Need help turning an old field into a pretty yard

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I know timing is not right for this year. But over the course of the next few years I would like to turn my property from junky thin weedy grass to a nice looking lawn. Maybe the hay guys can help? Bermuda is the only grass I really have any experience with and I like it pretty well. I finished my house this winter and threw out a bunch of Rye grass seed for erosion control. That did the job that it was intended for but it sure caused a lot of mowing! Then I got a hundred or so pounds of Bermuda and Fescue, mixed it together and spread it around the house in the thin spots and where the rye was. A whole bunch has taken off, but not near what I threw out. This property has been cut for hay for a very long time, probably more than 10 years, with very little if any fertilizing or amendments done to it. It's thin for the most part and not a lot of real grass, mostly all weeds.

What is my best bet to start working on improving it? I figure heavily fertilizing it will be the starting point. Would it be worthwhile to spray 2-4D and spread seed when a bunch of the weeds die? I don't have access to a seed drill to overseed. I don't really want to disc it up but if I need to I can do that as a last resort. If so, I'll probably just do an acre or two at a time, and probably with my little tiller. Bermuda seed is pretty expensive... What time of the year though? I don't know if that is a fall or spring thing.

I'm open to any ideas. I only have experience with small yards. And back in the day there was a chemical called MSMA that killed almost everything but Bermuda. Just it and 13-13-13 would be about all you needed for a pretty yard.

Also my property is 11.38 acres and 9-10 are what I maintain as a yard.

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[dodge man]

Is it level enough to suit you? If not you probably need to start over.

If it level and smooth enough you can get and over seeder and use that to plant the grass you want. Then it’s just a matter of using weed killer and fertilizer to keep it nice. I have a couple of acres and it’s not that great a yard. To keep mine really nice would probably cost over a $1000 a year in fertilizer and weed killer. You would spend quite a bit more for yours.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Most of my yard is former field, except where they graded around the house that got Ky blue. I just mow what’s there, looks good to me.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Most of my yard is former field, except where they graded around the house that got Ky blue. I just mow what’s there, looks good to me. View attachment 874994

Yours looks much better than mine.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Yours looks much better than mine.

I used to let it grow and mow it with tractor and bush hog once a year, or RFM about once a month. Now that I have ZT, I just keep it mowed. So much faster with ZT.
I also mow about 3.5 acres of my VA land with ZT once a month, it was a hay field when we got it 2 yrs ago

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Yours looks much better than mine.

It used to me a lot more weeds. Keeping it mowed lets grass grow and less weeds now.

 

[paulsharvey]

Couple points;
1) You really want 10 acres of yard yard, or 1 or 2 acres of nice yard; and 8-9 of nice looking field? 10 acres to mow every two weeks is a Lot to mow, a lot to fertilize; lot to control weeds, a lot to water
2) 100 lbs for 10 acres is Very light; I think you need 60-100#/acre to establish turf grass
3) You need to get your watering, drainage, and smooth/firmish ground first; before we plant the grass. I know you don't want the soil compact, but you also don't want anything loose/prone to settling
4) any PH issues? if we are talking about over seeding, releveling, this would be the time to correct the PH
5) if we are really talking about investing to do 10 acres of proper yard turf; your talking about many hundreds in seed/fertilzer; get a soil test or 3... No reason to pit 13-13-13 down if you really need 26-0-8.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Selective herbicide in the spring and fall. A pre emergent in the spring and fall. Seeding in the spring or fall... Just eliminate the pre emergent in that season. It will take a few years of this to deplete the seed bank.