Pastures should be a place where the seeds you grow and the cattle you graze flourish all year round. However, it’s not uncommon for a small issue to turn into a bigger problem, hindering the ability of the area to fully thrive. Don’t worry—these tips for improving your pasture will breakdown some of the best methods for keeping the land healthy.
Test the Soil
One essential tip for improving your pasture is to improve your soil. Before you begin seeding the pasture, always test the soil. If the soil isn’t supplying your grass with the proper nutrients, suffice it to say that that grass isn’t going to grow as successfully as it should.
Luckily, testing soil is a fairly easy process. Simply scoop up some samples and send them to a nearby soil conservation office. Once they send you back the results, you can officially begin making adjustments where necessary.
How you make adjustments to your soil depends on what you’re growing. Grass, for instance, thrives best in soil with low pH levels. If you’re growing a plant that requires higher pH levels, you can swiftly improve the soil by adding some lime or fertilizer to the mix, the former of which is a great source of calcium.
Know Your Growing Zone
In order for seeds to flourish in your pasture, make sure you’re buying seed types that align with your local growing zone. Most of Arkansas falls under zone 7, including counties such as Scott, Logan, and Sebastian. However, the entire state doesn’t necessarily fall under this zone.
Overall, Arkansas ranges between growing zones 6b and 8a. Once you establish which growing zone you’re in, talk to local farm stores about finding seeds that can effectively grow in your pasture.
Watch the Weeds
In order for plants to grow successfully with access to all the nutrients they need, you have to manage your weeds. When weeds sprout, they’ll begin sucking away the nutrients from nearby plants and blocking out the sunlight those plants need to survive. There are multiple ways to keep weeds at bay, such as consistent mowing.
However, if weeds do begin appearing on your pasture, grab a good string trimmer. There are some basic tips you should know before using a string trimmer, but once you learn the ropes, your string trimmer will become an immensely useful tool.
There’s also the option of using certain chemicals to destroy weeds but be very wary of this method. If you go down this route, always make sure to do the right research and practices to ensure the chemicals don’t harm nearby humans and animals.
