# Pasture Management - When to Brushhog?



## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

My cows are pulled off and what I have left is a little grass, mostly big bluestem and some Bermuda and Johnson left over..

But I have lots of weeds, mostly broomweed and some other junk.

Is it common practice to just cut the pasture at some point?

I want to help the grass spread to bare areas, and areas that are weeded up. 

I also want to kill the broomweed.

What is the general practice at the 2/3 point of summer after grasses are nearing exhaustion and weeds are bunching up....but prior to seed?


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## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

I'd get it mowed down now before the weeds go to seed. Most around here say that if you can cut a weed twice in a season it won't come back well. Spraying or cutting weeds is probably going to be my afternoon project. I cut some three weeks ago and the grass is growing alittle with some rainfall and at this point out competing the weeds.


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

Mowing is very beneficial to grass. This time of year, when cool grasses are slow and weeds are fast, I mow just below the top of the vegetative part of the grass (unless it is already short). Every year there seems to be a different dominant weed. This year it is gonna be ragweed for me. I'll mow it just when it matures to slow its return via seed.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

Sickle bar mower will do a better job than a bush hog, and you'll see faster regrowth.


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## slingshot (Jun 25, 2014)

I use a finish mower on mine....

Once the weeds are above the grass and begin to flower I'll mow. The cutting acts like a mob and encourages growth of the grasses. Same as mowing your lawn. Unless you have a large amount of animals in a small space, the cattle will graze around the weeds. That's how I determine when to mow, when I start seeing the tufts of weeds it cut it. 

Watch the weather, I always like cutting mine right before a good rain. It's explodes with new growth in the days following.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

Rollochrome said:


> My cows are pulled off and what I have left is a little grass, mostly big bluestem and some Bermuda and Johnson left over..
> 
> But I have lots of weeds, mostly broomweed and some other junk.
> 
> ...


I am in North Central Texas, just brush hog'd my pastures last week. I grow mainly Bermuda, but the pasture is old and hadn't been worked for several years before we bought this ranch, so right now it is weedy and and bad. We put down fertilizer at the end of April, have cut down twice since. I am seeing better grass already.


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

I use a finishing mower as well, and set it to cut at about 8-9". I did use a brushhog the first year or two to get the rough areas. Don't cut too short.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

If it is safe (and legal) in your area, and you want to promote the big bluestem, the best think to do is burn the pasture off. Of course it would be much better to do it this time of year if you knew you had rains coming your way.


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