Pasture Grass

[ducks4you]

I need to replant my horse pastures. I've bought enough to fix 2 acres worth--I graze mine on 4 acres. I own a tiller but not a tractor. Anybody got any advice? I plan to re-seed next month, after I close my 1/2-3/4 acre pasture off to them until 2013, of course.

 

[bobm]

Depending on the type of grasses you will be planting . Check with the seed company or your local Agg Extention office if it is best to plant in the fall or spring. I would find a neighbor with a tractor with a disc and disc the land several times untill the land is smooth. Or rent one with a disc and disc it yourself. If you plan on seeding the pasture yourself, purchase a belly-whomper seeder ( has a strap that goes behind your neck, a large cloth or plastic bin that fits next to one's belly, a crank with handle to spread the seed). I used one to resead a 5 acre pasure. :tools

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks, Bob! AND,

Any other advice. Btw, my Troybuilt pony tiller goes pretty deep, and I already own it, LOL!

 

[vfem]

This when I would suggest putting the horses to work!

 

[ducks4you]

Ha, ha-- the horses + the drought killed off the grass, and left weeds, in patches.

 

[catjac1975]

We harrowed and replanted an old hay field in the spring. I thought it was lost to weeds. We had a neighbor friend cut it and there was a lot of hay growing . We just had it cut again today. we do not plan to hay it-just graze 2 horses on it. After we did it in the spring the local farmer experts said fall was the best time to plant to reduce the weed population.

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks!

 

[ducks4you]

Update: South pasture is completely done!! I spent 4 hours on it last week--Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I had one section by a fence that was REALLY compacted. I put 8 big, full wheelbarrow loads of used garden dirt there, and tilled it under last week. Then I laid down rows of seed, and raked it in. The other places that I seeded have all grown in, minus some small patches. I'm pretty sure that the bluegrass, rye, and fescue mix will fill in those spots, but I'm still gonna be working on it for the next year. I haven't mowed any of it since Labor Day. The drought and grazing really did a number on this pasture. Poor "Buster Brown" (my 6yo QH) kept offering to mow it for me while I was working. He kept me company for at least an hour, hoping I would change my mind. Good luck I have a spring clip on the gate chain there!

 

[baymule]

Congrats on the new pasture planting. I planted 4 or 5 acres last spring in Giant Bermuda NK-37. I kept the horses off all summer as it was dry and I wanted the grass to get a good start. It grew about two and a half feet tall, put out runners and made me smile. I finally let them on it this fall for about 8 weeks and closed it off a week ago.

I hope your pasture grows a lot of grass for your horses! Maybe you could pull some for Buster Brown!

 

[seedcorn]

Have you thought of frost seeding the bare spots?