pine lot into pasture

[heaflaw]

2 years ago, I cut down a 3 acre strip of 10 to 20 foot tall pines between pasture and woods that was fenced in. I left the trees where they fell and left the stumps about 2 feet high. My idea is to gradually turn it into pasture. The needles and small limbs have fallen off and the trunks are light enough that I can pull most of them out of the way. That will leave me with a decaying mulch over red clay that is open except for the stumps. I'd like to let the stumps either rot away or be pushed over by my cows in the next few years.(I respect topsoil and to me, bulldozing it would have ruined the potential topsoil that has been building up under the pines).
I know it needs lime something terrible.
Am I doing this right?
What seed can I broadcast that the cows will eat and prevent erosion and weeds until the stumps are gone and I can use a seed drill? Ryegrass? Clover?

 

[hillrancher]

you are wasting your time. Take the time you are wasting work at Mc Donald for a few weeks and get a good dozer man. If he know what he is doing there will be no top soil wasted and there will be a good seed bed left for you. You can put on your lime and keep it mowed and the pine will not grow back up.

 

[Jogeephus]

I agree with hill rancher but you might try burning it first. With 2 years of drying time and enough straw on the ground you might be surprised with how clean it will be. 10 foot tall pines were probably about 6-8 years old and will break down quickly.

I cleared some land a while back that had 6 year old planted pines on beds. I ran a brown woods mower over the trees and chopped them up. Burned the site a few weeks later then followed that with a heavy offset harrow. Limed and fertilized then planted rye. When rye browned up, harrowed it again then sprigged grass on it. Its a heck of a hay field now and I didn't spend much money on it at all - but it did take a lot of time.

 

[phillse]

Jogeephus has got it right. We have done what he said


For winter grazing, We plant ryegrass under our pine trees (granted they are nearing mautrity and are not real close together just too close together for summer grasses to grow but the ryegrass does great)

The key is to remove undergrowth via backburning, bushhog and eventually have it to where it can be srayed with 2-4D in summer to kill new saplings.

The added benifit is that by planting and fertilizing the ryegrass the trees have less competition with other shrubs and trees and get a little residual fert. so they grow faster.

There are so interesting results being gotten with "Silvo-Pasture". I would like to convert our entire place to it but have not convinced Dad yet. Plus since I don't live at home anymore, about all I am able to do is take care of the AI work plan the matings, keep up with the paper work for registrations, and help vacinate, deworm etc. Dad does the day to day stuff. I just go down and help out when possible.

Here is a link that might be of use on silvopasture

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FR145