# Pasture?



## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

Anybody have any experience working to improve pasture land? My wife and I just bought 16 acres...about 9 acres of uninmproved pasture, 7 wooded. Obviously, being that I hang out on this forum, I want the whole pasture to be as of high quality as possible. Obviously not turning it into 9 acres of bermuda mowed at 0.5", but wondering if anyone has any experience here? We'll be building a house on it starting later this summer, but in the meantime, needs to be bush hogged. Figured it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to put down some 2,4-d? Probably need to get a soil test done, too.

Plan is to eventually have some livestock and do some rotational grazing with them which should help, but that's probably two years down the road at least, so looking to do something in the interim.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

@J_nick


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

This is going to sound familiar but start with a soil test to see what you are working with. It will also help you determine what may grow well with minimal amendments. I would also get in touch with your local extension office as this is right in their wheelhouse.

It will also be important to determine what you are going to do for irrigation or have a plan b for feed if irrigation is not present.

The livestock game can be a pretty expensive hobby so another good option to explore is leasing your land for grazing as a starting point.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

It would be nice to to pre emerge but we have yet to do it since we moved here in late 2014. Our main pasture is around 6-7 acres of Bermuda and weeds. We have some horses on it and they keep it down reasonably well. We still brush hog it at least twice a year once the marestails get unsightly. We leave them on in the winter and substitute with Bermuda hay and some grain.


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## zenmower (Jul 22, 2018)

One word....Clover.

There are a lot of irrigation options, how big is your wallet?


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## MarshalOfFire (Apr 22, 2020)

Local fire department do prescribed burns for training? Could eliminate invasive species and encourage the release of a native seed bank.


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## GaJake (May 19, 2020)

My dad has about 10 acres of pasture for his horses. He's neglected it for a couple of years. I just sprayed with Pasture Pro (2 4 D) at about 12 oz per 10 gallons.

My goal is to knock out the broad leafs and try to allow the native bermuda and crab grasses to thrive.


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