Hay field management question

[Dusty Britches]

I need some advice. Last spring a guy disked my 20 acre hay field in February. It was visually smooth when he finished. In my haste to put out pre-emergent, I did not drag it. Then the rains started and by the time it got dry enough to do anything, the Bermuda grass was 2 feet tall.

Now, the pasture is very rough, but it seems like when the co-op came out to spray in the summer, the weight of their sprayer smoothed things out (tire tracks, anyway) and walking on it I can tell the soil is still pretty loose. Right now, my cows are grazing it.

I was wondering if I could drag it with my 10" x 24' I beam without disking, perhaps in the winter after the grass goes dormant and is short. Or, should I plan to disk again? The problem is every time we stir up the soil with a disc, the sand burs and weeds strike.

[BrianL]

After your last cutting, drag a harrow across it. Should really help.

I have a home made version of this.

[yanta61]

right before spring burn it off and then drag it

[bowhunterchris]

I would disk it again this winter and fertilize it again and then drag it. Should come back real strong next year

[Stan R]

What is the PH?

When was the last time you limed?

[bowhuntertex]

I can get you in touch with someone who can help you with fertilizer/lime/weedkiller if you would like. Should be able to save you some money and you will get the same yield or better.

Like said above disc it again and then drag it.

[Dusty Britches]

I got the soil treatment protocol down, I just want to know how to smooth the pasture with minimal soil disruption.

[Stan R]

My suggestion was going to be this.

If you needed to lime to get the PH up I would do a medium disk after the lime had been down a few weeks then drag to smooth.

If the PH is ok just do a medium disk and drag during the winter.

Only way to get is smoother is the break the top layer of soil.

Not sure just dragging would help unless it was very heavy.

[GIL HUNTS]

Use a renovator north to south with a chain harrow behind it. Alternate east to west next year and visa versa. Spray weedkiller and liquid fertilizer in early spring. Grass will surprise you.

[Dusty Britches]

Ok, thanks. I know the pH level is not desirable and I've lined up lime in a few weeks. The I beam weighs 1200 pounds, or close to it.

[PanhandleAggie]

I reclaim and reseed mined out areas (sand & gravel pits) on a 26,000 acre ranch in the Texas Panhandle. After all of the terrain is sloped and graded to allow proper drainage all of the stockpiled topsoil is laid out with scrapers and spread with maintainers. The maintainers do a pretty good job of spreading the topsoil but the grade is nowhere near finished and somewhat unstable. I wait for adequate moisture in the top 3-4" of soil and drag three heavy duty chain harrows in tandem behind the tractor until the soil is tilled evenly. This does a good enough job for me to go ahead and drill my seed in. Immediately after drilling the seed I run over the entire planted area with a big cultipacker behind the tractor. The key to the cultipacker doing what it is intended to do is soil moisture content at the time it is being rolled. If you have enough moisture in the soil after planting the terrain will pack very nicely, giving you a level and firm seedbed. Then we pray for rain up here. This year has been phenomenal given the rainfall amounts. I will say this is all done to plant a 5 way native grass mix versus a hay variety of grass but, the prep should make no difference other than lime and fertilizer needs. I do use a herbicide if needed on my native grass stands but, I have found that specifically timed mowings during the summer to knock back kochia and thistle have worked very well and allowed my native grass to out compete the weeds and establish a healthy stand. Hope some of this helps.

[Dusty Britches]

Wow! Thanks Panhandle. I wish I could do that precisly but I can get close. Thanks