Hayfield

[Bucaramus]

My lease has a 12 acre hayfield that has not been cut or bailed in several years. I have permission to mow, plant or do whatever with it. Would be killer to have some nice large food plots. What would you do with what is there now? There is a productive hayfield to the right of this field and then everythingl else borders mature hardwood forest. Just looking for some ideas. I do have a tractor, bushhog, harrows, sprayer, etc..

 

[BriarPatch99]

Mow close .... then drill in wheat, rye, oats ....

 

[Bucaramus]

Mowing with the bushhog seems to just make a mess of it. I did try the no till on a couple of spots to see what happens.

 

[Dean]

I would consider spraying to kill all of it. After spraying wait a few days, broadcast seed.....then you can bushhog. Create a biomass with all the dead growth, pray for rain. If you think you will have access for several years, grab a soil sample and lime accordingly this year so next summer/fall you will have helped out your pH.

 

[BriarPatch99]

Mowing with the bushhog seems to just make a mess of it. I did try the no till on a couple of spots to see what happens.

Mow... Let dry good .... Harrow all the way around good ....then get a burn permit and clean it up ...

 

[Turpentine]

Mow, burn, plant?
While leaving the sections of tall thick brush.

 

[Bucaramus]

I would consider spraying to kill all of it. After spraying wait a few days, broadcast seed.....then you can bushhog. Create a biomass with all the dead growth, pray for rain. If you think you will have access for several years, grab a soil sample and lime accordingly this year so next summer/fall you will have helped out your pH.

This is what I did with about 2 acres. Rained good 2 days in a row after seeding so I haven't been able to mow yet. Dew stays on it pretty heavy until the afternoon heat burns it off.

 

[deerbuster]

I'd make a 2 or 3 small one acre plots and leave the rest and manage it for native forbs and grasses. You can feed a lot more deer with natives legumes and other forbes than you can with food plots if done correctly. Fire and fertilizer with the occasional spot spray to combat non native invasives!

 

[Dean]

I have burned biomass off plots as method to clear too. However, I specifically asked a local UGA County Ext Agent about the practice several years ago. He was pretty adamant. Burn: prescribed burns for understory - yes. During old field or food plot establishment - no.
Essentially, he suggested you want to keep that biomass, decaying material as soil builder, moisture barrier, soil temp regulator, weed suppression. Decaying biomass aid in reduced fertilizer cost down the road. Anyway, just sharing the info.

 

[Nitram4891]

I have burned biomass off plots as method to clear too. However, I specifically asked a local UGA County Ext Agent about the practice several years ago. He was pretty adamant. Burn: prescribed burns for understory - yes. During old field or food plot establishment - no.
Essentially, he suggested you want to keep that biomass, decaying material as soil builder, moisture barrier, soil temp regulator, weed suppression. Decaying biomass aid in reduced fertilizer cost down the road. Anyway, just sharing the info.

Same thing that Grant Woods says. That decaying ground covers provides everything you stated.

 

[kmckinnie]

I have just thrown oats. Wheat durning rainy times and have it come up.
Fertilizer and lime on grass will also have a greener rich area.
Now area.

When I spill seed it not in plot they sprout with rain.

 

[kmckinnie]

I guess u could throw seed. Then lite disc on grass. Won’t hurt hay field. Grow back that spring.
Just go over lively just to break some dirt so it will sprout.

“Need Rain”
When back and read. Inactive hay field. !

 

[Bucaramus]

Well, I sprayed then seeded. Couldn't more due to rain for a couple of weeks but finally mowed. We haven't been here for 2 weeks but this is what we walked up to. First field is a clover mix and the 2nd is grain rye and oats.

 

[Bucaramus]

 

[Bucaramus]

That said, even the roads I mowed without planting at all greened up nicely.

 

[gma1320]

My lease has a 12 acre hayfield that has not been cut or bailed in several years. I have permission to mow, plant or do whatever with it. Would be killer to have some nice large food plots. What would you do with what is there now? There is a productive hayfield to the right of this field and then everythingl else borders mature hardwood forest. Just looking for some ideas. I do have a tractor, bushhog, harrows, sprayer, etc..View attachment 983996View attachment 983997

I'm late to the party, but if you didn't cut it all already, you might consider cutting a row or 2 around the edges and leaving the middle over grown. Plant whatever you want in the area you cut. I have in the past done my land in this manner with great success. The deer really love the cover of the overgrown field while being able to feed in the plots close to the woodline. It also makes great edge and transition habitat. Also as someone stated there is a lot growing in that field that deer will browse on.

 

[Bucaramus]

In the fields now most everything has died and has the prettiest green I don't know what all underneath. Now that the season is winding down, should I mow the dead matter? I'm not even so sure that the spray was very effective as areas I sprayed and did not plant are still just as green and pretty as can be.

 

[DW40]

If it were me, I would keep the dead matter standing. It will keep the deer feeling secure throughout the winter. Even though it's the end of the season, it never hurts keeping the deer in there. Cut it in the spring and it will provide a mulch and fertilizer for whatever you plant in the spring or summer.

 

[Bucaramus]

The only dead that's tall now appear to be trees and shrubs of some sort. Everything else has kind of laid down. I can see deer walk across it plain as day now.