Pasture Downtime

[AlyssasPride]

I have a few smaller pastures that i will be moving cows off of shortly. I just started using these this year. They will have about 3 weeks to a month until i put some first calf heifers out again. In this amount of time what could i do to help get rid of some broad leaf weeds and tons of buttercups. And also fertilize the good grass maybe even touch up a couple of weeks spots that need seeded. What would you recommend and what steps would you take. I would like to run as little equip. through as possible.

 

[dun]

Unless the soil sample shows real deficiencies I wouldn;t do much right now about the fertiliey. I would wait till fall (Just me ).
Use a sprayer on the whole pasture with 2,4-d, Grazon or some such. Not spot spray, spray the whole thing.

 

[AlyssasPride]

Ive never had to do anything with pastures before so forgive me. But would the 2-4-d leave dead spots where theres more buttercups and broadleafs than good grass.

 

[dun]

Ive never had to do anything with pastures before so forgive me. But would the 2-4-d leave dead spots where theres more buttercups and broadleafs than good grass.

Yes, so would Grazon or any of the other broadleaf herbicides. They are the most selective (don;t kill everything) so your grass will be ok. It will also kill clover, or at least set it back a bit. The thing to remember about trying to restore a pasture is that it didn;t get that way in one year and it can;t be restored in one year. If it was taller weeds you could clip the pature about 6 inches high and get rid of a lot of them, but buttercups being so low growing a herbicide is about all that can do the job.

 

[AlyssasPride]

Now the owner sprayed Crossbow on some of the larger spots of broad leafs a little before i put the cows out. Would anyone recommend re seeding these spots. Or just let them go till cows are off for the year.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Now the owner sprayed Crossbow on some of the larger spots of broad leafs a little before i put the cows out. Would anyone recommend re seeding these spots. Or just let them go till cows are off for the year.

Crossbow is awful expensive to be using for weeds
the reseeding depends on where you are and what kind of seed and the type of moiture
more than likely would be better to seed in the fall or early next spring

 

[dun]

Now the owner sprayed Crossbow on some of the larger spots of broad leafs a little before i put the cows out. Would anyone recommend re seeding these spots. Or just let them go till cows are off for the year.

Crossbow is awful expensive to be using for weeds
the reseeding depends on where you are and what kind of seed and the type of moiture
more than likely would be better to seed in the fall or early next spring

Crossbow doesn;t have a resdiual but says to not reseed for 3 weeks following application