Land clearing in KY

[bigbluegrass]

It sure has been rainy since I pushed these trees over. The ground is about saturated on that hills side. Rain is in the forecast every for the next 10 days. I am starting to wonder if pushing those trees over last month was such a good idea. Oh well, too late to change that now. What do I plant in the spring to get a quick handle on erosion? I was thinking maybe oats and sweet clover in March. Or do I just let it go and clean it up when things dry up? Thoughts?

You cannot work it wet. In the future, plan your clearing as a summer activity. Leave it rough and throw up some berms perpendicular to the slope. Then grade it and seed it between the 15th of August and the 15th of September. That will give you the least exposure to erosion. Problem I had with spring seeding was that the ground was too muddy to get equipment on.

The main land clearing will take place over this summer - however, we do get some large rains over the summer sometimes. Those are the gully washers, which I really am dreading. I'll probably try to seed that as I go as much as possible. I don't like bare ground and neither does nature.

I can seed it now. I will just do it with an over-shoulder broadcast seeder, which is what I use anyway. It holds around 20 lbs of seed (depending on what kind of seed it is). All I need to do is walk on it. I won't be seeding with a tractor mounted seeder - because I am not driving on that slope AND I do not own a seeder like that. I just don't know what to seed. Oats - won't start growing until April I imagine. Clover - might get some sprouts in March, but won't really take off until April. Both of those will kill in a hard frost. I was thinking about turnips or radishes - those might handle a frost and keep going. I haven't played with them much.

 

[bigbluegrass]

I'm in Ky, but the lay of my land is nothing comparable to that. I bet a dry spell, is just devastating on those slopes.

I don't think the dry times are as bad as the wet for the hillside - IMO. At least they don't concern me too much, since what can you do in a drought? It is what it is. Dry is dry - little to nothing grows. However in really wet weather, it'll wash and once it gets a gully started it is hard to get back without tearing ground up and reseeding. We lose a lot of nutrients in wet times. All the water soluble soil fertility washes down the creek if you don't have a plant or root to hold it in place. If you don't keep something growing or at least roots in the ground, you are gambling IMO. I knew it was risky opening it up this late in the year, but I have been so busy at work the past 6-12 months that I just didn't have time. When I did get time around Christmas, I wanted to play with the equipment just to see what it would do. I got some cleared, learned a lot and had fun. Now I am worried! I have saturated bare ground out there and more rain on the way. I don't think the dirt can go far, since I did push up a berm where I stopped pushing trees down. But I am still transferring fertility from the top of the hill to the bottom - pretty fast if the rain keeps coming.

Any ideas on a quick growing, early spring plant? Annual Ryegrass? That stuff grows fast and seems to stay green all winter.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm in Ky, but the lay of my land is nothing comparable to that. I bet a dry spell, is just devastating on those slopes.

I don't think the dry times are as bad as the wet for the hillside - IMO. At least they don't concern me too much, since what can you do in a drought? It is what it is. Dry is dry - little to nothing grows. However in really wet weather, it'll wash and once it gets a gully started it is hard to get back without tearing ground up and reseeding. We lose a lot of nutrients in wet times. All the water soluble soil fertility washes down the creek if you don't have a plant or root to hold it in place. If you don't keep something growing or at least roots in the ground, you are gambling IMO. I knew it was risky opening it up this late in the year, but I have been so busy at work the past 6-12 months that I just didn't have time. When I did get time around Christmas, I wanted to play with the equipment just to see what it would do. I got some cleared, learned a lot and had fun. Now I am worried! I have saturated bare ground out there and more rain on the way. I don't think the dirt can go far, since I did push up a berm where I stopped pushing trees down. But I am still transferring fertility from the top of the hill to the bottom - pretty fast if the rain keeps coming.

Any ideas on a quick growing, early spring plant? Annual Ryegrass? That stuff grows fast and seems to stay green all winter.

Any dozing I have done is in August. I usually just try to have fescue planted by Sep 15th. Never dealt with a hill side like that.

 

[bigbluegrass]

I'm in Ky, but the lay of my land is nothing comparable to that. I bet a dry spell, is just devastating on those slopes.

