We have 50lbs of the Hancock Pasture Mix sitting around. It has the below mix that seem to fit that bill.
- Pensacola Bahia
- Brown Top Millet
- Aeschynomene
- Persian Clover
Grass Seed for Hay Pasture
- Thread starter txdc
- Start date
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Try calling 903-885-4433. They probably can help you and your seed goes a lot farther when you use this. It stamps it in the ground at the perfect depth. It was very satisfying watching the grass come up.
greybeard
Well-known member
Bermuda is pretty hard to get established, especially in July, in Texas. Even IF you get enough moisture, I've seen it come up ok, then the tender shoots succumb to the heat, brown off and die from being baked.
Your new mix with the Bahia is pretty good and bahia is more tolerant and hardy anyway.
Your new mix with the Bahia is pretty good and bahia is more tolerant and hardy anyway.
We planted ours in April. With the heat we are having now, I would not try it. But you could get set up for when the next time to plant comes around.
simme
Old Dumb Guy
My thoughts based on my area. Might not work for everyone.
Common bermuda is not the best choice for a hayfield or pasture. Slow to spread and low productivity. There are seeded varieties like Cheyenne 2 that will out perform common. But those seeded varieties will not perform to the level of most of the hybrid sprigged varieties. I would be concerned with getting the seeds too deep with a drill. What I have seen here for a small acreage - Well prepared seedbed. Mix seed with sand. Broadcast seed/sand with an electric driven broadcaster or one of the old hand crank broadcasters. Can be done from the back of a truck or utility vehicle in low speed. Then run a cultipacker or roller over the soil to firm the soil for good contact between soil and seed. TRY to time it with rain and right time of year. Competition from weeds and crabgrass will be an issue. Unhulled seed can be broadcast very early and some will sprout later based on temperature and moisture. I think it is way too late this year for seed.
What I would do a small area like your 4 acres - find a friend or neighbor with a hayfield or pasture with a hybrid sprigged variety suited for the area. Just before or during a rain, hand pull long runners from the edge of the field or under the fence (where they have not been cut or grazed). Longer and coarser the better. Load them in a wheelbarrow and get a shovel. Push the shovel in the ground about 6 inches. Break off about 1 foot of sprig or several of them and push them in the hole behind the shovel, put your foot on the sprigs and pull the shovel out. Stomp the dirt down, move about 10 feet and repeat. The long runners are pretty tough with stored energy and moisture in the mature runners, will establish several roots in that 6 inches and will spread quickly. Next rain, repeat in another area of the 4 acres. In a few weeks, you will have a hybrid bermuda nursery to get more runners from. Russell is a variety here that yields well and spreads very quickly.
Yeah, dirty hard work. Sometimes that is required for best results. Too much work to place them every 10 feet? Then go 20 feet or 25. Will just take more time to establish. The hybrid bermuda's like Russell grow almost as fast as kudzu, putting down roots and branching every few inches. Best thing is no tillage required and no erosion. Even if the land is rough, you can wait until the bermuda has spread, then disk it up in the spring to smooth it out and distribute the bermuda. It won't die with one disking and will come back quickly.
The hard dirty work will soon be forgotten when you have a field of productive hybrid bermuda. Its only four acres.
Forget that subsoiler. Subsoiler, bermuda seed and erosion are not compatible. Those little seed require a firm seedbed. Firm seedbed will be susceptible to erosion. Subsoiling across the erosion won't give a firm seedbed needed for germination.
Common bermuda is not the best choice for a hayfield or pasture. Slow to spread and low productivity. There are seeded varieties like Cheyenne 2 that will out perform common. But those seeded varieties will not perform to the level of most of the hybrid sprigged varieties. I would be concerned with getting the seeds too deep with a drill. What I have seen here for a small acreage - Well prepared seedbed. Mix seed with sand. Broadcast seed/sand with an electric driven broadcaster or one of the old hand crank broadcasters. Can be done from the back of a truck or utility vehicle in low speed. Then run a cultipacker or roller over the soil to firm the soil for good contact between soil and seed. TRY to time it with rain and right time of year. Competition from weeds and crabgrass will be an issue. Unhulled seed can be broadcast very early and some will sprout later based on temperature and moisture. I think it is way too late this year for seed.
What I would do a small area like your 4 acres - find a friend or neighbor with a hayfield or pasture with a hybrid sprigged variety suited for the area. Just before or during a rain, hand pull long runners from the edge of the field or under the fence (where they have not been cut or grazed). Longer and coarser the better. Load them in a wheelbarrow and get a shovel. Push the shovel in the ground about 6 inches. Break off about 1 foot of sprig or several of them and push them in the hole behind the shovel, put your foot on the sprigs and pull the shovel out. Stomp the dirt down, move about 10 feet and repeat. The long runners are pretty tough with stored energy and moisture in the mature runners, will establish several roots in that 6 inches and will spread quickly. Next rain, repeat in another area of the 4 acres. In a few weeks, you will have a hybrid bermuda nursery to get more runners from. Russell is a variety here that yields well and spreads very quickly.
