Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Very well explained. Even "I" could understand. Thanks.
Stand Life and Pasture Renovation?
- Thread starter Stocker Steve
- Start date
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Stocker Steve
Well-known member
My meadows test 7 to 10% organic matter and low 7s for ph. I dug a couple frog & duck ponds in the swales during a dry year, and now this water is flush to a couple feet below the surface. Sounds like I am perched up after it rained 29 of the 31 days in May.
I went into the NRCS office and asked to sign up for the ditching program. They were not sure what to say :shock: so I bought a big 1 bottom breaking plow at an estate auction. Any tips on using this approach?
I went into the NRCS office and asked to sign up for the ditching program. They were not sure what to say :shock: so I bought a big 1 bottom breaking plow at an estate auction. Any tips on using this approach?
novatech
Well-known member
The plow is good to take water from place to place as long as we are talking shallow. Just have to make sure where you are taking the water is down hill from the source. If you do not have a level borrow or rent one. (Laser preferably.) Try to locate the path of least resistance. With a plow going through a 1 foot rise can be a lot of additional work. You can set some grade stakes up in order to get close to the elevation needed. Write on each stake what the elevation of the bottom of the ditch should be. Or pull a string wit a give measurement above the bottom of thew ditch. Say 3 feet. Then you can go along with a ruler and measure down at any point. The water is going to tell you where your highs and lows are but the level may save you a lot of time or needles work.Stocker Steve":21iakl2l said:
Also you may want to go back to the NRCS office and ask them for a topographical map of your property. You may even be able to get it off the NRCS web site yourself.
If used for general drainage there is a berm on each side that will stop the water from entering. I have used a moldboard and taken off all but 1 plow. This puts all the dirt on one side. I guess you could take a torch to yours and adapt it. I have used the moldboard to put drainage ditches along fence lines.
agmantoo
Well-known member
Stocker Steve
Your statement
"I think another way to ask the question is how do you reach the high OM, fertility, and drainage levels needed to reduce the need for renovation." identifies me.
I have the rolling and in some places steep hills. Some hills to where it is actually unsafe to ride a tractor. I have one tractor that has a low center of gravity and the axle widths stay extended to add stability when pulling a small rotary cutter or spreading lime on these hills. Lime trucks cannot be used on these hills due to the rollover danger. If you take the tranny out of gear a two wheel tractor with the brakes locked it will slide to the bottom of the hill. The frost depth here is 6 inches so soil compaction will not be addressed with freezing. Compaction is held low by keeping all motorize vehicles and heavy loads off the land when the ground is wet. Rotating the herd also limits the amount of compaction they generate at certain areas. When establishing grass on these hills I start working at the tops of the hills and establish sod and work my way down the hillside as I get control of the water thus restricting runoff. In normal years we get a fair amount of rain usually in the high 30 inch range. Fescue grown under ideal conditions will root very deep. Land that is converted from fescue to corn does great here for the first few years then starts compacting and failing as the clay beneath hardens. Dung beetles and deep rooting forages on pastures also conserves moisture reserves. Not harvesting and removing hay along with the robust growing of the forages continually adds organic matter to the soil and it get better each year. If available, chicken litter is great for adding organic material and nutrients. I do not know much about microbes but I also see a major increase in earth worms as the soil builds letting moisture enter into the soil. Weeds are not much of a problem once things "get right" either. Heavy forage growth suppresses the weeds and rotary cutting of the fescue seed heads also removes the seed producing from the taller weeds. I do not apply herbicides to the pastures as I think they stress even the plants that do tolerate the chemicals. For me , it takes not less than 3 years to build a decent pasture. I have some stands that have required almost no renovation for as long as 15 years
Your statement
"I think another way to ask the question is how do you reach the high OM, fertility, and drainage levels needed to reduce the need for renovation." identifies me.
I have the rolling and in some places steep hills. Some hills to where it is actually unsafe to ride a tractor. I have one tractor that has a low center of gravity and the axle widths stay extended to add stability when pulling a small rotary cutter or spreading lime on these hills. Lime trucks cannot be used on these hills due to the rollover danger. If you take the tranny out of gear a two wheel tractor with the brakes locked it will slide to the bottom of the hill. The frost depth here is 6 inches so soil compaction will not be addressed with freezing. Compaction is held low by keeping all motorize vehicles and heavy loads off the land when the ground is wet. Rotating the herd also limits the amount of compaction they generate at certain areas. When establishing grass on these hills I start working at the tops of the hills and establish sod and work my way down the hillside as I get control of the water thus restricting runoff. In normal years we get a fair amount of rain usually in the high 30 inch range. Fescue grown under ideal conditions will root very deep. Land that is converted from fescue to corn does great here for the first few years then starts compacting and failing as the clay beneath hardens. Dung beetles and deep rooting forages on pastures also conserves moisture reserves. Not harvesting and removing hay along with the robust growing of the forages continually adds organic matter to the soil and it get better each year. If available, chicken litter is great for adding organic material and nutrients. I do not know much about microbes but I also see a major increase in earth worms as the soil builds letting moisture enter into the soil. Weeds are not much of a problem once things "get right" either. Heavy forage growth suppresses the weeds and rotary cutting of the fescue seed heads also removes the seed producing from the taller weeds. I do not apply herbicides to the pastures as I think they stress even the plants that do tolerate the chemicals. For me , it takes not less than 3 years to build a decent pasture. I have some stands that have required almost no renovation for as long as 15 years
