The land is in Reno County Kansas north of Hutchinson. It has loam fine sandy-silt loam soil. It was in crp for 10 yrs and been cut for hay the last 3yrs. Its pretty rough and was looking for different options on smoothing and reseeding. Wanting to run a cattle on it and maybe bale some hay. Iam not in any hurry have plenty of time to get any type of grass established. Any ideas thanks for any opions.
replanting ideas
- Thread starter arkie 74
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bigbull338
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with it being rough an in CRP.youll want to disk it up an level it.an replant it in the grass that grows best in your area.how meny acs is that place.
BB its about 100 acres.
I grew up on a farm in AR and we had bermuda and dallisgrass and some crabgrass. I will be moving to the Hutchinson area in the near future. I spoke with the County Exension in that area and he said that he didn't know much about native grasses or hybrid grasses. He said row cropping was his expertise. Would appreciate any in put on different options.
I grew up on a farm in AR and we had bermuda and dallisgrass and some crabgrass. I will be moving to the Hutchinson area in the near future. I spoke with the County Exension in that area and he said that he didn't know much about native grasses or hybrid grasses. He said row cropping was his expertise. Would appreciate any in put on different options.
arkie 74":31ei365o said:
Sounds to me the County Extension agent isn't doing his job. Specialty or not, he should look for the answers from his resources, and he has many of them. I don't know that I would do too much to the acreage. Unless it is horribly rough and not a good stand of grass. In that area, I would guess warm season grasses are the way to go, or a combination of cool season grasses and warm season grasses. Most warm season grasses are difficult to establish at best, and are very expensive.
What kind of grass is there? Is it a combination of big blue, little blue, maybe some switchgrass?
Bandit
Its got little blue, big blue, switch grass, indian grass, and a little brome and orchard grass. Since I haven't been around these types of grasses can you overseed wheat or some type of oats over the wsg's to get more hd/per acre. The county extension agent said about 15 to 20 cow and calf pairs was max. If you were buying hay.
Its got little blue, big blue, switch grass, indian grass, and a little brome and orchard grass. Since I haven't been around these types of grasses can you overseed wheat or some type of oats over the wsg's to get more hd/per acre. The county extension agent said about 15 to 20 cow and calf pairs was max. If you were buying hay.
Angus Cowman
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arkie 74":143yb39p said:
I would leave those grasses, if you could fence some off you might plant wheat in the fall for some winter grazing and then bale it in the spring, but that would depend on the moisture but could help reduce hay cost that is what we did when in the panhandle of Oklahoma
arkie 74":2iido092 said:
I would maybe break up some of the pasture. I don't think you will have real good luck overseeding, you will more than likely have to break the sod and then sow your wheat/oats/etc. I wouldn't seed over the whole pasture at all. You have a good opportunity to have a mix of grasses and paddocks, as long as water can be supplied to each area. You could break up a portion of the grass, and plant wheat/rye/ or some other type of fall and early spring grazing. You might also want to establish a portion of cool season grasses such as brome, orchardgrass, fescue, etc. You could have the optimal grasses to graze a large portion of the year. Hit the wheat in the fall, and again in the early spring, move the cattle to the cool season grasses in later spring, and then on to the warm season grasses in the summer months. I think you have a great base with the warm season grasses, and could really have a good cattle farm, provided you have the money and ability to establish some of the other grasses.
arkie 74":p1w2e0ci said:
Unless the stand of WSG is really thin and spotty, just graze it as it is. WSG takes otally different managment then brome, OG and the other CSG. The WSGs are bunch grasses and do best with open bare grund mixed with the grass plants. Try burning it in the spring, you may be amazed a how well it will respond.
Sorry for not replying back. I've been out of town the last couple of weeks. I've thought about burning it this early spring about March, but I don't have any experience doing that. I talked to the guy who baled the hay off of it the other day, and he said hiring the burning is expensive. He also said it is really rough has alot of ruts in it. Thats was what I was wondering what would be the best thing to do were the ruts are.
novatech
Well-known member
I think you are pretty well in line in the order of things. Before putting cattle on it get your grass going first.
Since this property has been farmed and hayed I would suspect the nutrients in the soil may leave a lot to be desired. So I would start with a soil test and get the dirt in order first.
Since this property has been farmed and hayed I would suspect the nutrients in the soil may leave a lot to be desired. So I would start with a soil test and get the dirt in order first.
Bez+
Well-known member
Less money you spend, the better.
Agree with the soil test. Buy your seed and fert from the company that does the test and they might do it for free - they do that in my home town area.
Then, if I was not going to crop the land I might do a little broadcast work - when you buy your seed and fert - most companies will mix it all together - one pass over the field and it is done.
In our area we tend to do this in the fall and let the snow melt push it down in the spring. I got real good results on a pasture that was over 20 years old just before I left to come to the desert.
It worked well for us and might be an option for you.
If you are not interested in over seeding - you can hire a no-till drill and still put it in the ground - once again - one pass only.
If you are only going to use it as pasture, any additional work is an expense. Cows do not care about ruts.
If you are only going to bale some of it - then bale the smooth spots, leave the rutted areas and then turn the cows in.
Not cheap to work up sod and prepare it for new seeding - especially if you want to do it up right - lots of passes over the field - and in fact it takes two years if you want to really do it up right.
Even if it has been burned or hit with chemical - in fact if it was real old ground I would suggest no replanting to grass the first year - instead put it in to oats and bail it all up - feed it out. Then seed it down the following year
But all of this is still an expense And for that matter, return on the investment is slow and low.
Lots of ideas here - all pretty good.
It is your wallet you have to consider - that is almost always the most important factor.
Over to you.
Best regards
Bez+
Agree with the soil test. Buy your seed and fert from the company that does the test and they might do it for free - they do that in my home town area.
Then, if I was not going to crop the land I might do a little broadcast work - when you buy your seed and fert - most companies will mix it all together - one pass over the field and it is done.
In our area we tend to do this in the fall and let the snow melt push it down in the spring. I got real good results on a pasture that was over 20 years old just before I left to come to the desert.
It worked well for us and might be an option for you.
If you are not interested in over seeding - you can hire a no-till drill and still put it in the ground - once again - one pass only.
If you are only going to use it as pasture, any additional work is an expense. Cows do not care about ruts.
If you are only going to bale some of it - then bale the smooth spots, leave the rutted areas and then turn the cows in.
Not cheap to work up sod and prepare it for new seeding - especially if you want to do it up right - lots of passes over the field - and in fact it takes two years if you want to really do it up right.
Even if it has been burned or hit with chemical - in fact if it was real old ground I would suggest no replanting to grass the first year - instead put it in to oats and bail it all up - feed it out. Then seed it down the following year
But all of this is still an expense And for that matter, return on the investment is slow and low.
Lots of ideas here - all pretty good.
It is your wallet you have to consider - that is almost always the most important factor.
Over to you.
Best regards
Bez+