I don't think the dry times are as bad as the wet for the hillside - IMO. At least they don't concern me too much, since what can you do in a drought? It is what it is. Dry is dry - little to nothing grows. However in really wet weather, it'll wash and once it gets a gully started it is hard to get back without tearing ground up and reseeding. We lose a lot of nutrients in wet times. All the water soluble soil fertility washes down the creek if you don't have a plant or root to hold it in place. If you don't keep something growing or at least roots in the ground, you are gambling IMO. I knew it was risky opening it up this late in the year, but I have been so busy at work the past 6-12 months that I just didn't have time. When I did get time around Christmas, I wanted to play with the equipment just to see what it would do. I got some cleared, learned a lot and had fun. Now I am worried! I have saturated bare ground out there and more rain on the way. I don't think the dirt can go far, since I did push up a berm where I stopped pushing trees down. But I am still transferring fertility from the top of the hill to the bottom - pretty fast if the rain keeps coming.

Any ideas on a quick growing, early spring plant? Annual Ryegrass? That stuff grows fast and seems to stay green all winter.

Any dozing I have done is in August. I usually just try to have fescue planted by Sep 15th. Never dealt with a hill side like that.

I agree push trees down in August and plant grass by Sept 15th! That would be the ideal timing. Since I am doing it myself in my spare time, I need to improvise some Having said that, I might just take a two week vacation in August and make it happen :banana:

 

[bigbluegrass]

I thought I should update this with pictures from last year. This is a picture of what it looked like when I got done feeding hay. I intentionally "wasted" hay. I really don't see it as a waste, since it helped hold the top soil in place over the winter. I had very little run off. This picture is from March 2017

 

[bigbluegrass]

I planted a mix of legumes, oats and grass. I didn't put much grass in, figuring there was some seed in the bales. Here is a after the bale graze in April 2017.


Same area in June 2017.



That area is on its way to making a decent pasture. While it is not cleaned up as well as I would like, the cows don't seem to mind grazing around the few sticks that are left.

While clearing in the late fall and winter is not ideal, it worked for me. That is the easiest time for me to take off from a paying job and do things around the farm. I extended the cleared area this past year. The cows are out there again, pushing hay into the ground.

 

[ddd75]

Looking good!

 

[bball]

I planted a mix of legumes, oats and grass. I didn't put much grass in, figuring there was some seed in the bales. Here is a after the bale graze in April 2017.


Same area in June 2017.



That area is on its way to making a decent pasture. While it is not cleaned up as well as I would like, the cows don't seem to mind grazing around the few sticks that are left.

While clearing in the late fall and winter is not ideal, it worked for me. That is the easiest time for me to take off from a paying job and do things around the farm. I extended the cleared area this past year. The cows are out there again, pushing hay into the ground.

Planted how? Hand broadcast spreader, drilled, or another way? Looks good.

 

[bigbluegrass]

broadcast

 

[Bright Raven]

broadcast

I thought you wanted some dozer help?

Did you lease a dozer? Looks good. As you know, I went through that same process. I hope all is well up there in my home county. My brother retired so he is not in a position to do any more damage. Lol

 

[bigbluegrass]

I bought a track loader / crawler tractor last year. Case 1155E. I couldn't find a place that would lease one to me without some high dollar insurance. The lease rate is also pretty steep. I couldn't cost justify the lease. This way I can do a little each year and work in a few other projects I need the loader for. I had to do some repairs on it last year, but it is getting it done. The plan is to sell the loader in a few year, after I am finished.

 

[Bright Raven]

I bought a track loader / crawler tractor last year. Case 1155E. I couldn't find a place that would lease one to me without some high dollar insurance. The lease rate is also pretty steep. I couldn't cost justify the lease. This way I can do a little each year and work in a few other projects I need the loader for. I had to do some repairs on it last year, but it is getting it done. The plan is to sell the loader in a few year, after I am finished.

I think I told you I bought my dozer, cleared my land and sold it for $500 less than I paid for it. Was the best investment I have made on the farm.