# pasture renovation on the cheap



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Just got a foot in the door on another possible 30+ acres.
I viewed it from the road today. Well drained slight hillside topography.
Weeds are 5' tall, all tan or brown. Multi flora rose and broomsedge were observed.

My plan was to get in when ground is not too wet and mow it down to about 2-3".
I cannot afford to throw a lot of $ into it right away until I see what I have.

My plan was to cut it for mushroom hay next summer, but maybe do 4 or more cuttings to keep chopping off heads of the weeds. I can sell this "hay" for a little better than break even, hoping it will change over to better quality grass in 2 yrs.

Am i on the right track? Any suggestions on timing of mowing? Or other suggestions?


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

I would burn it off if possible


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Without seeing it, I think I would agree--burn it. But then I think I would shred it ASAP so that the multiflora rose, etc., would decay enough so that it would not be in next years hay.

If you don't shred it, you run the risk of the MF rose thorns being in the hay.

Just thinking.....

Ralph


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

If you burn it, it will most likely kill the rose.

Regards, Mike


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

It will make less of a fire if you burn it after shredding. Back in the day we could burn Ag land when we desired. Then we had to get permits and inspection before we could burn. We had to pay for those inspections.

Now we get ready to burn and someone throws a cigarette butt out the window and we just happen to have things in place to control the burn.

A nice slow burn will do a field a world of good.

If burning is not an option then the shredding and baling is an inexpensive way to begin. I would hesitate to spend the coins on spraying until I found out just what I had. Your mushroom market is a blessing I wish we had here.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Can't burn. It's under high tension power lines. PECO won't allow it. 
What if I cut it down low, then rolled it up this spring as mostly baled weeds? Mushroom hay buyer doesn't seem to mind. 
You guys have to remember, I'm lucky because I have a buyer for this kind of sub standard hay. 
Then maybe the grass will start to come back??


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

I was in your shoes a couple years ago when I took over from Dad. We had mulitflora rose too. Mowing is cheap and makes a big difference. At least 3 times a year. May for the early weeds like thistle. Late july or august for summer weeds, then a fall mowing. I have also found that keeping the fence rows and woods edge sprayed makes a big difference. Dad didn't spray the fence rows so the crap would grow in the fence row then the seeds would blow into the field. The other thing that I think makes a big difference in the PH. Our ph was around 5.8. The grass just didn't thrive with a ph that low, but the weeds did. I could get lime dumped for around $12/ton, and rent a tractor spreader for $2/ton. I put 2 ton to the acre on. So for $28/acre plus fuel and time I got the ph up where it needed to be. We the ph up and constant mowing the weeds were held back and the grass could start to spread and thrive. I would go this route first. If the grass doesn't come back then you can burn down and re plant, but why spend that money right away if you don't even know if the ph is where it needs to be, and it can take some time for the ph to come up.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> Can't burn. It's under high tension power lines. PECO won't allow it.
> What if I cut it down low, then rolled it up this spring as mostly baled weeds? Mushroom hay buyer doesn't seem to mind.
> You guys have to remember, I'm lucky because I have a buyer for this kind of sub standard hay.
> Then maybe the grass will start to come back??


You are lucky we have sold to mushroom growers that the only type of hay they would accept was grass hay,. The hay could have no broadleaf vegetation . Where I hauled to in Reading pa they did not mind if the hay was rained on . But they were a bit picky a bout the type of hay they took. Id say if you went out and rolled up just strait weeds you would not get threw the gate .


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Mow it and bale it off be careful hidden objects car tires, stones, fire pits with big steel grates (past expirence) ,soil test to make sure it don't need 12 ton of lime per acre before you get to much invested.

next did this with a similar described field last spring 2-4D + banvil to make it hot . I made first cut hay decent stuff and 2nd cut just got $240 a ton for.

Just my 3 cents trying to do stuff on the cheap.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Maybe I oughta soil test before I commit


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Mow it, bale it, mow some more, and or just keep mowing. and bale that. Repeat until weeds are at a minimum. Then put money into it. 
I've gotten some fields back into shape just by keeping it like a gulf course for a year and a half. I did that this summer and ran a no till drill over it, they were looking good by this fall. I'm hoping to get some good hay off early summer.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

endrow said:


> You are lucky we have sold to mushroom growers that the only type of hay they would accept was grass hay,. The hay could have no broadleaf vegetation . Where I hauled to in Reading pa they did not mind if the hay was rained on . But they were a bit picky a bout the type of hay they took. Id say if you went out and rolled up just strait weeds you would not get threw the gate .


