Rough hay field

[hwillso]

I have a piece of new ground that has established itself in Pensacola Bahia . The ground is very rough and needs plowing to smooth out so that I can start baling. What would be the best time of year to plow and harrow in order to minimize bahia stand loss?

 

[branguscowgirl]

I can't answer your question, but I am sure someone that can will come along soon.
I just wanted to :welcome: you to the forum!

 

[Jogeephus]

To get it smooth for haying, I would spray it now with Roundup and let the roots begin to rot then I would harrow. This spring I'd drill millet on it and graze it or cut for hay. The following year you should have a smooth field with plenty of bahia. Failing to kill the bahia will make it awfully hard to harrow smooth because of the clumping unless you make multiple passes with the harrow.

 

[ga.prime]

I agree with killing the bahia and starting over but I'd use Escort or some other herbicide containing metsulfuron. I never had much luck killing bahia with roundup. Roundup is especially ineffective on bahia in the summer after it has seeded out.

 

[hwillso]

I can't answer your question, but I am sure someone that can will come along soon.
I just wanted to :welcome: you to the forum!

Thank you

 

[hwillso]

Never thought about spraying first. I have had the issue of clumping in the past when trying to plow Bahia. I assume my stand will reestablish from the seeds that exist now or would I need to add some seed later. I tried to establish a field in argentina Bahia a couple of years ago by putting seed in with winter ryegrass, that hasn't been too successful. Thanks for info.

 

[cowgirl8]

Unless its some sort of frufru grass, i dont believe there is anything you can do to kill bahia other than spray it. If it were mine, i'd plow it late in the winter. I wouldnt spray anything. Bahia is like bermuda, it you cut up all its stolons and rhizomes plowing it comes back thicker.

 

[M-5]

To get it smooth for haying, I would spray it now with Roundup and let the roots begin to rot then I would harrow. This spring I'd drill millet on it and graze it or cut for hay. The following year you should have a smooth field with plenty of bahia. Failing to kill the bahia will make it awfully hard to harrow smooth because of the clumping unless you make multiple passes with the harrow.

Joe nailed it

 

[ga.prime]

Unless its some sort of frufru grass, i dont believe there is anything you can do to kill bahia other than spray it. If it were mine, i'd plow it late in the winter. I wouldnt spray anything. Bahia is like bermuda, it you cut up all its stolons and rhizomes plowing it comes back thicker.

You can turn bahia upside down with a turning plow and kill 99% of it. The same treatment for bermuda results in no harm to the bermuda stand. The use of a turning plow is one way that is used in ridding bermuda fields of bahia and alleviating soil compaction at the same time.

 

[cowgirl8]

Unless its some sort of frufru grass, i dont believe there is anything you can do to kill bahia other than spray it. If it were mine, i'd plow it late in the winter. I wouldnt spray anything. Bahia is like bermuda, it you cut up all its stolons and rhizomes plowing it comes back thicker.

You can turn bahia upside down with a turning plow and kill 99% of it. The same treatment for bermuda results in no harm to the bermuda stand. The use of a turning plow is one way that is used in ridding bermuda fields of bahia and alleviating soil compaction at the same time.

Then there would be no reason to spray it?.....

 

[ga.prime]

Unless its some sort of frufru grass, i dont believe there is anything you can do to kill bahia other than spray it. If it were mine, i'd plow it late in the winter. I wouldnt spray anything. Bahia is like bermuda, it you cut up all its stolons and rhizomes plowing it comes back thicker.

You can turn bahia upside down with a turning plow and kill 99% of it. The same treatment for bermuda results in no harm to the bermuda stand. The use of a turning plow is one way that is used in ridding bermuda fields of bahia and alleviating soil compaction at the same time.

Then there would be no reason to spray it?.....

The spray method would take much less horsepower.

 

[M-5]

Unless its some sort of frufru grass, i dont believe there is anything you can do to kill bahia other than spray it. If it were mine, i'd plow it late in the winter. I wouldnt spray anything. Bahia is like bermuda, it you cut up all its stolons and rhizomes plowing it comes back thicker.

You can turn bahia upside down with a turning plow and kill 99% of it. The same treatment for bermuda results in no harm to the bermuda stand. The use of a turning plow is one way that is used in ridding bermuda fields of bahia and alleviating soil compaction at the same time.

