There are a couple of threads on here where folks are mowing pastures that got me a bit curious. When I was growing up, we'd mow spots in the pasture that had issues with buckbrush, goldenrod, or thistles , but we mostly managed them by moving the salt block into the middle of them. From the pictures, it looks like some folks are mowing the whole pasture with little to no apparent weed problem. I was wondering why.
Mowing Pastures?
- Thread starter bucktail
- Start date
We mow pasture to help eliminate weed problems. Sometimes in late March or early April we'll burn off the entire field to help eliminate weed seeds. Thistles, buckbrush, etc. usually get some chemical spray to terminate their growth.
24D or MCP didn't do much for the weeds we had until we started mixing in crop oil. We got rid of the buckbrush with by throwing a salt block into the middle of it. We couldn't mow a lot of it because it was too rocky. We'd probably have been farming it otherwise. The rest of it was prone to flooding.
I've used Brushkiller 875 for buck brush. Usually 2-4-D with some Tordon mixed in for thistles. We have sumac that gets 6'-7' tall and I've just mowed it down, then go right back over it going the other direction. It usually keeps it from coming back.
When i was a kid, we used a spade for the thistles. But I think it was as much to keep us out of the grand parents house
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We don't have horses or livestock, just chickens, so we mow the pasture just to keep it from becoming a jungle... and it gives me some more seat time. I mow it about every three weeks in the warm season.
The guy who owned the house before me had a horse or two and that was some time back.
PHPaul
Well-known member
Equipment
B2650, Pronovost snow blower, Landpride rotary mower, Howard tiller, box blade
I had sheep on three acres of grass.
I mowed for three reasons:
1. The flock wasn't big enough to keep up with the grass.
2. Mowing lets the grass compete with the weeds better. Also, grass that is setting seed puts all it's energy into ripening the seed. Mow the seed heads off and the energy goes into growing more grass.
3. I'm a Kraut from a long line of Krauts and it was a given that you did whatever it took to keep the place looking nice. Freshly mown pasture looks REAL nice.
I mowed for three reasons:
1. The flock wasn't big enough to keep up with the grass.
2. Mowing lets the grass compete with the weeds better. Also, grass that is setting seed puts all it's energy into ripening the seed. Mow the seed heads off and the energy goes into growing more grass.
3. I'm a Kraut from a long line of Krauts and it was a given that you did whatever it took to keep the place looking nice. Freshly mown pasture looks REAL nice.