old Corn Field to Grass

[Boomerboy]

MIMark,

22 years ago I started in the same place as yourself. I purchased a 5 acre corn field. I had no tractor but a will to make things happen. The first five years I struggled along with used equipment - two difference department store "lawn tractors" -(tractors - yea, sure /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif). These did help to cut the first corn stalks and thistles that grew, but the frustrations of the saturday morning fights to keep going wore me down. I could see a decent crop of nature green stuff (grass?) coming in, and the place looked ok after mowing. I made a jump into my first new hydrostat (Bolens 1900 - 19 hp) with 60" mid-mount mower. With that machine, and another 12 years, the property looks great - a barnyard to be sure, but lots of soft green stuff that mows up well and looks like grass!

Over the years I have had to roll (large roller - 6' wide water filled - 24" diameter) the property alot since I was anxious to get going and never had the corn plowed under. During drought conditions, you can still see the gentle corn rows - dark green - light green - stripes in certain areas.

I do use a lot of Round-up to keep the property looking good and to keep God from taking the property back too quickly! It has proven to be a good non-residual product over the past twenty years.

If I had it to do over, and know what I know now, two things I would surely change: 1. Plow and till that property! I was in a hurry to getr trees growing, but believe me, a season can wait in the vast scheme of things. I've spent hours rolling and re-rolling every spring to try to minimize the corn rows. 2. Buy a tractor now you think is a little too big (believe me, it isn't). I spent lots of $ on used equipment (and owning someone elses spare time headaches!) and equipment that seemed just right. I now own a NH TC29D and wish I had owned it years ago! You will accumulate toys for the tractor /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif, so spend you money just once. Go with a tractor that will more than do the job, allows for some toy growth, has great service close to home (important!) and lets you develop that property right!

Good luck to you!
PS: Don't invest in anything until you check out the NH Boomer series! I found them to offer more bang for the buck.

 

[MikePA]

Mark, attached are 2 pictures of our 3 acre field. Last year (before we owned it) the farmer planted (no till with a herbicide) corn which he harvested in late November, 2001. About 2 weeks ago, another local farmer (and a friend) disced and plowed the field. The farmer used a full size JD tractor with a huge disc and then a 4 bottom plow. The lower picture was taken this morning. In the past two weeks, we've received some much needed rain. As you can see, there are still some corn stalk remains left at the edge of the field. While the farmer could disc right to the edge, he could not plow that close without driving onto our lawn. In the next few weeks, the field will be limed (2 tons/acre), and then the farmer will return to disc and plant pasture grass.

 

[Boomerboy]

Mark,

Mike's pics inspired me to post my corn field. The attached pic is looking south east from my elevated concrete deck (note the parapets of my castle /w3tcompact/icons/king.gif). It started out looking like mike's first pic, with thistles mixed in with the corn stalks. There is hope, but a good tractor makes good luck happen!

 

[MikePA]

That's one gorgeous lawn!! Great job!!

My cornfield didn't have the thistles because of the herbicide (Bicep) the first farmer used.

 

[blurrybill]

Beautiful, Boomerboy! Love the Colorado Blue Spruce, too. I want to manicure portions of our 8 acres and leave some in natural woodland flowers, etc. We have both pasture and woods on the flat 8 acres. Inspiring; thanks.

Bill

 

[njrqs]

Great lawn

Something I can only dream of over here. We have very little rain and when windy like today, I can see what little topsoil I have, blowing away /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

 

[TresCrows]

What are the trees there. It sure looks great, what kind of grass is planted? I wish mine looked something like that, well in places it does and I use no herbicides or poisons. One thing not being native to an area is figuring out how to coexist with the climate and what grows well. I was told River Birch do great here for example and that they are native--yeah right--they all died--climate is to hot, to windy, to dry and to cold for a tender tree like that. My neighbors all died too but the Pin Oaks and Saw Tooth Oaks and Blue Spruce and Austrian Pines are getting along well. You have a beautiful yard, great work.
J

 

[Boomerboy]

The trees on the property range from the slow growing type, such as Black Walnut, Butternut (White Walnut), Hickory, Buckeye, Spruce & Fur Trees, along with Norway, Red & Sugar Maples. Fast growers include Silver Maples (What Weeds!), Ash, White Pine, and Locus. There was one Shag Bark Hickory tree on the property when I purchased it. Most of the trees were free. Friends would show up (usually just before dark!) with a bare rooted tree in hand and say, "Do you want this, I'm not sure what it is but it has been growing in my garden". I have purchased a few trees, but mostly of the flowering type, such as Redspire and Bradford pear, Redbud, American Plum, Dogwood, Crab Apple, and of course Apple Trees! I had originally wanted to create a "wooded Property", but have come to realize after planting a mere 500+ trees, that only God can do that. I've lost more trees to the evil mower (Thanks, dear, for helping /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif), drought, deer, rabbits, kids, a number of mystery disappearences. After 22 yrs, I still plant about a dozen or so a year, just trying to keep at it.

The only grass planted is a 15 foot strip around the deck. This strip extends out to the Red Maples closest to the deck, seen in the first pic posted. The rest has been just mowing, mowing, and more mowing!

I do advocate lots of perennials. They just keep coming back each spring and put a smile on our faces. I lined the edge of the opposite side of the road (grain fields) from my property with bulbs (about every 6"). A nice show on the way home to say Welcome Home!

I have never avoided planting trees over the septic field. I have (2) 1000 gal. tanks in series, and 1900 linear feet of leach lines. I had it pumped once, but the Honey Dipper guy told me it was actually in great shape after 15 years. I haven't touched it since. All works well.

Mark, just keep at it. Never stop improving your property. As I have said for years, it will be just right when they wheel me out and the next guy is looking for a great place to live.

Good luck to you and yours!

 

[Boomerboy]

Here is a pic of a perennial bed around the old Shag Bark Hickory. This was taken Last July.

Mark, Keep At It!

 

[DVerbarg]

That's beautiful! My "new construction yard" is a far cry from that but is gives me something to dream and work towards. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif