April 15, 2001

Pasture Renewal by Anderson

Do you have a pasture that doesn't grow very well? Do you have a pasture that doesn't have anything but weeds or plants that are undesirable? Is your pasture on very hilly land or highly erodable land? These are common concerns of pasture owners that have existing pastures and probably were not involved in the original planting of the pasture.

I have been asked if there is a business that renovates pastures? To my knowledge there are none in this area. There are many people that have the ability to do the job but it is not their primary business.

If you are going to renovate an existing pasture, the first thing I would do is to have a soil service take soil samples. From this information you need to know the level of soil fertility and the types of soil. From this, the next decision is which varieties of grass will do well under these conditions and what are the other choices if the level of fertility is increased? Plants that contain the nutrients needed for a healthy horse is also important.

Not much has been studied as to what types of grasses should be planted in pastures. Recently, we have seen a lot of interest in rotational grazing in the dairy industry. This has resulted in a new interest in grass types and can be very helpful to horse owners as well.

Once the fertilizer and seed are determined the next issue is the method of applying. Tillage choices will vary from total tillage of the ground with a moldboard plow to a no-till drill.

In either case, I would use a combination of Roundup and 2-4-D herbicides as burn-downs to kill the plants that are presently growing. After ten days the ground could be plowed and will have very good weed control. Seeding with a no-till drill can be done immediately after spraying.

If your pasture has a heavy soil and close to level terrain, the total tillage will be a good choice. The ground will have to be worked to a very mellow texture. It may be worked many times to get a satisfactory condition. It is advisable to apply the needed fertilizer at this time. I believe that under these conditions it is important to do the seeding in late July or early August. If you have any concern about erosion some will plant a light amount of oats before planting the grass seed. Because of the small seed size, a Brillion type seeder is recommended for the seeding the grass.

If your pasture is on lighter (sandy) type soils or on very hilly ground, I would advise looking into no-till seeding opportunities. These soil conditions will lead to large amounts of soil erosion if you get a lot of rain while the soil is exposed. Remember that grass seeds are very small and are slow to germinate. A no-till seeder disturbs very little soil. The dead plants from the burn down will act as a very good mulch for the new grass plants. Again, I would recommend doing this seeding in late July or early August because of the reduced competition from other plants and the opportunity for adequate moisture for the young plants to grow and mature.

Adding fertilizer under the no-till option is much more difficult. Grasses need higher levels of nitrogen and this fertilizer will leach into the soil with rain if applied to the surface. Phosphorous and potash are more difficult because they do not leach into the soil as easily.

When renovating a pasture, you should allow the plants to get adequate root growth before the animals are allowed to walk on the area. It should be viewed much like seeding a new lawn.

A good pasture is an excellent source of forages for your horse. It is the most natural way to feed your horse as well. Pasture renewal can be easy and profitable when done properly.