Yeah, dirty hard work. Sometimes that is required for best results. Too much work to place them every 10 feet? Then go 20 feet or 25. Will just take more time to establish. The hybrid bermuda's like Russell grow almost as fast as kudzu, putting down roots and branching every few inches. Best thing is no tillage required and no erosion. Even if the land is rough, you can wait until the bermuda has spread, then disk it up in the spring to smooth it out and distribute the bermuda. It won't die with one disking and will come back quickly.
The hard dirty work will soon be forgotten when you have a field of productive hybrid bermuda. Its only four acres.
Forget that subsoiler. Subsoiler, bermuda seed and erosion are not compatible. Those little seed require a firm seedbed. Firm seedbed will be susceptible to erosion. Subsoiling across the erosion won't give a firm seedbed needed for germination.
Hpacres440p
Well-known member
From many years ago experience with Texas Tough, a) it did not establish well during the drought (not much does, I know, but it did not hold up with a seed bank of non-germinated seed) and b) it will eventually select back to the common Bermuda part of the mix, per reports. Great idea, execution not so spectacular in our experience for the seed cost.
makes sense on the subsoiler explanation. would ripping/subsoiling against the erosion path makes sense using brown millet? Also, what are your thoughts on rye/clover to get the ground covered in the winter season? The rye wouldn't come back but maybe less erosion going into the next season. I had the pastured leveled pretty good but the hard rains fouled that up. I'd re-level it all out but need the weeds to hold some of the dirt down
I like the idea of finding a seed mixture compatible with a drill so I dont lose the ground cover (if that is the right terminology)We have been seeing posts like this a lot about texas tough. Some sites say it is great but a lot of post that say otherwise.
Ebenezer
Well-known member
The benefit of a cover crop like browntop millet prior to seeding is the shading and the dew that helps once the bermudagrass is planted. Annual ryegrass in the cool season is the death of cool season planting as the roots are excessively successful in sucking all of the water out of the ground. But the bt millet was always a help on 100's of planting of grass waterways and critical areas. But like Simme said, broadcast and roll with a cultipacker or some pressure. The funniest thing I ever saw was a lady who planted it and refused the pack it. The only places that sprouted for at least a month were the tractor tracks coming out of the field or crossing seeded areas.
thanks for making that easy to understand - I dont have a cultipacker on hand but can use a waterfilled lawn leveler behind the zeroturn. had no idea about the ryegrass
That's why I don't plant any thing but common. I havent heard any thing positive on the "better" seeds don't work out. We get some common come up here and there naturally. Its tough stuff. It may disappear but it will be back with a little rain.
bird dog
Well-known member
As small as your area is, why not use some erosion mats like they use on constructions sites? Some come with seed included in the mat but it might be best just to scatter the seed you want with a hand seeder and roll the blanket over it? This is just a idea and I have no experience so feel free to call me a dumb a$$.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
First thing that place needed is 2-4D and a soil sample .
If the ph isn't right your spinning your wheels throwing money away.
Lime and a disc are your cheapest tools to pasture in
East Texas!
Secondly disc the ground good and just broadcast the common bermuda next spring forget all that covering crap.
If the ph isn't right your spinning your wheels throwing money away.
Lime and a disc are your cheapest tools to pasture in
East Texas!
Secondly disc the ground good and just broadcast the common bermuda next spring forget all that covering crap.
haha - in some areas the mats would be useful for sure
We did get a soil sample, nothing showed out of range but I think magnesium. I believe the Ph was 7.0
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
You must have hit the lottery then as east Texas soils are acidic promoting weed growth retarding improved pastures.
bird dog
Well-known member
She's in the black land CB. #39 on your map. Not east Texas. If its not old cotton land, the soil can be very rich.
I started three years ago to establish 2 Bermuda fields. Broadcast 2 springs with some success, but not happy for the cost of seeds. Last year drought prevented any planting. This year started with good rain and by April I was amazed at the Bermuda that I had. This year I was just going to spot broadcast but the weather did not cooperate with my plans. Still, I am pleased with the progress I have made. In February I was planning almost to start over with broadcasting the whole area.
We had one test - probably should get another soon - maybe from two different testing labs.
its definetly black dirt - 39 looks right. When it rains it sheets up and when it dries it opens up big time. craziest dirt I have ever seen.
