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Prepareing fields
Hi. I've got 4 different pastures, 10 acres in all. I've been brush hogging it for the past 2 years. I've got a lot of weeds, ragweed, stuff like that. I have a few cows and horses. What can I do to the fields, and when to make them a little more grass and a little less weeds??? I try to york rake out and spread all they're manure. Don't know if its making any difference... Thanks for any advice.
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Prepareing fields
Mow more often. Grass will naturally choke out weeds given half a chance. I'm restoring land to pasture that has been allowed to "go back to nature" since the 60's. It was all overgrown with brush, black berries and weeds. After cutting the brush and grubbing out the stumps, I rototilled it once, spread raw manure and bedding on it the first winter, and now I just keep it mowed, the sheep graze on it, and I spread composted manure on it every fall. I mow when the grass starts setting seeds. Grass that is going to seed puts all it's energy into ripening seed, not growing grass. Mowing it promotes the growth of more grass, and scatters the seed. I mow at a height of 4-6" with a rotary mower (brush hog).
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Prepareing fields
SOB - I did not catch what you were doing with the York Rake, but I wouldn't do anything that opens up bare soil in the pasture. I agree with Paul, just mow more often. If you have ragweed, very likely it is because the soil has been disturbed this season. Mow, mow, mow and you will have great grass.
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In addition to the mowing advice, Try spraying it 2,4-D. This will kill the majority of your weeds and give the grass a chance to take over. I use this both on my lawn and pasture. Works good on thistles too. I have never been able to get rid of these by just mowing.
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Prepareing fields
You might want to have your soil tested. Lime may make the soil more favorable for grasses and less favorable for the weeds.
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Prepareing fields
I have a question relating to the same discussion of bringing back fields. I have a 60" mid-deck on a JD 4300 and no brush hog, but would like to mow 10 acres of overgrown field also. Other than dulling and wearing out the blades, is it viable to mow it with this deck. I don't want to buy a brush hog.
WalkerFarm
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That shouldn't hurt the deck or the tractor. Maybe you will experience some plugging if you try to mow the grass/weeds too short, or try to go too fast. Mow as high as possible and plan to make a couple of passes if you want it neat. As long as the engine rpm doesn't drop (you will hear it lugging), then you should be fine. If the deck doesn't clean, shut off the PTO, let it come to a stop, move to a mowed spot, and turn the PTO back on. Often the slug will up-chuck itself and you can go back to mowing. Clean out under the deck so the mowed grass flows to the discharge chute. Also, mow when the grass/weeds are dry. Keep the blades reasonably sharp and watch for rocks. Take half a mower width on each path if the above doesn't seem to work.
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You can use a finishing mower but you have to take it nice and easy. I've done it a few times but I found that unless your pasture is reasonably flat and level it can be hard on the mower blades, belts and linkages. Considering the large difference in cost between a finishing mower and a bush hog I found it to be a lot easier to spend a few hundred dollars on a bush hog and buy some peace of mind. Perhaps I worry too much.
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