Growing grass after forestry mower

[uscott]

Hey all I am having about 20 acres cleared with a forestry mower. I want to plant it in rye and clover after. Right now it is thick with young pines and willow. My question is how likely is it that a good stand of rye can grow with the chips and stuff in the soil? also will the soil be too acidic without liming to grow anything well?

 

[jedstivers]

See how the contractors in your area do the right of ways they clear and have to plant.

 

[pdfangus]

can not address the lime issue as I know nothing about your part of the world....

here cleared forest land is not uncommon to run a pH of 4.5 to 5.0 so we normally need a lot of lime.

getting seed to soil contact is the issue that needs to be resolved in getting seed to germinate....

often times these things leave a thick layer of mulch and it is very difficult to get the seed to the soil....

the mulch is great for the soil but you have to get the seed thru it....the mulch will also consume some of the nitrogen in the decomposition process short term....

 

[hillbilly beef man]

It would be hard to do with 20 acres but the TVA clearance crew did about an acre on my place and I fed my hay on it last winter and got a good stand of grass just from that.

 

[skyhightree1]

I can say pdf is pretty spot on for atleast our area and the pines. I have alot of stuff thats been mulched I tried to plant food plot seed where they mulched and one of my treestands was near the area ... I scraped the crap out of it with a blade down to the dirt and put seeds down but they didnt do anything. I tested the soil the next spring it was needing a ton of lime so I scratched that idea too much work.

Edit: I have mulchings from 3-4 years ago still there.

 

[pdfangus]

that would work well....concentrated hoof action and additional organic matter and fertility should make a good seed bed and incorporate it well.....