Not that way down here so much. It can be a mix of mostly grass with a healthy dose of weeds. Even the owner of one of the companies told me don't bother spraying unless it was really bad.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Is some of it thin where interdeeding might help thincken things up?I think you could increase your tonnage a lot by doing so.Can you add a legume like alfalfa?

A guy could interseed annual ryegrass for a cheap fill in.10# @ $1 = $10 acre

Or use a longer term mix like this.

http://www.producerschoiceseed.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RevivePastureMixProdSheet.pdf


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

That looks like it would be great for some of the existing stands we have.


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

Soil test , lime if needed and 2 4 D with regular mowing will do wonders.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Mow/bushhog now and apply a good hot dose of 24D in the spring. Let first grow mow and bale then keep it mowed afterwards. Spray in the fall if needed .Following spring try an frost seed clover or notill a mix of grass and legumes. Soil sample and work at building soils too.

Or get a moldboard plow and disks and plant corn or some other crop for a year or two then seed it back. That works the best if possible depending on your markets an so forth. But if it was pasture there is a reason.... too wet, poor soil, too many rocks, etc

One thing i have learned is don't dump a ton of money and time into ground unless you have an official signed deal. Otherwise your at the mercy of the landowner who could take it out from under you and rent it to someone else.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I have seen many times throughout the years on haytalk that folks recommend bush hogging, brush hogging, etc. to clear off a field to prepare a field for mowing hay the next year. It has been my experience here in Tennessee that this practice does nothing more than make a mess. The clumps of grass/weeds always seems to smother any grass out underneath them as time passes...then quite often the residue can be raked up into the hay the next spring. The areas where the clumps have smothered the grass then become nothing but weeds.

I either would burn off the field(cleanest and best application for the grass) or mow and bale and either sell the bales for mushroom hay if possible(not here), or move them to a area where you could let them rot, or move to a suitable area and burn them, or give to someone that might want them.

I am not picking on anyone on here....I am just stating my opinion from past experience....and just because it doesn't work HERE certainly does not mean it will not work in your locale. Or maybe I am just too particular....or maybe I am just a bit grumpy from several days of rain and clouds .

Regards, Mike


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Vol said:


> I have seen many times throughout the years on haytalk that folks recommend bush hogging, brush hogging, etc. to clear off a field to prepare a field for mowing hay the next year. It has been my experience here in Tennessee that this practice does nothing more than make a mess. The clumps of grass/weeds always seems to smother any grass out underneath them as time passes...then quite often the residue can be raked up into the hay the next spring. The areas where the clumps have smothered the grass then become nothing but weeds.
> 
> I either would burn off the field(cleanest and best application for the grass) or mow and bale and either sell the bales for mushroom hay if possible(not here), or move them to a area where you could let them rot, or move to a suitable area and burn them, or give to someone that might want them.
> 
> ...


I actually understand your point. If PECO does give me the field, I would probably cut it and try to rake it over near the edges of the fields or bale it. It's really brown, so I'd doubt it would be accepted for mushroom hay.


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## ForemanTX (May 7, 2012)

I would shred it also,find anything hidden with that mower not your hay cutter. The weeds are dead now should shred up pretty good,may have to run over some, more than once.Running over the field first will find some spots need to fix with disc and any objects,sticks,etc can throw in bucket when riding around or stumps,etc to mark with t-post so know to go around with disc mower. Even if I had to bale the crap left in field,"shouldnt make many bales anyways"I have several wash outs,could just cut the string off and throw the bales in to keep erosion down,wouldnt be a total waste. I would spray it with 2-4d when started to see weeds starting up, I use grazon p+d but its alittle higher. 2.5gallons of 2-4d was only 49bucks last year.I also set my cutter where not cutting really low the first time either.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Update:
Just met with the manager of this piece of property. It's under Conservancy management. I submitted a proposal for straight cutting, haying with a cutting before I would hay, and some other scenarios. 
He also showed me an additional hay field they have that looked promising. 
I hope to hear back from him soon.
No spraying or running would be permitted on 5 of the 6 fields. 
Sounds like a possible bush hog customer.


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