Grass, Oats, rye

[tcolvin]

I need forage for my herd. What type of ground cover would be planted this time of year. My grass is thin now and mostly Bermuda grass and weeds. Thanks

 

[coachg]

Rye grass drilled into thin pasture works well . Depends on rain and temperatures but might grow all winter for you .

 

[Brute 23]

I played around with an oats/ rye grass mix this year. I had disked that pasture last winter and it was so dry it never filled back in real thick. Two weeks ago my son ran a disk real lightly and I got to play with our new toy. I was dragging it and it started drizzling on me. It was up in a week. Going to try to get some fert on it before next week with the rain predictions.

Not sure what the best options are in your area. Hopefully some one more local can help.

IF you get the rain next year your bermuda will like a light disking, especially with a little fert in the spring.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

I played around with an oats/ rye grass mix this year. I had disked that pasture last winter and it was so dry it never filled back in real thick. Two weeks ago my son ran a disk real lightly and I got to play with our new toy. I was dragging it and it started drizzling on me. It was up in a week. Going to try to get some fert on it before next week with the rain predictions.

Not sure what the best options are in your area. Hopefully some one more local can help.

IF you get the rain next year your bermuda will like a light disking, especially with a little fert in the spring.

View attachment 36135

View attachment 36136

How wide of swath does your seeder throw with that mix?

 

[Brute 23]

How wide of swath does your seeder throw with that mix?

30ish ft, oats flew a little better than rye

It's pretty crude but overall I was happy. Drills have just got outrageously expensive. It's #850 capacity so you can cover pretty good ground. It is what it is for $900.

 

[greybeard]

I can't speak for Brute, but the 10 bushel cone spreader I had would realistically (evenly) throw ryegrass about 4' on each side. It does depend on PTO rpm and how you adjust the vanes on the rotating disc tho. Some settings, would sling farther, as much as 12-15' each side but it wouldn't be an even coverage that far out.

Now commercial fert? It would really get out there a ways.

 

[Brute 23]

I can't speak for Brute, but the 10 bushel cone spreader I had would realistically (evenly) throw ryegrass about 4' on each side. It does depend on PTO rpm and how you adjust the vanes on the rotating disc tho. Some settings, would sling farther, as much as 12-15' each side but it wouldn't be an even coverage that far out.

Now commercial fert? It would really get out there a ways.

What I planted is not fully up so you may be absolutely right about the coverage when it's all said and done.

The field may be striped with rye grass every 5' or so.

 

[greybeard]

I was often very prone to forgetting to move over enough each swath and usually double covered a lot of it.......

 

[Brute 23]

I was often very prone to forgetting to move over enough each swath and usually double covered a lot of it.......

Ya I just put dry fert out this evening. Glad I got some extra. I ran out rights as I finished. I forget how far those buggies can throw fert. I definitely got some overlap.

 

[BFE]

Cereal rye is the most winter hardy, though I doubt that's a concern in your part of the world. If you plant a spring oat it will double down trying to grow when you get a frost since it won't go dormant like winter oats, so you will get potentially more grazing sooner than the rye which will go into shutdown mode.