# best way to reclaim overgrown field



## pvcman (Jul 18, 2014)

I have access to a neighbors field that has been left untouched for a couple years. It is mostly overgrown dead grass and there are a few spots of blackberry vines and saplings. What are my options? I'm thinking that I need to get the heavy dead stuff off to get a good stand of grass to return in order to eventually hay.

Should I run a brush hog over it multiple times prior to spring growth? Another thought I had is to run the brush hog and then rake and then burn the junk off. My goal is to get the field into reasonable hay production as soon as possible with minimal investment in time and money.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

pvcman said:


> I have access to a neighbors field that has been left untouched for a couple years. It is mostly overgrown dead grass and there are a few spots of blackberry vines and saplings. What are my options? I'm thinking that I need to get the heavy dead stuff off to get a good stand of grass to return in order to eventually hay.
> 
> Should I run a brush hog over it multiple times prior to spring growth? Another thought I had is to run the brush hog and then rake and then burn the junk off. My goal is to get the field into reasonable hay production as soon as possible with minimal investment in time and money.


Your best option is to burn it off if it is permissable.

Regards, Mike


----------



## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I agree with Mike, I went the bushhog route with a couple of fields, takes 2-3 years to exhaust the larger brushes reserves so they don't sprout and ruin your crop.


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Yep, burn if you can to get rid of the old growth and then when the briars start to regrow next year spray to kill them. What kind of grass is growing in the field?


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Good advice from all. Burn it if you can.


----------



## pvcman (Jul 18, 2014)

FarmerCline said:


> Yep, burn if you can to get rid of the old growth and then when the briars start to regrow next year spray to kill them. What kind of grass is growing in the field?


It is a mixture but bermuda is dominant.


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

pvcman said:


> It is a mixture but bermuda is dominant.


 Since bermuda is a spreading grass even if the stand is neglected and a bit thin if you fertilize it good, lime if needed, and spray it to kill the briars/weeds you should be able to get it to bounce back and fill in and have a good hay field.


----------



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I agree with burning. More so since it is Bermuda. Get rid of the dead growth and also the weed seeds on top of the ground.

The blackberry will need to be sprayed to kill. I bushogged some blackberry in a new lease last year. I later found out I needed to wait at least 6 months before spraying. Blackberry needs foliage and stem growth to carry the chemical into the roots.

After I bushogged the blackberry took off like it had been fertilized. Kind of shot myself in the foot on that one. I thought cutting it back would make it weak and the bermuda would help coke it back.


----------



## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

Tim/South said:


> I agree with burning. More so since it is Bermuda. Get rid of the dead growth and also the weed seeds on top of the ground.
> 
> The blackberry will need to be sprayed to kill. I bushogged some blackberry in a new lease last year. I later found out I needed to wait at least 6 months before spraying. Blackberry needs foliage and stem growth to carry the chemical into the roots.
> 
> After I bushogged the blackberry took off like it had been fertilized. Kind of shot myself in the foot on that one. I thought cutting it back would make it weak and the bermuda would help coke it back.


Could always pick the blackberries and make jam hehe lol


----------



## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

FarmerCline said:


> Since bermuda is a spreading grass even if the stand is neglected and a bit thin if you fertilize it good, lime if needed, and spray it to kill the briars/weeds you should be able to get it to bounce back and fill in and have a good hay field.


A light disking in two directions, renovating with a pasture dream pulled in two directions to make "diamond" marks across the field, or even rolling stalk choppers, will all encourage tillering of the bermuda and make it thicken up. Disking or rolling choppers will push the runners down into the dirt and cut them, making them root out and tiller more, spreading and thickening the bermuda.

Works good on my fields...

Later! OL JR


----------



## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Tim/South said:


> I agree with burning. More so since it is Bermuda. Get rid of the dead growth and also the weed seeds on top of the ground.
> 
> The blackberry will need to be sprayed to kill. I bushogged some blackberry in a new lease last year. I later found out I needed to wait at least 6 months before spraying. Blackberry needs foliage and stem growth to carry the chemical into the roots.
> 
> After I bushogged the blackberry took off like it had been fertilized. Kind of shot myself in the foot on that one. I thought cutting it back would make it weak and the bermuda would help coke it back.


I've cleaned up some places with blackberry vines by cutting, BUT, it's best to cut them off as close to the ground as possible... IOW, a hay mower does the best job... using a shredder just seems to mangle them and make them more prolific, in my experience.

