Neglected Pasture

[Z&J Cattle]

I am in the process of buying 70 acres. The place has not had a cow on it in two years and doesn't look like it has been bush-hogged this year at all. It has a good stand of bermuda in some areas, fescue in others, and some areas are a little weak with grass(mainly because the weeds are taking over). There is a TON of sage grass and a lot of small thorn bushes/trees and other types of weeds as well. I am not very good at identifying weeds yet. Also, there are a few briar thickets that need to be done away with. I live in Norhteast Arkansas and we have had a couple of pretty decent frosts this week. Could someone give me some ideas on what to do and when to do it as far as getting the pasture and grass back into shape and getting rid of the unwanted stuff? Should I just go ahead and bush-hog everything right now and then spray next spring or what? Thanks,

Zach

 

[dun]

Don;t brush hog the "thorn trees". If they are locust trees all that will do is cause them to spread from the roots. I don;t know if basal spray will work on them while they're dormant or not. It's claimed that to get the briars effectively they have to be in bloom. Seems if you spray them when they aren;t, they'll die from the top and next year the roots are healthier then ever, but hoggin them doesn;t seem to hurt. I would graze the pasture real heavy now and take a soil sample, actaully severl samples. Afterthe pasture is eaten down, hog it but avoid the locusts. In the spring basal spray the locusts, apply lime and fertilizer, graze it once, spray with 2,4-d to get the weeds. When the locusts are good and truly dead, cut them off and burn them away from where the cows will be or you plan on driving. Then just start managing it like any other pasture. Come next winter frost seed in legumes and you should be in decent shape.
Following the most sever part of the drought, other then the locusts we're in pretty much the same boat.

dun

 

[Z&J Cattle]

Thanks for the great advice Dun. Where are you located in MO? What do you mean exactly by Basal spray? Thanks again,

Zach

 

[J. T.]

In March or April, I would fertilize the fescue heavily with nitrogen. Nitrogen fertilizer will strengthen the grass and help smother out any weeds that may try to come along as the weather warms up. Without taking a soil sample, I'd put out 60 lbs. of N/ acre.

 

[Scotty]

Basal application on dormant locust trees will kill them. Did for me anyway. Remedy and diesel.


Scotty

 

[dun]

Basal spray is spraying the trunk of the tree rather then spraying the foliage. A band 6-8 inches high all the way around a tree trunk will get those nasty locusts. We're southeast of Lebanon

dun