GP, turning it works but then you have to culti pack it after you seed it again.

killing it keeps from having to disk it multiple time because of the clods. I much prefer breaking it but it does require more intense labor to get it smooth and level IMO

 

[cowgirl8]

Just how bumpy is it? All our hay fields are rough..Just about every custom place is rough...Here is one i cut last year, got out of cutting it this year..yay..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYKNyCQEb0w

 

[Rajela]

If your running cattle on the meadows after they are cut then you will never get them smooth. If you want smooth meadows keep the livestock out of them.

 

[Balin' Wire]

I can only tell you what worked for me last year: Shred it down to very short and disc it to as deep as you can pull an off-set in the hottest part of the year (that would be right now). Make sure you can see the roots. Let it set for two weeks and disc the crud out of it again to kill whats left of the root systems. Sit for two more weeks and pull a chain harrow over it to smooth. Plant what you want and pray for rain. I had a neighbor broadcast t-85 tops and rolled it the same day. It took three days of spreading. Wait 'till strong growth and apply 2-4D Amine to kill the broad leaf. It made 3-1/2, 5x6 bales / acre this summer. PS: It took all 95 horses of the Kubota 9540 in 4-wheel drive and weight in the bucket to pull that 9' off-set. My opinion is that you can't get a decent kill on Bahai unless you catch it tender and 2" tall. Round Up or Cimneron(sp) did not touch it when it was 4+ inches tall.
Chet

 

[ga.prime]

Balin' Wire, Cimarron, Escort, Metcel, or any other herbicide containing a like amount of metsulfuron will kill Pensacola Bahia grass deader than crap. I don't know if it will kill Tift 9, Argentine, or any other variety but it doesn't take but a little bit to kill Pensacola.

 

[highgrit]

I have a piece of new ground that has established itself in Pensacola Bahia . The ground is very rough and needs plowing to smooth out so that I can start baling. What would be the best time of year to plow and harrow in order to minimize bahia stand loss?

I can't see where the poster is wanting to kill the Bahia grass. He's trying to smooth the field for baling hay. I've been running a pasture renavator with a chain drag behind it. I think it's getting smoother.

 

[hwillso]

Just how bumpy is it? All our hay fields are rough..Just about every custom place is rough...Here is one i cut last year, got out of cutting it this year..yay..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYKNyCQEb0w

The ground is a piece of new ground where the stumps have rotted out and I have big holes. If you hit one and aren't ready for it you will almost lose your seat. I don't want to lose the Bahia stand though so I was wondering how to alleviate stump holes with as little as possible Bahia loss. I have filled in a few with tractor and bucket but too many to do all this way. I appreciate everyone's input and I believe I will try the disc and harrowing in late winter.

 

[hwillso]

I have a piece of new ground that has established itself in Pensacola Bahia . The ground is very rough and needs plowing to smooth out so that I can start baling. What would be the best time of year to plow and harrow in order to minimize bahia stand loss?

I can't see where the poster is wanting to kill the Bahia grass. He's trying to smooth the field for baling hay. I've been running a pasture renavator with a chain drag behind it. I think it's getting smoother.

Thanks high grit you are correct.
The ground is a piece of new ground where the stumps have rotted out and I have big holes. If you hit one and aren't ready for it you will almost lose your seat. I don't want to lose the Bahia stand though so I was wondering how to alleviate stump holes with as little as possible Bahia loss. I have filled in a few with tractor and bucket but too many to do all this way. I appreciate everyone's input and I believe I will try the disc and harrowing in late winter.

 

[TexasBred]

Just how bumpy is it? All our hay fields are rough..Just about every custom place is rough...Here is one i cut last year, got out of cutting it this year..yay..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYKNyCQEb0w

The ground is a piece of new ground where the stumps have rotted out and I have big holes. If you hit one and aren't ready for it you will almost lose your seat. I don't want to lose the Bahia stand though so I was wondering how to alleviate stump holes with as little as possible Bahia loss. I have filled in a few with tractor and bucket but too many to do all this way. I appreciate everyone's input and I believe I will try the disc and harrowing in late winter.

My experience with Bahia is the harder you try to kill it the thicker it gets. I think it will grow on concrete.