If you don't mind making some "bugger hay", cutting it 2-3 times will usually clean it up pretty good. You'll eventually sap the roots of reserves enough that they die out, or grass outcompetes it... The first cuts of hay will be pretty sorry looking, but cows will sift through it if you unroll the bales at feeding time, and pick the grass out of the vines, stomp the vines into the ground, and crap on them, so they rot down pretty quick. Every cut after that just keeps getting better until the vines are completely gone. Usually the first cut is the worst...

Course if you want it clean NOW, have the money to spend, and don't want to mess with "bugger hay", well, chemicals are the way to go... Just depends on your situation...

Later! OL JR


----------



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I bush hogged it level with the top of the grass then cut it for hay a few weeks later. Got 98 rolls. The blackberry came back thicker than ever and with a roar.

That is when I read and confirmed what the extension agent had said. Spray with at least 6 months regrowth and do not touch it until the plant is dead into the roots.


----------



## kulmer (Mar 3, 2015)

I have a similar situation but instead of reclaiming the field for hay, I would like to plant something else in part of the field. I would like to cut out about 3 acres for corn and beans. What's the best way to get rid of the existing overgrown hay portion without burning? Thanks in advance for the help.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

kulmer said:


> What's the best way to get rid of the existing overgrown hay portion without burning? Thanks in advance for the help.


Either graze off and if not feasible, mow it and bale it.

Regards, Mike


----------



## FranchiseFarms (Nov 16, 2014)

I would bushhog it as short as you can, run a disk over it and let it sit till spring. The disk in g will get all your seeds germinated and then you can go in with a hefty dose of roundup and do a total burndown. Wait a month to 6 weeks and plant you something cheap and quick growing like a sterile sorghum Sudan grass to keep new weeds fromgrowing. After you get the crop of Sudan grass off plant whatever perinial you want. Total cost will be around 40/acre. Burning old fields does wonders for the soul, but when you start to get green growth back you'll still have weeds, meaning you'll still have to spray so it's just cheaper to do a total burndown to begin with and save you 10 bucks per acre


----------



## Gabrovic (Jul 6, 2012)

Hi Folks,

I am a new poster and this thread is of interest to me.

I wish to develop a four acre field that adjoins my other hay, but has been left to its own devices for years. Like the gentleman above, I have bushhogged it for three years and have removed the woody shrubs (nasty thorny stuff). What's left is prairie grass and wildflowers. I believe it to be bluestem gramma. I am guessing that's not a favored hay.

Anyhoo, I would like to plant Bahia and have that the dominant plant in this field.

My question is how to do this. Do I glycol the field and then plant? How is this done, i.e is this a disking process before planting? Do you plant and then drag it?

Any help is greatly appreciated. I am in NE Texas, sandy soil, 7.7 ph (alkaline)

Best,

Jerry


----------



## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

Borrow/rent/buy a frail mower. Chop it up into small pieces. Wait 2-3 weeks for the field to regrow to 6-8 inches. Spray the field with round-up. Wait another 10 days and mow it again. Wait another 2-3 weeks to germinate the remanding seeds and regrow what is left and respray with round-up. At this point you are probably 95% weed/brush free.


----------



## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Gabrovic said:


> Hi Folks,
> 
> I am a new poster and this thread is of interest to me.
> 
> ...


What do you intend to do with the hay?? If you're feeding your own livestock, what's there might be just the ticket, or good enough. You probably want to take some samples and pics or something and talk to your extension guy or knowledgeable farm supply dealer and figure out exactly what you have, what your goals are, what livestock you're planning to feed (or whom you plan to sell to) and figure out where to go from there. Glyphosating (Round-up) everything (not "glycol"-- that's antifreeze LOL) might not be your best option. If you're talking to salesmen, get a diversity of opinions so you're not as likely to fall victim to some guy who wants to sell you some high-dollar seed and stuff that you don't really need. That's where the extension guys, who aren't trying to sell you anything, will give you the most objective answer. It's also a good idea to talk to other guys in the area with similar goals and see what their experience and recommendations are, what they're growing, etc. Never hurts to get a diversity of opinions.

That's where I'd recommend starting off, anyway...

later and good luck! OL JR


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Gabrovic said:


> Hi Folks,
> 
> I am a new poster and this thread is of interest to me.
> 
> ...


Where at in NE Texas????? Can you post a pic of what you are looking at now??


----------



## Gabrovic (Jul 6, 2012)

Thank you all. All good suggestions.

I live between Emory and Sulphur Springs in Hopkins County. We're getting good rains now, but we have had 4 serious droughts in 16 years (2011 was the worst). Lots of dead and dying trees.


----------

