Because of this drought, I have some places in the pasture that the grass is completely dead. Only a few acres.

We are getting some monsoon rain now. Should I disc it now and broadcast with some grass seed and oats as a cover, wait until fall or wait until spring and disc as early as I can and plant then?

The way the weather has been the last few years, early winter is dry, we get a little moisture late winter and early spring, then a dry late May, June and early July with no moisture.

I am at 7650 feet elevation, no means of irrigating.

Here in Kentucky, we reseed grass in the fall. That is usually the optimum time to do so.

I do quite a bit of that here.

Mostly I use a ridged harrow and overseed as I fertilize, then drag it with a panel drag to cover the seed a bit.

Have used a disc on certain placed that really needed it because of hard pan soil.

Here's the ridged harrow I use. It aerates, and scores the ground enough for seed in most cases. It also levels out rough pastureland.

Grass seed is very small so you do not want it buried in soil. Unless the soil is very hard a harrow should cover it.

I would agree with James fall or before the frost goes out would be my choice.

Depends on where you are, and what rainfall expectations are.

Down here, it's best case scenario to put it out with dry-ish conditions, followed by rain... Lots of rain in slow, soaking rains.

But then again, we sure haven't been working under ideal conditions for anything this year.

Frost seeding in late winter/early spring works well.

Thanks.Will have to put it on hold anyway. Suffered a stroke Friday.

Dang, Vince. Get better.

+1
Hope you overcome this setback.

Sure hate to hear that!

Praying you get recovered from that soon!

Prayers sent for a speedy recovery.

Sorry to hear about your health issue. Best wishes for a full recovery.

Hope the recovery is swift and fruitful!

Regarding when to seed, grass is best seeded in the fall/winter in most places. For a pasture, I'd sure not disk it. At most, scratch it up a bit and broadcast the seed. A cultipacker wouldn't hurt, but not needed. Freeze/thaw/weather should get the seed to the soil surface. If you have cheap/easy access to a drill, I'd use it, but I'd not worry about it. If plenty perennial grass species, I'd not be afraid to use some wheat/cereal rye/etc as a cover crop, especially if you'll need to use it sooner rather than later.

I guess different areas do different things.

Most hay farmers disk their hay fields at least every two years here, and some disc every year. They apply fertilizer after discing and drag it to cover and smooth.

Did a 12.5 acre hay field last year, and disced it hard, harrowed, fertilized and overseeded, and a couple months later he got 4 bales to the acre putting up hay.

Lots depends on rainfall too.

Rain is what I an worried about. Drought killed a lot of it this year. About the only thing left in spots is Brome. I have 4 ft wide toothed harrow I could drag around instead of the ten ft tandem disc.

I'd probably use oats as cover crop. Wheat I would worry about the mules eating the beards if it went to seed .Those can stick in their mouth and throat.

Hope you get on the mend soon.

Red clover and Timothy would be my choice here.

Late winter frost seed. Use a broadcast seeder.

No reason you couldn't plant red clover and oats in late summer/early fall as long as rains are I the forecast a day or 2 before seeding.

Assuming not worried much about overgrazing on new grass w a few mules.

FWIW, I'd treat a hayfield different than I would a pasture, especially a small pasture. Different goals and uses. Still not sure I'd disk and for sure wouldn't disk every 2 years, at least not long term. Too harmful (and anymore expensive) to soil building/health which can be a great hedge against things like drought. Hardly anyone around here grows hay on "good" ground. Most hay operations around here are on ground generally too hard/erosive to effectively raise corn/soybeans on.

Farming is done "right" a million different ways and those ways differ from area to area.

I would want any clover in the pasture. Mules go right to it and ignore the grass and get too fat. Although mules don't founder a much,they still will with enough green clover. Mules can't stand too much prosperity.

Above,I meant to say I WOULDN"T want any clover.

I am still working on this, so more questions.The spots that the grass has died, is not bare dirt. It has layer of dead sod on it. I have a small toothed harrow that I can drag, but don't know if that will get down deep enough and I don't know if seed will germinate laying on top of that dead sod. The only other implement I have is a 10ft tandem disc. It is too small area to have someone come into do it and I sure don't want to plow it up and completely reseed it. It is about 50% grass now.

This stroke has me limited on physical capability, so there is that too.

Any and all thoughts/advice will be deeply appreciated.

I knew what you were saying.

Need to get that dead stuff out of there somehow. You will want seed/soil contact.

Even better if you can seed it then run a cultipacker or a very light harrow to turn some seed in.

You can set the disks where they just barely cut by changing the angle they are set too. Most disk I have seen any way and I'm 79.

79 here too.
My disk are pretty well rusted into one position. Probably been that way for 50 years.I traded a mule for them at least 30 years ago.I will give it a try though.


I was afraid you would say that.

Looks like discing is all I can do.

Got any equipment rental businesses around? Sometimes the Soil Conservation Service rents Ag equipment.

Not for any of that type of equipment. If I went out east of Pueblo, there might be,but that is 80 miles one way.

I was able to adjust my disc as far it would go so it is as straight as it can be. I disced that sod two ways and it looks like a good amount of dirt was turned up. I did about a 1/2 acre and see how that works before I do more.

I plan to seed a mixture they have here for high altitude grass, short prairie grass seed and a small amount of clover. Then oats as cover.

Probably about mid September as that is when we start to get light frost.

I have section of 8 ft chain link fence with two 8 ft graded blades weighing it down that I have had fairly good luck dragging it across grass seeded areas

Just keep discing. Once you start to break that thatch up and get it in contact with the soil it will break down even faster.

Maybe another discing both ways right before seeding.

Will do

I would also try to get seed down when rain is in the forecast.

Get it coming up pretty good before frost sets in or wait til next spring and frost seed, ground will loosen as frost come out of it.

On this side (west) of the Rockies summer precip happens, but evaporates so quickly that it's not effective. I'd be inclined to wait until fall. Spring, and it's iffy on working the ground.

Second, is one sure the grass it dead? Lots of grasses can go dormant for nearly an entire summer and resurrect when moisture returns. Had some neighbors that did a summer long bucket trip. Their yard was brown from early June on but came back great the following spring.

.
No, grass has been dead two years now ,not dormant. What was dormant has greened up with the late summer monsoons we have had. Late August is close to fall here at 7650 feet elevation . I disced it two more times bringing up more dirt and cutting the thatch more, spread seed yesterday and dragged over it,. Then packed it down with the riding mower. I doubt it will sprout this fall, but if not soil will be worked enough to redo in spring.

Get enough rain and if the seed is any good it will sprout. Ma' Nature plants lots of things this time of year...

Hope so.