# Need advice for pasture repair!!



## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

If you are starting from scratch, use RoundUp to kill everything first. As to what type of grass, talk to your local agriculture people about what grows best in your soil/climate.
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## jessiejames (Apr 2, 2014)

i already have grass there... i was thinking maybe try round up weed and feed but im not sure if that is safe for the horses and then spead some top soil and more grass seed?


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## quinn (Nov 8, 2013)

Depending on the size of the pasture, you could till the dirt and reseed- horses would need to keep off until grass is established. 
You could put a temporary fence around a small patch and do ^. 
What I've done in the past to kill a small-ish patch was lay down the thick black landscaping mat. If you get the thick kind and scalp the grass before laying the mat it will work.
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## quinn (Nov 8, 2013)

If you have a weed / seed product in mind, maybe call the company to see if irs safe for pastures?
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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Broadleaf weeds can be killed with a 2-4-D herbicide and it is pasture safe. Most clover is nearly impossible to control unless you use an herbicide that kills everything.
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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

How big is the pasture? That's going to determine how you go about fixing it. Cost is a huge consideration of how to restore a pasture. Also what equipment do you have available to do the work or can you hire the farmer down the road with the equipment?

first place to always start is your local county extension office. They will have the best information of what grows best in your area and what you need to do to maximize productivity.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I would NOT use a weed and feed product. those granules release slowly and will poison your horse. The 2-4-D is a good herbicide, you can read the Instructions and find the 'burn' off rate.The local AG extension / dept should be able to tell what grasses are best for your area, if you dont want to do that, then find a seed supplier and see what they recommend. 
You could go with a commercial pre mix and try your luck . 
There are some in this area that are commercial pre mix. and after looking at what seed the pasture grass is, it is not made for this climate or my soil type.


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

The problem with tilling every thing under and starting over is you lose use of the pasture for the entire season. I would try to nurse it along this summer and see if you can get it back with some strict management. 

Start with the 2-4 D. That will knock down most invasive plants. Clover is an opportunistic plant so if your stand of grass is stronger, the clover concentration will decrease. Amend the soil with composted manure. If you have a dairy or feed lot nearby, you can often offer for them to dump or spread their waste on your property for free or a small trucking fee. Overseed with a grass seed that is appropriate for your region. Sit back until June 1st and see what takes hold. You're going to have a hard time not letting them out on it but do what you can. If they do go out, never let them out when the ground is wet and limit their out time to 1-2 hours. Buy extra hay as that's going to have to fill in this summer and fall. If you do get some good growth (8" or more) than use it as limited winter grazing but always removing them before they can do damage to the plants. You can even divide up the pasture into smaller plots and work one area at a time. Let it recover for the entire growing season. Give them limited access when it goes dormant than start working the other 1/2. Also put down a good winter fertilizer with a good P value for a strong root system.


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## Luvs Horses (Jan 9, 2014)

Vinager mix with a bit of dish soap. Can't find my paper with the recipe but when Mom gets home I will ask her on it. This will kill weeds and pretty much any plant you spray it on. It is safe around animals.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If you have left over hay or moderately soiled hay, what I've done is lay it on a poorer area and let nature look after it. In time the hay will rot and improve the soil and any hay seeds will grow . I like the layer to be a min. of 4" thick. By the following summer there should be a nice patch of good soil with new grass. In spring I'll drag a single set of steel harrows with the quad and once a row is scratched I'll toss out timothy seed by hand as we go. I work back and forth always remaining upwind. Often within about 7 days there's be a green haze. The horses are kept off until it's about 4" high.


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