# Changing pasture from wheat



## Cherrij (Jan 30, 2013)

Wheat is not good for horses. When it is just the sprouts, they can have some, but the grain and formed, mature heads full of seeds are dangerous! 

Best would probably letting this harvest and then reseed.


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## drjterrell (Mar 11, 2018)

Cherrij said:


> Best would probably letting this harvest and then reseed.


Yes, but what would you reseed with in central Alabama? And how, exactly, would I do that?


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I know nothing about Alabama! 
I agree with the above over horses and wheat. 

You can spray to kill it or harvest it the plough and reseed. As to what seed if it is for horses then I would suggest a good seed mix with some herbs in it too. 

Best people to ask would be a seed merchant.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Whatever you spray with may well have residual that means you have to wait to plant. Bermuda needs night temps in the mid 60s to low 70s and rain in combination. I would till the wheat and depending on what your night temps are either overseed with rye grass (Not the grain) and then when the nights get warmer but days are not over 95 plant the Bermuda. You still have to give it time to establish before putting anything out to graze. It can take a while. On my phone so sorry for errors.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Springing is better than seeding. Talk to your at extension agent. Bahia could work too.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

I second contacting your county extension agent. They should be able to help you decide what to do, when to do it, and point you in the direction of suitable grasses. Some will also know who to contact to have work done for you or to rent equipment.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Let the field be, harvest it at the proper time, then have it turned under 2x..._a few weeks apart._
_Do *not *spray anything to the ground that will prevent growth as the "shelf-life" of pesticides could prevent you from growing pasture grass for several seasons..._
A local farm supply store, not Tractor Supply, but the local farm supply store should be a great source of information about all kinds of things local to your area....
Time to seed, time to harvest, who does what, contacts for who will harvest for you and not rip you off,...
Farm extension agents are good to a certain point, then it stops.
You need local contacts of who does what and for whom...physical people contacts.


I'm in Central Florida, hot and humid climate here too.
Coastal fine & coarse stalks, tifton 44, bahia, peanut hay, alfalfa, are the biggies here that are grown.
Tifton 88 is a better nutrition value and is well-grown in your state.
There are other varieties of grasses grown too, but these are the ones I hear not only harvested and fed to horses and livestock but that the animals thrive on.
Heat resistant, drought resistant yet can also survive in the rainy season deluge we also get.

Our pasture fields here were seeded about 6 weeks ago and are just now starting to really fill in and look decent...
_Don't turn your field under_ to soon or you can also have terrible soil erosion with the rains and no roots to hold the soil or from the monsoon rains and hurricane season soon to start...
It also is not a one-time thing to plant/seed your fields when establishing them...but done yearly along with fertilizing to get a good root supply...
Then a few times a year weed & feed if you are haying...otherwise yearly you should really do the weed & feed or your field can be over-run quickly with weeds and undesirable grass the animals will not consume...
Those blends of grasses are what your extension agent can guide you with...:wink: what the horses will really eat and not have acres of wasteful green but no grazing on it.

Enjoy the journey of bringing the horses home...
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Sorry. Now I can finish. You'll want a soil test so you know what you'll need to add as each grass is PH specific and you may be needing to add lime. They also have different fertilizer requirements. There is no "wheatgrass". Wheat is wheat and all is grown from the grain either for the grass (to juice) or the grain whether for milling or seeding the next crop. Rye can be referring to the grain crop (cereal rye) or either the annual or perennial grass. Different species.

That should have been sprigging up in the above post. You are further north than I am (coastal) so you may have enough time to get the ryegrass up and going then do your pasture grass. I have added clover and overseed in the winter with annual rye.

Good pasture management can mean there is no need for the herbicides. I prefer to spread manure than add fertilizer but to keep bermuda growing here I have to fertilize or would need to bring in a composted product to put down and have to lime to keep the PH correct. Bahaia grows with less inputs but you still have to watch PH or other grasses move in. Seeded correctly and allowed to establish you should not have to repeat the seeding but will need to keep up with lime (depending on PH) and fertilizer.


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## Loner (Dec 21, 2017)

Disc the wheat under.Then you have to let it set for awhile.Argentina Bahia grows well in that region and is tolerant to heat and drought.Hope this helps.


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