Steps for improving pasture?

[redbluffdexters]

Where do you start with pasture that is more weeds and sand than anything else? We have 5-6 acres out of our 30 acres that we could do something with relatively easily. It's mostly loamy sand and our neighbor across the fence has the most beautiful productive Coastal patch so I know our plot would do well. We're hoping to sprig it next spring (but when exactly?) and divide it up for rotational grazing with electric fencing but I'm wondering what needs to be done before and after that? What does your schedule each year look like for pasture maintenance and improvement? We seem to have lots of coastal right where we don't want it (the 1/2 acre orchard and garden) but no where else!

[cddexter]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
Frankly, your best bet to learn what works best in your area, types of forage, timing, fertilizing, etc. would be to ask that neighbor with the lovely field the other side of your fence. They've got it figured out.

You'll probably need to increase the organic matter if the soil is sandy. This is usually done with green manure crops. You don't say how much water you have or if irrigation is an option.

Drive around the area and drop in on others with nice looking fields, and ask their advice, if the timing is convenient for them.
Everybody likes to show off a job well done...I'll bet you get some really helpful suggestions. cheers, c.

[redbluffdexters]

Water has been tricky the last few years. Its been exceptionally dry and hot. We have well water for the house but I don't think it would hold up to irrigating the pasture. We do irrigate the orchard and garden which why it's growing so well there! We also compost it. (ding!) So if I were to treat this like I do my garden, I'd plow under the weeds, plant ryegrass to plow under next spring, and then do something like a weed n feed type fertilizer at some point after the rye come up, most likely late winter before its plowed under. Then sprig with coastal. Does that sound reasonable?

[cddexter]

Yes. Certainly a good start. You don't say how long you've been on the property, or if you are on good terms with the neighbors. I'd still do the meet and greet in the area, too. Any poultry or pig farmers nearby? ...the smell wears off in a couple of weeks, mostly and the manure sure does good things for you. cheers, c.

[Gorignak]

Hello...I am also new to this Forum, but we have homesteaded a rocky, unforgiving 160 acre mountaintop in NW Arkansas for 38 years. We have many of the same problems that you are encountering, and much the same micro-climate. It has be unbearable for three years, but my compass points to a much more disturbing trend.

Do some historical research....there was an 800 year drought in our area several thousand years ago....SO....when I say that my 36 years of logging and running a sawmill has allowed me to peer back 300 years through tree ring data...I just might be onto something. This drought has been 15 years in development and is deepening every year. It seems that the high temps go hand in hand with the dry. I would suggest that you plan for worse than this.....

Our Orchard is lush and green....everywhere else is burnt off. I have just logged 80 acres that will be converted into pasture THE 200 YEAR OLD TREES WERE DYING FASTER THAN WE COULD WALK THROUGH THE WOODS. It was phenomenally disturbing. Does this suggest something???
Now....I have focused on what would be the best practices to implement for a worsening drought.

1) SUBSOILING wherever possible releases FREE nutrients FREE....FREE...FREE.....We have a Ditch Witch with a backhoe, a 48" chain trencher, AND A 24" VIBRATORY PLOW.... BINGO...a custom made, super subsoiler.. EVERYWHERE that I disturb the soil to any depth, the grass gets 3X as green immediately. We subsoiled our entire 2 acre Organic garden and got the highest yields we have gotten in 10 years...WITH LESS WATER, AND DESPITE THE BIBLICAL DROUGHT OF 2012.
An 18" single spike subsoiler will do wonders to regenerating pasture.

2) I HATE BERMUDA/I LOVE BERMUDA..... the schizophrenic relationship that we have with that grass is incredible. I have fought it for 30 years since a free barn full of manure was spread on our garden. Now, it is the only green grass, besides #3 below, on the mountain.
TRICK.....The locals tell me to put a teaspoon of Bermuda SEEDS a day into any cattle feed that you use....the seed passes right through them and the pile of manure is the perfect growth medium the following spring. That tactic will spread Bermuda fast.

3) Genebo talked of crabgrass being the local favorite, and the seed being in short supply. We have a grass .... Goosegrass .... Eleusine indica. It is as tenacious as Bermuda....AND IT SEEMS TO BE MORE PROLIFIC, DROUGHT RESISTANT AND HARDY. The Dexters eat it as fast as we pull it in the garden. It has DEEP FLESHY roots....very hardy. I am looking into finding or gathering seed from it.....If I had 40 acres of it right now, I would be sitting pretty.

