How to get a pasture to bare dirt?

[Oldtoad]

Made a good living through chemistry so I'm gonna be a conspiracy theorist and not get myocarditis, clots, cancer, etc. over this, ha.
Don't put chemicals where the kids are going to play or where you might grow food!
There are piles of rusting pieces of farm implements, go hunt one up cheap and go to it.

 

[Retired LE]

I have the same issue with about four acres. I would hesitate to use chemicals unless you are positive the land won't be used to grow anything or house livestock. I like the goat idea. Will have to check to see if anyone around here has goats.

 

[LD1]

FWIW, Triclopyr normally doesn't kill clover unless you hit it pretty hard or use it every year. I've used it in the spring to kill Creeping Charly. It did a number on the clover, but didn't kill it. The clover didn't bloom that year, but has had no issues blooming since. If anything it probably restored a more healthy balance of grass/clover. I prefer to avoid chemicals when I can, but my patience has limits...

Well you experience may be different. But triclopyr is one of the #1 recommended herbicides for dealing with clover in the lawn. From all the lawn care companies, lawn care forums, etc. And even products labeled specifically FOR clover...like ortho:

Weed B Gon Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Killer for Lawns Concentrate​

SPECIFICALLY contains Triclopyr.

CLover is on the tougher end of the spectrum to kill for any herbicide. most specifically state that if clover is the target to use a surfactant.

But I have used it SPECIFICALLY for white clover in the lawn, and I can tell you it does indeed work

 

[nortonbyk]

I am retired tractor newbie following this thread because I want to do the exact same thing as whitravis. I believe in better living through chemicals, but chemicals aren't going to help me with the rocks here in SW Missouri. If I till, plow, disc, or drill, I just get more rocks. My lawn (a generous term) is all weeds that I can't even identify. What they call "topsoil" here in southern MO is not what I remember being topsoil when I lived in NJ (and I had a beautiful lawn). My goal is to have a nice 2-acre lawn around my house that I can mow without destroying three sets of lawnmower blades a season. I have a Kubota 2620 with a FEL, and only have a box-blade, landplane, and b(r)ush hog. Is there anything that is a tow-behind that removes golfball to softball sized stones? and how do I plant grass on limestone with the thinnest of "topsoil"?

 

[LD1]

A friend/co-worker of mine is starting to go organic on his farm. This is his first year. He brought in 100 acres of winter wheat this summer. Yield was down 30% BUT so were the costs so his profit was the same. Those fields already have a reasonable amount of microbes and earth worms are already coming back in.

I wouldn't call chemicals the lazy route. If you want big yields, that's what you have to do. The problem is how most farmers measure progress/success. Historically the goal has been to maximize yields and Chemicals do that better than anything else, especially if you're doing no-till. The problem is that the better the yields are, the less the market pays for the crop, and the more Dupont and their friends charge for the chemicals. There's big money to be made, but the farmer doesn't end up getting to keep much of it. If we can shift the focus to minimizing cost, the profits can stay pretty close to the same in the near term, and go up in the long term as the land becomes more fertile on its own. It's hard to see yields drop by 30% and not feel like it was a bad year, but when your bank account says you made just as much money, it eases the pain

Thats surprising he only saw a 30% drop in yield.

But to say farmers want to maximize yield is not really correct.

ITs about money period. Its about maximizing PROFIT.

And every farmers COST is different so there is no one solution fits all.

But no-till + chemical is fewer hours on equipment, less time in the fields, can farm more acreage, and big yields. Organic requires working the ground before planting usually, multiple cultivations, still fighting weeds, and lower yields. So you're trading the chemical expense for fuel. And you can farm less acres.

And with current world population and consumption, I really dont think we could sustain organic farming on a mass scale. Just look at the turmoil if global corn, beans, or wheat production drop by as little a 5%. Prices of things start to skyrocket.

Now imagine if EVERYTHING was organic and as a country (or world) we lost 30-40% of our bean or corn production in a give year?

 

[Clint199]

From what I’ve read it seems like you are wanting to smooth the ground so the kids can play without stumbling. I would mow with bush hog, mow over several times with lawn mower to mulch up and vaporize downed weeds, lower each time scalping the grass. I would get or make a wire drag( cyclone fence wire, cattle panel etc) and put heavy weight (logs, pipes) on the drag. Drag till your hearts content. It will knock down small hills like gopher holes and fill in small holes. The weeds will grow back but so will some grass. Plant what you want and keep it mowed like your yard.

 

[BryceSteiner]

Mow first. Use a tiller for the tractor go down no more than 2 inches. It will pulverize it and smooth out real nice. A month later do it again and then plant your new grass. I can rent one for $50 dollars a day/weekend at my local ACE rental place. Keeps the costs down and the chemicals out.

 

[lman]

I used my 6' tiller on a guy's place that had too many rocks. I concluded that I will never again use my tiller if rocks are present.
I haven't heard if the op has rocks but that will make a difference on what can be used.

 

[Diesel5000]

Rent it out as pasture to too many goats and watch the magic happen. lol

Rent it out as pasture to too many goats and watch the magic happen. lol

Great idea and the goats poop and pee with add nitrogen, phosphorus and nutrients back to the soil. You looked at the price of fertilizer lately?!?!?! Retired operator of municipal wastewater treatment plant and the farmers fought to get our sludge. It had ammonia for quick boost, nitrate to follow up and organic nitrogen that added to the nitrogen content of the soil. I have seen mostly clay and sandy soils go through amazing transformations after 5 to 6 years of organic waste application

 

[paulsharvey]

The tiller route isn't wrong, but you really do need to compact it down afterwards, otherwise, you will get uneven settling, and your right back to where you started.