Clearing and treating a noxious weed field - cost?

[TheCryptKeeper]

Hey all!
I'm in the process of buying a 25 acre lot that's former farm land. Loooooong story short, a year went by, someone bought it, it fell through, now I'm buying it. Gorgeous land, gentle sloping field down towards a national park, no trees or any stumps or rocks. When I first toured the lot it was corn gone fallow, some small weeds but mostly just low grasses. I felt pretty good that I could learn how to manage that.
Well, we just went to inspect the lot and I realized that the sellers in the past year did ZERO maintenance. It's now 25 acres of thistle, johnson weed and 8 foot high grasses. I'm not real thrilled with them about this - I planned on having 23 acres that I let go wild in some form - either reforestation or meadow restoration of some type for wildlife, but now instead of just clearing, treating and seeding low grasses, I'm worried this is gonna take a lot more.

I wanna have someone professional come out and do it so that I don't mess it up and wind up fighting thistles for the next thirty years, heh. Then I'll start looking for my own equipment to maintain it. What's a ballpark figure you think it'll cost me to bush hog, treat (with gly or whatever's best) and seed this kind of acreage?

Thanks!

 

[plowhog]

Congratulations on your purchase!

From my limited experience, I believe that no matter what you do, you will be fighting thistles for the next thirty years ....

 

[Torvy]

Two things:
1) you said gorgeous land and no trees in the same sentence. Inconceivable!
2) first remove as much as you can mechanically, then, do a controlled burn. Then plow it all under. Plant what you want. Nature will give you weeds at some point no matter what you do.

 

[Have tractor did travel]

Crypt, Your narrative is a little confusing. 25 acres. You wanted to return 23 acres to "aux naturel" which would leave 2 acres for lawn (?). Then, you ask for solutions on what to do with 25 acres.
If you want 25 acres of grass, you've got the right idea and a high price - bush hog, glyphosate, seed. Or, start bush hogging, and do so every month or so (depending on season and rain) just before the weeds go to seed. (That means only 2-3 times a year of bush hogging.) You can slit seed with your chosen grass. Stay away from Kentucky 31 fescue.
Buying 25 acres, seems to me you'd want to 'play farmer' and keep it up yourself. A lot of us find tractor work to be therapeutic. You can get a good, 1500 hour Kubota, 30 hp for $4500, and a used bush hog for $500.

 

[jeff9366]

If you want 25 acres of grass, you've got the right idea and a high price - bush hog, glyphosate, seed. Or, start bush hogging, and do so every month or so (depending on season and rain) just before the weeds go to seed. (That means only 2-3 times a year of bush hogging.)

If you mow regularly, many of the weeds will die, grass will remain.

You can slit seed with your chosen grass. Stay away from Kentucky 31 fescue.

Buying 25 acres, seems to me you'd want to 'play farmer' and keep it up yourself. A lot of us find tractor work therapeutic.

You can get a good, 1500 hour Kubota, 30 hp for $4500, and a used bush hog for $500.

Personally, I dislike mowing with an open station tractor. Too much dust, too much pollen and too many bee stings. I would buy a heavier, wider, more powerful tractor with a cab, heat and A/C.

Here is a mowing calculator. Calculate the time it will take you to mow with a 60"-72"-84"- 120" mower.

Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

www.landscapecalculator.com

I'm in the process of buying a 25 acre gently sloping lot that's former farm land.

Tractors are inherently unstable operating on sloped ground. Tractor rear wheel/tire spread, sometimes adjustable, is a critical factor increasing compact tractor stability working sloped or uneven ground. Rear axle is the tractor component on which rear wheels/tires mount. A 6" to 10" wider rear axle substantially decreases tractor rollover potential. Tractor width is an approximation of rear axle width.

Larger wheels and tires yield more tractive power pulling ground contact implements and logs, pushing a loader bucket into dirt and pushing snow. Larger wheels and tires permit heavier tractors to bridge holes, ruts and tree debris with less operator perturbation and operation at higher ground speeds.

How even/smooth is your 25 sloping acres?

When considering a tractor purchase bare tractor weight first, tractor horsepower second, rear axle width third, rear wheel/tire ballast fourth.



If mowing will be your primary task, consider a Ventrac or Steiner mower. No cab but highly productive mowers. Much safer than a traditional tractor mowing on slopes. Golf courses are the primary customers for Ventrac and Steiner. Always employee operated on gold courses, these are tough machines.

 

[Have tractor did travel]

Crypt - Forgot to mention. Weeds like acidic soil. Get the Ph up to 6.5 or 7 (by adding lime), and you'll have even less problem ridding yourself of weeds. The thistles will probably require you to dig them out by the roots. Some of the agricultural materials suppliers will apply product you buy from them. Not free, but they have the equipment. My farm, at purchase, needed 300 tons of lime. We're doing it 60 tons a year. Limit application to about 2 tons per acre per year.
As re Jeff's comments open station vs. closed. For me, if I'm going to be enclosed, I might just as well be sitting in the living room. Add the cost of the cab, and A/C and you're not looking at $4500 any more. These are the reasons manufacturers make both.
Are you anywhere near Point of Rocks ?

 

[jeff9366]

Some of the agricultural materials suppliers will apply product you buy from them. Not free, but they have the equipment.

Two names near me: Southern States, Nutrien.

 

[jeff9366]

Tractor Supply Company (TSC) carries a fair assortment of general purpose and specialized herbicides for small farmers with ten to 100 acres.

Residential herbicides are in the front of the stores.
Small farm herbicides are in the back of the stores.
"Gordon's" is a reliable brand.

2-4d based herbicides will preserve existing grass. I favor preserving the existing grass, overseeing with your preference.

RoundUp/Glycophosphate kills everything green, but not seeds in soil. Potential erosion.

Herbicides work best when the target material is growing vigorously.

LINK: Gordon's weed herbicide


TSC will sell you a spray rig too.

LINK: Tractor Supply sprayer

 

[jeff9366]

What's a ballpark figure you think it'll cost me to bush hog, treat (with gly or whatever's best) and seed this kind of acreage?

In my area of Florida "tractor services" are $100 per hour, plus materials. (herbicide)
Cost of tractor operation is around $35/hour, including implements. Truck, trailer and operator expense additional.

Equipment varies. Mowers are generally 84" Rotary Cutters.

See Mowing Calculator in Post #5 to work out hours required.


These are small businesses so the equipment has to fit on a trailer which can be pulled by the owner/operfator's pickup truck.

 

[Wakey]

Welcome aboard Crypt!