Pasture Question

[moukoyui]

So we are moving right along in the farm buying process. We have contractors coming out this week to look at the house and price out the work that needs to be done.

I am getting quotes for doing the perimeter fencing (we are going to cross fence in electric). There will only be two real pastures as the land is only five acres. We intend to rotate between the two.

A question about pasture maintenance/ care. The pasture has been a hay field in the past, but the are some areas that are ‘rougher’ or over grown. We will not get to take possession until the end of April and I do not know what can or should done for them. We are going to bush hog the most over grown section and use that as our ‘sacrifice’ while we acclimate the boys. Would it be too late to fertilize or spray for weeds? Over seed?

We are starting out without a tractor so anything we do will be handheld.

Any advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

I forgot to mention we are in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[Jumper_girl221]

I don’t see the harm in fertilizing and spraying for weeds, for NC though I’d wait to overseed until fall. Issue here is it does get warm so you need to seed early enough that they develop a decent root system before the heat comes unless you are willing to irrigate, but at the same time you don’t want to do it too early and have it freeze.

Course that also depends on what you are going to overseed. I’m developing new pasture right now on former farm land at my new place. I’ve already seeded the white clover and fescue, but I’m waiting to do the bermuda until May since it doesn’t tolerate cold well.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I don’t have a tractor either. I spray as needed walking the pasture. Most areas are pretty nice just from mowing, but the weeds get a bit “smarter” about that and will go to seed quite low, so I hit them with spray before that happens (later summer). I do it by hand (wearing chemical gloves and a respirator, I’m sure all the farmers think I’m a crazy city-chick), but I only have 2.5 acres fenced so far.

My pasture is only going into year 3 as grass. Formerly an alfalfa field. I still have some, so I have to really careful with the broadleaf spray if I want to keep it.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

[QUOTE=moukoyui;8081923]
So we are moving right along in the farm buying process. We have contractors coming out this week to look at the house and price out the work that needs to be done.

I am getting quotes for doing the perimeter fencing (we are going to cross fence in electric). There will only be two real pastures as the land is only five acres. We intend to rotate between the two.

A question about pasture maintenance/ care. The pasture has been a hay field in the past, but the are some areas that are ‘rougher’ or over grown. We will not get to take possession until the end of April and I do not know what can or should done for them. We are going to bush hog the most over grown section and use that as our ‘sacrifice’ while we acclimate the boys. Would it be too late to fertilize or spray for weeds? Over seed?

We are starting out without a tractor so anything we do will be handheld.

Any advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

I forgot to mention we are in Charlotte, North Carolina.[/QUOTE]

If the areas without turf are good locations for making a sacrifice area, I’d improve those surfaces now since they won’t hold grass anyway. Put your horses out on that when the pasture ground is wet/icy/fragile. Then have two pastures so that you can rotate in earnest.

David