What does it take to keep a green pasture? Got a hobby farm. The pasture is in a bad shape, very bad shape. Trying to improve it using minimal water. What would it be the best way to approach?
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We spread composted manure on our fields. But I expect what you need to do varies wildly depending on location. I’m in the northeast.
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I agree. The location will influence the advice. I can give personal input if your environment/weather is similar to the Southeast… rainfall, in particular.
ETA: Oops, I replied to cinnamon.
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Calling @Creekland.
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Rotate pastures so they don’t overgraze it. Once it’s overgrazed (it may be there already), it’s very difficult to fix without a lot of time. Grazers have their favored areas and will eat it down to stubs before touching areas they don’t like if they get a chance to. They can’t have access to the whole pasture all the time - that leads to a problem with worms too BTW.
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Call the local extension office? Most state universities have one.
Do you get enough rain or have irrigation?
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Thank you for replies. I am in the southwest. Not much rain but have irrigation. Yes, it is overgrazed. Very. @Creekland what kind of worms? Worms like parasite or worms for the turf and in the soil?
Do you still spread cow manure? There’s plenty already on the field.
Read up (watch YouTube, etc.) on Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms. A really fascinating guy, focused on the exact questions you’re asking. If you can, see if any of his upcoming speaking events on the website will be near you.
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Mostly roundworms, but other parasites too. We try to go at least two weeks without grazing for our horses, but often it’s longer - esp if there’s rain vs hot and dry.
Deer in the pasture can negate keeping critters off though. They have worms too.
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Hit up your local/state extension service for advice and maybe start with soil testing
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It’s horse manure but I don’t think it matters in terms of soil/grass.
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I mean there are already droppings from animals on the pasture. It is not composted yet but will eventually go back to the soil nursing it. Do I still need to fertilize the field?
It depends upon how you want to run your field. We choose organic and do no commercial fertilizer. We chop and drop what the ponies don’t eat and use the lawn tractor to spread their droppings. It’s worked well for us, though we occasionally debate liming the field to help combat weeds.
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Your location in the southwest will determine what is possible. In arid/dry/desert climates you are most likely not going to grow much of anything without irrigation. That’s why when cattle graze out west it takes many acres to support each animal.
Your county or state land grant Extension service can give you the most applicable advice to your specific geographic region. Questions they will want answered include size of the pasture, what you want to raise on it, current condition, etc. In the northeast it’s much easier to resfresh pastures because of the abundant rainfall we get. You can plant grasses in the fall and let them establish overwinter into the spring. Natural fertilizer also responds differently because of the freeze/thaw cycles we have. Best thing to restore a pasture is to keep heavy animal traffic off of it to allow the grasses to grow.
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