Cultipacker for Planting Cover Crops?

Help Support CattleToday:

AndersonAg

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2019
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
To plant cereal rye (elbon) in established bermuda pasture for fall/winter grazing, will cultipacker work in Central Texas on sandy ground? Lightly discing before broadcasting seed and then running a cultipacker is an option. I'm not interested in a drill for a variety of reasons (lots of trees dropping branches and might miss some picking up, very few straight lines to drive, maintenance, and I only have 20 acres) so I have been looking for good alternatives and am open to any advice you may be willing to give.
 
Yes it will work. The light discing idea will work better. Putting it out before a good rain also helps a lot as this will get the seed in contact with some wet ground.
 
Rye Is what was recommended by the TAMU forage specialist and seemed to be the best for my area based on my research for early grazing and seed is readily available. I also put out ryegrass and have had good success with that but the rye seems so have given me some challenges in establishing. I'm open to any other suggestion as well though. Is there another early grazing plant that would be good?
 
Orchardgrass gives pretty early grazing. I had some Rye this year in my pastures, Rye requires a lot of water I've read. I think it might take moisture from your others grasses if you had less than ideal moisture conditions.
 
Banjo, I don't believe Orchard grass will do well here.

Elbon rye will work good but I would put something with it like oats or Rye grass. For me the elbon is only good for early grazing but the oats or Rye grass will produce way more tonnage. The early grazing aspect is why it is included in most mixes.
 
AndersonAg said:
Rye Is what was recommended by the TAMU forage specialist and seemed to be the best for my area based on my research for early grazing and seed is readily available. I also put out ryegrass and have had good success with that but the rye seems so have given me some challenges in establishing. I'm open to any other suggestion as well though. Is there another early grazing plant that would be good?

Generally oats are used for their early grazing.
All winter into spring in central Texas.
As you go north and west wheat becomes king.
I'm in the Williamson, Burnet and lampasas county. I don't guess I've ever seen anyone using cereal rye.
Stick around and let us know how it turns out would ya.
 
bird dog said:
Banjo, I don't believe Orchard grass will do well here.

Elbon rye will work good but I would put something with it like oats or Rye grass. For me the elbon is only good for early grazing but the oats or Rye grass will produce way more tonnage. The early grazing aspect is why it is included in most mixes.

yea, i forgot we are in different climates :bang:
 
Brute 23 said:
Central Texas is a big area. Maybe expanding on what county might help a little.

I always liked and oats/ rye grass mix for longer growing season.


It is. Grimes county not too far from College Station. Aside from the advice on small grains for early grazing, any thoughts on using a cultipacker to help increase germination? Wondering if it's worth the investment
 
I'm not sure it's worth the money. Some of these guys that plant a lot more are probably better resources. We always poor boy it and drag a pipe or some thing.

I have no experience with cerial rye. I do know my best planting experiences are always with a no till or grain drill. Just slinging it never gave me the results. A good grain drill or no till can put it right in the ground, especially in sandy soil, with little preparation. We have a place that is not far that rents no tills and its handy.
 
AndersonAg said:
Brute 23 said:
Central Texas is a big area. Maybe expanding on what county might help a little.

I always liked and oats/ rye grass mix for longer growing season.


It is. Grimes county not too far from College Station. Aside from the advice on small grains for early grazing, any thoughts on using a cultipacker to help increase germination? Wondering if it's worth the investment

John Deere B drills can be had for ~$500 or so. I've had reasonable success using one planting oats into black land prairie pasture so it should work even better in sandy soil. Timing moisture helps as well as having Bermuda grazed short. (Which could be argued as overgrazing). I do drag an old section harrow behind it to help cover. Don't see where missed tree branches would be a huge problem with one. Parts are still readily available too.

I tried finding a cultipacker 15 years ago but I couldn't find a 12 footer that didn't cost $1600 or more. Guess the question is how long does it take to make your $ back through better germination.... we've all got "toys" setting around that seemed to have been a good idea once upon a time.

Just thinking out loud...
 
1982vett said:
AndersonAg said:
Brute 23 said:
Central Texas is a big area. Maybe expanding on what county might help a little.

I always liked and oats/ rye grass mix for longer growing season.


It is. Grimes county not too far from College Station. Aside from the advice on small grains for early grazing, any thoughts on using a cultipacker to help increase germination? Wondering if it's worth the investment

John Deere B drills can be had for ~$500 or so. I've had reasonable success using one planting oats into black land prairie pasture so it should work even better in sandy soil. Timing moisture helps as well as having Bermuda grazed short. (Which could be argued as overgrazing). I do drag an old section harrow behind it to help cover. Don't see where missed tree branches would be a huge problem with one. Parts are still readily available too and if in reasonable shape will go a long way @ 20 acres a year.

I tried finding a cultipacker 15 years ago but I couldn't find a 12 footer that didn't cost $1600 or more. Guess the question is how long does it take to make your $ back through better germination.... we've all got "toys" setting around that seemed to have been a good idea once upon a time.

Just thinking out loud...
 
It's funny you say that Vette. I think that is what my drill is. It's got just a hand lever you have to oil up like a high lift jack to get to work right. Once you drop it down you run with it. My best crops have been when it was so wet I had to pull it behind my mule. It cut in good and in no time the seed was up.
 
I've owned several of those old jd drills
I don't believe I've ever paid over three hundred bucks for one. Pulling a roller behind the drill sure helps since they don't have packer wheels, but it's not necessary
 
I have used a 10' disc set lightly with a 10' drop seeder hooked behind it with a 12' cultipacker hooked behind that. My poor mans no till rig.
 
I also use an old JD "B" drill. Paid $700 for mine but it had been shed kept its whole life. It will work great as Vett mentioned and will do so as a no-till if the soil is soft. I usually pull a heavy round bar behind it.

To me the cultipacker is only worth using on disced up soil. Again if the soil is soft it will flatten everything out some and press the seed in more evenly. I have done many a acre where the cultipacker is hooked up to the back of the disc and pulled together in one pass.
 
ERNIBIGB said:
I have used a 10' disc set lightly with a 10' drop seeder hooked behind it with a 12' cultipacker hooked behind that. My poor mans no till rig.

I have been wanting a set up like that. When I was working around Pleasanton there were several places all around our wells one guy had and they would come in with two big JD tractors and disks set up like that. They had drag pipes behind them. They took off and ran one behind the other and covered lots of ground. It was disked, planted, and covered in one pass. It came up beautifully.

I know they used a chain drive to the seed box but I could never see what the chain was attached to on the disk.
 

Latest posts

Top