Question re Liming Pastures

[kalidascope]

[QUOTE=Alysoun;8143770]
Does strip grazing mean installing fences to create narrow lanes for horses to walk along? Are there online plans for this? OMG we’ve invested so much in re-doing our fencing, I don’t know if I can do any more right now. But maybe next year?[/QUOTE]
No, you’re thinking of a ‘paddock paradise’, which is done (especially by owners of barefoot horses and/or laminitis-prone horses) to promote movement and limit grass intake.

Strip grazing uses temporary fencing (electric tape and standards) to allow the horses access to a new ‘strip’ of grass every day (or morning and night). It means the grass is grazed more evenly, and the horse’s intake is more even across the time they are in the paddock instead of gorging at the start and having to forage hard at the end. Depending on your setup you can backfence too to improve the pasture recovery. Like a more closely managed version of rotational grazing.

How do you manage manure, by the way?

[Flash44]

You can lime and mow all you want, but the buttercups will win. I’m getting ready to go out and spray Crossbow this morning, which is very very effective in getting rid of the buttercups but does not kill all the grass.

[ladymcts]

Thanks for posting this thread! I didn’t know what those evil little yellow things were, but had seen them overrun a boarding operation’s pasture a few years ago. And this year they are blooming all over my current boarding facility’s pasture. Just googled images, and yep, it’s buttercups! So I’m reading all the responses here with interest.

[katyb]

[QUOTE=kalidascope;8143625]

1. Like Calvincrowe said, you had buttercup last year. What was grazing the property before? Something other than horses? Horses are fantastic at eating every last blade of ‘good’ grass and leaving anything less desirable, and they also cut up the turf a lot more, creating buttercup and dock infested paddocks in no time.

2. I’m not against sprays so haven’t investigated alternatives particularly thoroughly. That said, I mow my paddocks after they have been grazed, to break up the manure and to top the weeds (mostly dock and buttercup) and roughs that the horses have left. It means the weeds don’t get such a competitive advantage over the grass (which has been cropped short by the horses), and stops them going to seed. In my opinion it has stopped the spread of the weeds, and combined with regular fairly heavy liming (2 ton/ha in spring and autumn) seems to be improving my pasture, which was very undergrazed when we moved on 1.25 years ago. We also did a soil test and added some other stuff at the start, which helped the grass.

3. They will get some nutrition from the pasture, but not as much as last year. With only two horses on five acres I would be surprised if you need to supplement hay/feed unless they are hard keepers? I have five on five acres, turned out 24/7, and they do well on pasture alone mid spring-mid autumn. Break feeding/strip grazing your paddocks will help you get the most out of your large-ish paddocks.[/QUOTE]

Where are you? I’m in lush TN, and if I had five horses on five acres, it would be dirt.

[kalidascope]

[QUOTE=katyb;8146228]
Where are you? I’m in lush TN, and if I had five horses on five acres, it would be dirt.[/QUOTE]
New Zealand :). I have lots of small (1/2 acre) paddocks which are strip grazed, manure kicked, then mown after grazing. Then rested well (6-8 weeks, longer if possible). Lime (and fert if needed) in spring and autumn currently until the pH gets up a bit more. We supplement with hay (cut from the same paddocks) and balage and a little bit of hard feed in winter.

[goldenrow]

OP,

There are several herbicides out there that are tried, researched and proven to be safe for livestock consumption, and, when applied correctly, do not harm off-target plants or soil.

Grazon, 2,4-D, Aim and Milestone are some brand name lines of herbicides that have multiple sources of research done to show that these products are safe for grazing almost immediately after application. If you have questions, ask your state extension office for some University supported research.

Don’t be afraid of herbicides. They go through YEARS of testing before they are released for use. As an agronomist, directly involved with these products on a daily basis, I can assure you that if you follow the label, you can safely apply them on your pasture, with no negative effects (except to those darn buttercups. )

[buck22]

I guess it must be a regional thing. I was suddenly overrun with buttercup two years ago. I mowed, applied “instant” pelleted lime before a heavy downpour (heavy spot application, over 2 acres, hand broadcast) and the buttercup has not surfaced since.

Horses were hayed in the shed that night because of the heavy rain, but they went right out on the paddocks after.

[seabreeze]

I have 3 horses on 7-8 acres, so I don’t believe the pastures are overgrazed (fed hay heavily November - April). I had buttercups last year for the first time. Frequent mowing was my weapon. This year they are more widespread (overrun with them) and lots of dandelion, too. I will do a soil sample test and “treat” accordingly in the fall. Still mowing frequently.

For those of you with herbicide knowledge, is there any herbicide I can use to help eradicate the buttercups and/or dandelions that will not damage my lush, beautiful spring and fall clover?

Thanks!

[Flash44]

Crossbow will kill the buttercups but leave the grass and there are no grazing restrictions.

[goldenrow]

[QUOTE=seabreeze;8148367]

For those of you with herbicide knowledge, is there any herbicide I can use to help eradicate the buttercups and/or dandelions that will not damage my lush, beautiful spring and fall clover?

Thanks![/QUOTE]

This might be difficult. I don’t know that much about buttercup (we thankfully don’t have much of it in my area). I’m not sure if there are any selective herbicides for buttercup, that won’t harm the clover.

If you 7-8 acres, you may be able to spot treat individual plants, since there may not be much you can broadcast spray. If I am spot treating, I use a foamer dye so I know what plants I’ve already sprayed. It helps the process go a little quicker - I don’t have to think about what I’ve already done. I like blue, myself. But it also comes in red, purple, yellow, etc. It will dye the inside of your tank, but it doesn’t really matter to me what color it is.

Foamer dye is used by large, commercial applicators to tell where they need to line up in the field. The machine leaves drops of colored foam (like dish soap) on the outside of the boom. There isn’t as much out there as there used to be (LOVE AUTOSTEER!), but you should be able to find it at your local farm store or agronomy coop location.

Note - dandelions and buttercup are both best controlled at the rosette stage, before bolting. You may or may not be able to see the rosettes from a distance, if your grass and clover grow very tall. Scout your fields early and often!

[goldenrow]

Careful! Crossbow will damage your clover.

Crossbow is a great option for all grass pastures, though! Especially if you have any scrubby, woody weeds out there.

[Flash44]

[QUOTE=goldenrow;8148609]
Careful! Crossbow will damage your clover.

Crossbow is a great option for all grass pastures, though! Especially if you have any scrubby, woody weeds out there.[/QUOTE]

That’s a good thing! Clover is way too abundant in my neck of the woods.

[jawa]

A friend of mine did a strip type spraying in her pastures at first to see how the grass would do with the clover gone. She was afraid the spraying to get rid of the clover would leave nothing to graze.

It was amazing how the grass rebounded and was lush and thick where she sprayed the broadleaf herbicide.

If you want some clover and grass, you could spray a strip and skip a strip.