Jump into managing this field? Or farm it for a few years?

[Hob 'n Grind]

I'm gonna go against the grain here on the levelling part. After you terminate the undesirable vegetation, hire a small dozer and let him take care of the highs and lows. He'll have a better understanding and the proper equipment to put the dirt where it needs to go. After that decide what you want growing there and plant it.

Hi Drycreek. Just so I am understanding, you are basically suggesting the use of a dozer instead of a disc to fix the humps and ruts? The field has two big long drainages running east to west which probably would be let go to prevent erosion.

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[Hob 'n Grind]

Great thread.

If your goal is habitat, why level all of it? I'd speculate that at least a few ditches could improve drainage or at least provide some variety for plants that like wet feet. Better still if you can let a few ditches drain into a water hole or small pond made by the dozer guy who levels the majority of the 15. If you get a weedy area or undesirables, then see if you can have it farmed. Consider a couple years of hay rather than row crops. Often you can get interest in even a 3-5 acre hayfield which would be easy to maintain/convert as a food plot or NWSG.

Hey. The only areas that would be smoothed out would be the areas where the pipes were dug up. Is that what you were suggesting? Interesting idea on trying to use the ditches as an advantage. Actually, some of them do hold water. Perhaps I could keep a strategic water hole?

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[Drycreek]

Hi Drycreek. Just so I am understanding, you are basically suggesting the use of a dozer instead of a disc to fix the humps and ruts? The field has two big long drainages running east to west which probably would be let go to prevent erosion.

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When I started a new plot I would almost always fill holes or cut down humps before discing, but I owned a dozer so it was convenient and quicker. It would takes lots of passes with a disc to level big humps or fill deep ditches. You're gonna lose a little soil but chances are it's not gonna hurt your situation that much. It would definitely be better IMO than dodging ditches, but I'm a little OCD about level. I guess it's the construction background in me.....

 

[MattJK]

Hey. The only areas that would be smoothed out would be the areas where the pipes were dug up. Is that what you were suggesting? Interesting idea on trying to use the ditches as an advantage. Actually, some of them do hold water. Perhaps I could keep a strategic water hole?

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I'm suggesting you only smooth some of those areas. And create or enlarge a water hole. Without seeing the pattern, I'd envision keeping two ditches at 90 degrees near the perimeter of the field and having them connect at a new water hole. Smooth everything else.

 

[MattJK]

Hey. The only areas that would be smoothed out would be the areas where the pipes were dug up. Is that what you were suggesting? Interesting idea on trying to use the ditches as an advantage. Actually, some of them do hold water. Perhaps I could keep a strategic water hole?

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Also, a ditch on the property edge(s) with road frontage can be helpful to deter atv and truck trespassing. A berm and a ditch can be a barrier and a vision screen as well - helping with daytime deer movement as well as trespassing. Makes it easy to add a gate or chain to limit access where there is no ditch.

 

[dogghr]

Not necessarily. Some farmers are very intelligent and and do all this themselves. Others have no idea and just pay someone else to do the sampling and figure out what to do. There is a third tier that is 2 notches below retarded that don't do anything at all and just "let the coop tell me what to put on." That usually ends up being the neighborhood blend.

This is the fun part of growing if you're inclined to participate in this. Borrow a soil probe from someone (coop or agronomist) and go out and do it yourself. It is very easy. Give him a case of beer, cause a good probe is $100. If you're really into this like I am, just buy your own probe.

If your field is flat, I'd divide it into thirds and take a sample( 8 cores ) from each third. If it has some up and down, I'd run one test on the top of the hills, one test on the lowest spot, and one inbetween. You also don't need soil test bags. I just send mine in quart freezer ziplock bags.

I never look that cute taking soil samples. Guess I need to wear tighter jeans next time.

 

[Hob 'n Grind]

I was able to meet with one of the local farmers yesterday to get an idea on what he could do with the field. Basically there are two options at this time.

Option 1 - Spray the field in Spring (he said late April) and disc the rough spots. Then I would let things go and see what comes in. Cost would be 15-20$ / AC for spraying and 25-30$ / AC for discing. On a side note, while I was talking with the farmer, I noticed the first small cedar tree coming up in the field. I'm guessing that means it's likely that there is a lot more cedar waiting to come up in the field. He mentioned that he sees this on a lot of local fields that are let go.

Option 2 - Spray the field, disc the rough spots, and drill in corn followed by beans. He would not disc or plant in the drainages due to erosion concerns, so they would be available for planting shrubs and trees immediately. He said if I wanted, he could do that for a couple years and follow up with NWSG like switchgrass. I like the sound of switchgrass, especially if it is placed in strategic strips in the field, but I don't know if I want the whole field planted in NWSG. I assume he could accommodate only doing part of the field if that's what I wanted.

Any further thoughts on what makes sense?

Thank you

 

[Hob 'n Grind]

When is the earliest I could have the fescue sprayed in the spring? I ask because I have ordered some shrubs / trees that I would like to plant in the drainages and along the border of the property and I don't want to risk having them get hit with Glyphosate if I don't have to. Thanks for your input

 

[Hob 'n Grind]

Hi all, just wanted to give an update. I talked to a custom sprayer and a local farmer. I'm going to have the field sprayed in the next week or so and the farmer will smooth out the rough spots after. I'll take some pics to show progress.


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