Those are some thoughts..... "remember, we're all in this together"

[redbluffdexters]

Wow! Thanks! We've personally had this property for 17 years but other than dirt bike trails (my DH's passion), we've never been able to do much with it. It's been in my husbands family over 160 years in continuous agricultural use but no one ever had much means for improving the pastures. The Bermuda seed trick and the Goosegrass sound fantastic! My horses (3) could get started on that!

[copperhead]

I'd go talk to my county extention agent, they are a source of information about what grasses, when to plant, fertilize and anything else pasture related.

[Gorignak]

Obviously, the County Agent is a valuable resource....
BUT, I will ask the question...FOR WHOM In my experience, a Govt Agent has one pat answer that suites the 10% LARGEST, WEALTHIEST farmers in the region. I find their information to be easily accessed elsewhere, and monotonously linked to the current, in vogue govt. and local bankers backed farm schemes. It often lures a small producer into an unmanageable situation.

The Co. Agents around here lured THOUSANDS of small farmers into "Blueberry Production" They completely ignored the longer term nature of the business, and implemented short-cycle profit schemes to a far more long term, market sensitive enterprise.

Another example....38 years ago I got funding for a pond...the agent came out with a transit, during the winter when the leaves were off the trees, and we laid out the pond IN THE WOODS. I had a data sheet and the flags in place when I contracted the bulldozing. Beautiful huge pond.
FAST FORWARD to last winter...I had the "County Agent" out to flag out another pond. When the truck arrived, two just-post-pubescent college grads stepped out and, very wide-eyed asked...."where is the pond going".
"Right here", I replied, pointing to a large, shallow draw/ravine that was covered with trees........"....but it's not cleared, we can't do anything until it is cleared."

REALLY.....they were correct...THEY couldn't do anything until it was cleared....I bid them goodby.....went back to the house and got my son and a transit and laid out the pond. TAX DOLLARS WELL SPENT. MORONS....all they wanted to talk about was the ongoing drought and "managing producer inputs". Repeating over and over the same data that anyone could access on the most simplistic farm website.

Anyway....my $.02 ........ Try these people attra.ncat.org/

[laurenholbrook]

Have you ever heard of Joel Salatin? He uses his animals to actually improve his land. We have dry prairie land and used his chicken method and got great results in 3 years while loosely following his model. I would like to try his cattle method. My neighbors have just started using this method this year. I'll be interested in seeing their pasture next year. I will be reading his cattle book, Salad Bar Beef. You might check it out. Heres an excerpt from his bio on his website www.polyfacefarms.com/story/

In 1961, William and Lucille Salatin moved their young family to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, purchasing the most worn-out, eroded, abused farm in the area near Staunton. Using nature as a pattern, they and their children began the healing and innovation that now supports three generations.

Disregarding conventional wisdom, the Salatins planted trees, built huge compost piles, dug ponds, moved cows daily with portable electric fencing, and invented portable sheltering systems to produce all their animals on perennial prairie polycultures.

Today the farm arguably represents America’s premier non-industrial food production oasis. Believing that the Creator’s design is still the best pattern for the biological world, the Salatin family invites like-minded folks to join in the farm’s mission: to develop emotionally, economically, environmentally enhancing agricultural enterprises and facilitate their duplication throughout the world.

[rezzfullacres]

You are facing the same problem many people are. You have gotten some good advice, especially the organic matter part.....if you can find manure to spread on the land and disc it in it will help build up your soil, and that is where you need to start, the soil is the key to it all.....What is your PH level, how much organic matter do you have, what is the water holding capacity?? answer and than address these concerns geared towards your preferred crop. The other limiting factor you have is a big one, TIME.....in order to truly establish a lush pasture that can withstand intense grazing it takes over a year of not allowing any grazing, just manicuring to allow the root system to develop....so basically your pasture would be off limits to your animals for at least a year, maybe longer depending on how you decide to kill the existing stand of weeds......Your local ag agent can help you with the soil testing to figure out where your soil is and than you need to get it where it needs to be..........Good Luck

[dlskidmore]

Here's an interesting Ted talk that discusses techniques similar to Joel Salatin's to restore land. They are mostly discussing large scale projects, but it should scale down fairly well.

www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change.html

Another interesting piece where landscaping and trees helped reverse desertification:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzTHjlueqFI

They have completely different approaches, I bet combining them would produce some awesome results. The first is more feasible on small scale though I think.