Hi, I am new to the forum and am looking for any and all advice that i can get.
Here is the situation i am in:
I have a 12 acre field in east texas between bogata and clarksville. this field used to be partially wooded but the previous owners sold all the timber off. Right now there are several stumps cut off close to the ground (1-6") but some are around 3' in diameter. The majority of the brush is pushed in a burn pile already but there are a few limbs and trees scattered around here and there. Also the soil is more of a clay/blackland type soil, even though the adjoining 12 acres that i live on is mostly sandy. there is a dry creek bed running through the middle of the property, and cuthand creek flowing around one border of the property. the ground CAN hold water when its really wet.
What i would like to do:
I am a horse trainer and spend thousands of dollars each year on buying hay. It would save me alot of money to be able to grow my own. I would like to find out if it is possible/worth the effort to convert this field into a hay field and what all will be involved in doing that. i would like yalls honest detailed opinions on what you would do if it was yours. i would prefer to make hay on it but if its not practical, i could always fence and graze it. i would like to know:
-what grows the best on this type of climate and soil
-should i have stumps ground down or some other means of removal?
-what type of prep work do i need to do to the field (stumps, burning, discing, fertilizer, lime? etc)
-time frames on when to do what in order to have a stand of hay next year?
-when to sprig and how much
-will someone come out and fertilize/lime/sprig/cut/rake/bale for me? who?
-on an average year, what should i expect for yields on 12 acres for recommended breeds of grasses?
-ball park estimate from right now to stacking hay in the barn of how much this should cost?
-are there any programs i might be eligible for to possibly receive financial/technical support?
Im sorry, i know this is a lot of questions but i am new to this and want to learn as much as i can. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time,
Matt
Here is the situation i am in:
I have a 12 acre field in east texas between bogata and clarksville. this field used to be partially wooded but the previous owners sold all the timber off. Right now there are several stumps cut off close to the ground (1-6") but some are around 3' in diameter. The majority of the brush is pushed in a burn pile already but there are a few limbs and trees scattered around here and there. Also the soil is more of a clay/blackland type soil, even though the adjoining 12 acres that i live on is mostly sandy. there is a dry creek bed running through the middle of the property, and cuthand creek flowing around one border of the property. the ground CAN hold water when its really wet.
What i would like to do:
I am a horse trainer and spend thousands of dollars each year on buying hay. It would save me alot of money to be able to grow my own. I would like to find out if it is possible/worth the effort to convert this field into a hay field and what all will be involved in doing that. i would like yalls honest detailed opinions on what you would do if it was yours. i would prefer to make hay on it but if its not practical, i could always fence and graze it. i would like to know:
-what grows the best on this type of climate and soil
-should i have stumps ground down or some other means of removal?
-what type of prep work do i need to do to the field (stumps, burning, discing, fertilizer, lime? etc)
-time frames on when to do what in order to have a stand of hay next year?
-when to sprig and how much
-will someone come out and fertilize/lime/sprig/cut/rake/bale for me? who?
-on an average year, what should i expect for yields on 12 acres for recommended breeds of grasses?
-ball park estimate from right now to stacking hay in the barn of how much this should cost?
-are there any programs i might be eligible for to possibly receive financial/technical support?
Im sorry, i know this is a lot of questions but i am new to this and want to learn as much as i can. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time,
Matt