Rolled the dice today ------

[Nowland Farms]

As you have probably noticed from my post we are about 20" below in rainfall for the year here in NE Alabama. In the last 10 days we have received around 2" of rain and pastures are trying to green up. This moring I rolled the dice and will have one of my small costal bermuda mixed grass fields sprayed with liquid nitrogen and grazon.The nitrogen should jump start the grass for a hopeful hay cutting in a month or two. The grazon is to control some small horsenettle and briars that got started when I bought some hay a couple of years ago.

The weather forecast has a good chance of rain each day for the next 5 days.

I am hoping to get another cutting this summmer/fall.

Only the rain will detrmine if my hunch was correct or not....time will tell

 

[jgibson]

We had ours sprayed in May. We did not get rain for three weeks. After we got a couple of inches the pasture has greened up real nice. We are in Marshall county. I think most of north alabama will be getting rain today. They are calling for 70% chance. Just do not know how much we will get. What county are you in?

 

[Nowland Farms]

I am in northern Talladega county very close to the Calhoun County line.

 

[Nowland Farms]

I am in northern Talladega county very close to the Calhoun County line.

 

[MikeC]

Rod, hope you get a cutting before 60 days. Any Bermuda I have ever cut at 60 days old was pretty rank and tough.

Maybe this weather thing has turned around on us.

Good luck.

 

[tryinhard]

We've needed rain all summer here in Ms. also. I didn't know how bad it was in Ala. until the fires in south Ala. then saw {On ther weather channel} some Ala. Ranchers at an auction sellling out because of no rain. Some were older than 60 yrs. of age and had cattle all of thier lives, it looked like they were almost in tears, and probably had been, or since then. I sure hope you all the best of luck. We have just started getting some needed rain also, but we aren't lacking nearly as much as you all are. I thank God for the rain you are getting and hope everything will get much better.

tryinhard

 

[Brandonm2]

We've needed rain all summer here in Ms. also. I didn't know how bad it was in Ala. until the fires in south Ala. then saw {On ther weather channel} some Ala. Ranchers at an auction sellling out because of no rain. Some were older than 60 yrs. of age and had cattle all of thier lives, it looked like they were almost in tears, and probably had been, or since then. I sure hope you all the best of luck. We have just started getting some needed rain also, but we aren't lacking nearly as much as you all are. I thank God for the rain you are getting and hope everything will get much better.

tryinhard

Actually, we got pretty good rain in June and July has been very wet (thus far). The cows in the fields NOW should be ok on browse. I suspect that most of the nonirrigated corn will not make whatever happens from this point on, dittoe with the peanuts and the cotton, though I was looking at ~1200 acres of soybeans near our north line and they look to me like they will still make a decent crop. In North Alabama, we feed mostly fescue hay and the rains came too late for that. With the disastrous first cutting of bahia, bermudagrass, and I doubt anybody planted Sudex (this year)....I expect that the real sell off is going to be in January when nobody has any hay left to sell.

 

[Nowland Farms]

Went to Birmingham yesterday to be with Dad while he was having a pacemaker put in. Yesterday afternoon drove most of the 55 miles back home in the rain thinking this will be good on the pasture to get rain after having the pasture sprayed with liquid nitrogen. Got home and it had hardly rained. Ended up getting about 1/4" of rain while areas less then 1 mile from here got a "flood".

The grass this morning looks burnt a bit which was to be expected. We are expecting some rain this afternoon.



Questions for you regarding pasture and white mushrooms. -

Monday afternoon late, when I left the pasture there were no mushrooms.
Tuesday afternoon late when I checked the cows, the field has "lots" of white mushrooms in it. There are abour 2-3" across and white as snow.

What is causing the mushrooms? I have never noticed them in the field before. Does this have to do with the dry spell, getting a couple of inches of rain in the last week or two and the spraying of the liquid nitrogen?

 

[MikeC]

Those white mushrooms/toadstools will pop up out of nowhere when it gets wet and/or damp and the temps are right.

I have 'em too and there ain't no chance of me having put down any nitrogen. :lol:

 

[Nowland Farms]

Mike,

Thanks for the quick reply. I just amazed me how many mushrooms there were and how fast the grew.

I guess I will knock the mushrooms down with the chain harrow when I drag the field to break up the cow poop. If I cut hay off this field in a month or so I need to drag it so it will be clean.

 

[C HOLLAND]

Maybe this weather thing has turned around on us.

I know it sure has turned for us in my area, we have had over 18 inches in the last 2 weeks. I don't think we have missed a day in 2 weeks.

My pasture is growing faster than the cows can eat it, I am even happy to see the new bahia field is looking good too. I thought the seed was not going to come up at all, after I sprayed with 2-4-D and bush hogged the weeds down the bahia has really grown. The rotational thing is a big help too, especially since there is something for them to rotate too now.

 

[MikeC]

Maybe this weather thing has turned around on us.

I know it sure has turned for us in my area, we have had over 18 inches in the last 2 weeks. I don't think we have missed a day in 2 weeks.

My pasture is growing faster than the cows can eat it, I am even happy to see the new bahia field is looking good too. I thought the seed was not going to come up at all, after I sprayed with 2-4-D and bush hogged the weeds down the bahia has really grown. The rotational thing is a big help too, especially since there is something for them to rotate too now.

We haven't had nearly that much but we have is welcome.

Got some neighbors who put down chicken litter a few weeks back. They are cussing the weeds it brought in! :lol: