Winter pasture questions

[TexasShooter]

I live in NE Texas…I have never fertilized my pastures - any season. I broadcast rye in Oct. for a winter pasture.

This year I have good neighbor that has broken up my winter pasture for me and it is in good planting condition. He has told me that instead of planting just rye, I could buy my fertilizer from a local company that will loan me a buggy (when buying a ton, etc.). Throw out the fertilizer and then he would fill the buggy back with a vetch, oats, and rye mixture (he buys seed - bulk). Then I could throw the seed and then go over the pasture with a hara. He told me I would get a better stand in my pasture – earlier and would last just as long as just planting rye alone.

My questions are…
1. Has anyone else planted this combination and like the results, etc?
2. When do you plant? He said now. Is that correct? If not, when?
3. He is going to sell me the seed mixture for $8 per 100 lbs. Is that a good price?
4. He said the fertilizer application amounts are 200 lbs/per acre. Seed amounts are 120 lbs/per acre. Does this sound correct?

Thanks for any responses.

 

[TXCOWBOY]

You can mix the seed right in with the fertilizer buggy that you either rent or borrow from the fertilizer supplier and broadcast it. I got a fertilizer guy that lets you use the spreader for free if you buy the fertilizer from him. I lightly disk before broadcasting which sounds like has been done for you. Sometimes getting a perfect, even look is hard to do because getting a consistent mixture of seed and fertilizer that evenly slings is tough. Maybe someone can enlighten me with a solution.

Seed that is mixed variety has my alert going off for a lot of weed seed. I would be cautious of spreading a mixture of unknowns, even though you were "told" it's the answer to your winter prayers.

Plant Oct 15th.

 

[TXCOWBOY]

I reread your orginal post.

Problem with wheel driven buggy spreaders like an Adams or something else is they have a chain conveyor belt to move material through a material lbs setting trap door and drop the material onto spinning spreader disk. The seed is small and light and doesn't get pushed out without a dense material like fertilizer to help it. 3 points spreaders that are gravity fed and no lateral movement like a buggy would work better with just seed alone.

 

[bigbull338]

you can plant till oct.an what you are planting with the oats an rye mix is called pasure mix.$8/100 is a good price.120lbs seeding rate the acre is right.when we planted wheat we would dry it in.an wait for rain even in yrs like this.where its real dry.scott

 

[dun]

My problem with spreading fertilizer and seed, other then clover, is that the fertilizer is thrown further then the seed so you end up with ideal fertilizer spread and uneven seed or even seed and way too much fertilizer.

dun

 

[BC]

I agree with Dun and the others. Put the fertilizer out and then use a cone seeder on back of tractor to put out seed. Harrow in. 120 lbs/acre is about right. Good price. Seed is higher this year.

 

[TexasShooter]

Thanks guys.

I just wanted a second opinion before spending a lot of $$ and nothing to show, etc.

Thanks again,