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Wife and I bought a house on 6 acres of gnarly florida forest during in the lowest point of the real estate market circa 2009. We happened to be working towards getting a FHA loan as it was when all hell broke loose and managed to get this place when we did for the same money a cookie cutter was going for. The two of us are childless, minus horses cats dogs, etc. Wife occasionally breeds and trains her show horses. Our long term plan was to turn this place into a little horse farm of sorts. We were able to make a move last year and get the clearing done.  That lot's really a postage stamp in the grand scheme of things here, so I'm not ...too guilty about cutting it. The old growth pine had been cut out centuries ago and what was left were nasty hickories, and a lot of deciduous poo poo like sweetgums and hollys. Not even many oaks. I left the really nice trees in places. It used to look like this.  After seeing it for how big it really was after the heavy equipment left, and exactly how sandy the soil is, it became a priority for me to get something green on this place ASAP. Luckily, we have an embarrassment of riches as far as equipment goes. Wife's dad gifted her a 1990's era John Deere 855 diesel with a model 70 loader and a few attachments. This old beast has 3900 hours on the clock. It's the most reliable mechanical thing I have ever owned. It's capable but not to be construed with a tractor that can push trees over. Rated for 25 HP and fully hydrostatic, I don't think it's putting 20 to the ground, but holy poo poo you can get some things done with it.  All that being said, I'm already in the middle of getting as much seed established as possible. Since there are 4 horses here and a manure spreader, I've came up with a little system. Using a partially de-fanged landscape rake, gently scratch the soil to break up that sandy little shell it tens to form after rain. Run manure spreader over the area containing horse poop and sawdust/pine shavings creating a seed bed. Spread seed then water. Made a little timelapse out of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIZ1iKcgas If you guys don't mind, I'll share what I learn in this thread as I tackle this. 
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Apr 4, 2023 04:18
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So far, it seems that my snaggle toothed landscape rake method is working every bit as well as a grain drill. The seed tends to funnel into the furrows a bit in the wind in places the horseshit sawdust cocktail didn’t spread as evenly.  This patch is about two weeks old and seems to be taking well for off the shelf southern forage mix. The composition of the seed I’m using is 29.09% MAXIMUS ANNUAL RYEGRASS 21.98% BARIANE TALL FESCUE * 14.96% CRIMSON CLOVER 12.23% DASCADA ORCHARDGRASS® 04.94% BARMAZING PERENNIAL RYEGRASS So my first question is if erosion control is something of a concern, should be just start seeding straight up roadside mix? (I think they use brown top millet). I suspect much of that rye is not going to last much past June. Also open to suggestions of better seed varieties. This is pasture for several horses and I’m hoping to cut down the hay bill some. Snapped a pretty nice one of our favorite tree in the full moon. 
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Apr 5, 2023 03:54
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