Well, I'm just now finding out how much damage the drought actually did. The coastal fields lost a lot of Bermuda. Seems like I can stand in a patch 3-foot in diameter, then I can walk 5-10 yards in either direction before I get to the next patch. Glad I wasn't over zealous like some folks around here in restocking the pastures. Gonna take a year or two and some TLC to get back to solid fields.
Drought Damage
- Thread starter Isomade
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Agreed. The combination of last year's drought, the enormous amount of rye grass and another dry spring has left us in dire straits right now. The blades of green grass in our hay meadows are few and far between.
bigbull338
Well-known member
hmmm thats strange our coastal meadows are nice an thick.an they dont show ant back affects from last years drought.Isomade":1ys2a8tu said:
Have you checked the soil ph lately ? I limed mine last October and its so thick you can't find the ground . I dont know if it's true but a old timer told me that drought affects the ph and the organisms in the soil . And by liming they regenerate faster causing the grass to come back faster ..Isomade":1u3lswll said:
Texas Gal
Well-known member
Our drought damage appears to be tied to the age of the pasture. Two areas in particular that are thin were renovated in spring 2010. I think the extreme cold weather ( for our part of the world) we had in February 2011 followed by the hellish summer conditions flat took a toll on the new pastures. AND a dry spring this year did not help; we went almost 12 weeks without any good rain. Older, established pastures look better.
cross_7
Well-known member
your area/grass and mine different so not apples to apples, but since our big rain the grass has really taken off but just as you describe, some bare spots.
i just think some plants succumed to the drought.
recovery may be slow
i just think some plants succumed to the drought.
recovery may be slow
novatech
Well-known member
My Tiffton 85 has come back but looks like the first year it was planted, shrinking back to the mother plants. Rain here is still in short supply this year, although it is better than last year. I doubt there will be enough hay made to justify the fertilizer.
One area had a lot of wild mustard. I shred and burned it before the Tiffton got going. The Tiffton now has no competition and is spreading back a lot better. Makes me think that doing a control burn on the entire hay meadow might have been in order.
My WW B Dahl is doing much better but so are the weeds in the same field. Got them with herbicide ( Cimarron Plus and a little 2-4-D).
In my small coastal meadow the coastal is pretty good in the deep sugar sand but it was not fertilized as there was no fertilizer available before the only good rain we had a while back.
One area had a lot of wild mustard. I shred and burned it before the Tiffton got going. The Tiffton now has no competition and is spreading back a lot better. Makes me think that doing a control burn on the entire hay meadow might have been in order.
My WW B Dahl is doing much better but so are the weeds in the same field. Got them with herbicide ( Cimarron Plus and a little 2-4-D).
In my small coastal meadow the coastal is pretty good in the deep sugar sand but it was not fertilized as there was no fertilizer available before the only good rain we had a while back.
I would seed somethng like rye grass in the bare areas. You know that mother nature hates a void and will fill those bare spots with seomthing. Might as well at least try to have something desirable rather then the weeds that Ma like to fill in with
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Isomade":a6tff870 said:
My back hay field got hammered. My pasture's are starting to recover with the frequent rain's that have been getting.
Now this on pasture that used to run 37 momma cow's and was not overgrazed with 13 cow's on it.
The damage we recieved is going to take several year's I agree to repair.
Hay field is on a sand hill running into the creek bottom, on the hill if you told some one that was a hay field they would laugh. Look's like I am going to have to put a disc to it and reseed with Tifton 9 or Cheyenne Bermuda.
Miniute Maid the Space Cowboy is right about the lime makes a huge difference in recovery. I have already put out nearly 20 ton's. I am waiting on soil result's for the hay field now.
1982vett
Well-known member
bigbull338":2qaz1c7b said:
Could be you didn't experience the same drought the rest of us did....3-4 months of dry weather can't compare to 18-36 months worth...
Iso...I was thru the eastern part of OK last week. Looks pretty good from a car window doing 75... :lol: Warm season grasses in our area were choked back by the cool season. On top of that, the rain stopped just as the warm season grasses were breaking dormancy....Looking pretty bleak right now. We did get 8/10ths of an inch Tuesday night....(anywhere from an inch to 4 inches was the norm....but NO - Not here....
) Going to be lucky if we can just limp along this year.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Vette we are back to jungle weather here 4 inches in the last two weeks and raining now. I haven't got as much as some around me.
bigbull338
Well-known member
well from 7am to 9am this morning we got 2.25 inches of rain.an this rain slipped up on us.thank goodness the cutter man decided not to cut yesterday.
circlew
Well-known member
Caustic Burno":3ta4eq1g said:
Caustic in the last week and a half we have gotten almost 8.5 inches of rain! Thanking the good lord for every drop. Hope it keeps coming yalls way as well.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
We are getting pounded right now coming down like a cow peeing on a flat rock.
Lighting display you won't believe.
Lighting display you won't believe.
Kingfisher
Well-known member
Caustic Burno":2g584869 said:
I got a little bit of that over in Thrifty the other day. !!! Made a stinkin mess....
bigbull338
Well-known member
we got a heat shower tues afternoon.an that ran the baler man out of the field.said what he cut was nice an green.
