. It is recommended that you graze it heavily, early, the planting year. To delay the haying time. Perhaps to allow the canarygrass more time to root better, send out shoots and become more established, though I'm not sure about that. Just a guess on my part.
Any advise or suggestions are most welcomed.
Thanks in advance,
We are planning to move the cow herd onto the pasture as soon as they finish grazing the one they are in now. I know they won't touch the cheatgrass. One issue is how to deal with the cheatgrass. Waiting until it has sprouted and then spraying with Round Up probably isn't a good option, because it will delay replanting. I've read university publications that recommend disking deep enough to bury the cheatgrass seeds a minimum of 3 inches. They also tell you to graze, mow or cut for hay before it has formed seed heads. Though other sources say that will only cause it to send up shorter seed stalks. Most all inform that cheatgrass seeds will only persist in the soil for up to three years. Gonna have to beat this stuff down into submission, by persistant management it seems.
The other issue is the remaning strips and patches of weeds, caused by misses when I sprayed. I don't want to postpone replanting another year, while I deal with the rest of the weeds. I will kill the clover when I respray the misses later this spring. The plan is to use 2,4,D instead of Grazon for the weed clean up. That's OK, I can live with replanting those areas with clover again next August or September.
This is a rolling pasture; that's why I'm considering adding something like oats, to help control erosion, since canarygrass is so slow to establish. Does anyone have advise on the seeding rates for the canarygrass, oats and red clover? Or any other suggestions they can make? I can rent the county's Great Plains Solid Stand no till drill at $10 per acre, get a fertilizer buggy or use my 3 point hitch spreader. We also have a 24 foot flex tine harrow that I plan on using to smooth the field after disking and can use again to tickle the soil after seeding, if I don't drill the mixture.
This is to be a hay field, primarily. It is recommended that you graze it heavily, early, the planting year. To delay the haying time. Perhaps to allow the canarygrass more time to root better, send out shoots and become more established, though I'm not sure about that. Just a guess on my part.
Any advise or suggestions are most welcomed.
Thanks in advance,