"Dan L." wrote:

The land was used for hay the last five years. Only a third will be
fenced off and that will in three sections for just one Jersey Cow and
Calf. I am from Michigan, I moved here 12 years ago on 24 acres. I
purchased the land from my neighbor (He still owns 300 acres). Since I
was city mouse and learning to be a country mouse and I did not have the
equipment, time or money to maintain the land, he farmed most of it. My
neighbor 73, is retiring and his kids no longer want to be in the dairy
business. So I am now slowing getting equipment and just having a small
personal use hobby farm. Just me, the dog, chickens, bees, cow and a
calf. I am in way over my head! Now reading books on cheese making

That's a lot to take on all on your own, go slow with taking on new
projects lest it all gets away from you. Working land can be very
time consuming, tiring, and costly, I'm sure by now you know that farm
equipment is pricey to buy and and to maintain. Good luck.

brooklyn1 wrote:
On Sat, 08 May 2010 17:35:01 -0400, "Jean B." wrote:

brooklyn1 wrote:
On Fri, 07 May 2010 13:29:52 -0400, "Dan L."
wrote:

In article ,
brooklyn1 wrote:

On Thu, 6 May 2010 09:10:27 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:

Pete E. Kruzer wrote:
I'm trying that new grass seed that Scott has, guaranteed to grow. It
seemed to work for the neighbor.
How long should I wait before I have pre-emerge applied to prevent
crabgrass?
I'd probably wait until all the grass has started growing.
I'd wait until next spring. There is only a short window for applying
pre-emergent crabgrass killer... once the crabgrass seeds sprout it's
too late... read the directions for when to apply in each zone.
Crabgrass pre-emergent has nothing to do with turf grass, it only
prevents crabgrass seed from germinating. For this season all one can
do is dig up grabgrass by hand... defoliants work but then there will
be lots of large bare spots.
I find the best and non toxic way to keep crabgrass and other weeds down
to a minimum, is to put down a fast growing perennial grass seed like
rye or a tall fescue in early spring that does not spread by stolons.
The faster growing grass tends to over crowd the slower growing weeds.

I have had it with the so called slow growing Kentucky Blue Grasses or
any grass that spread by the stolons. It is much easier and far cheaper
to over seed the yard each spring than to use the old WEED and FEED
toxic garbage. With grass that does not spread by stolons, it is also
easier to maintain a natural looking edge without those plastic or metal
edging materials 6 inches in the ground.

My opinion - the rye grasses look better than the blue grasses.
A nice organic yard will take a few years to get but worth it.

Ok, I'm off my soap box now. Start the insults I can take it!
I don't use any chemicals, my lawn is composed of probably a hundred
different plants... I mow, it's green, the critters fertilze.

My first mowing this season... yesterday:
http://i41.tinypic.com/11jvpg2.jpg


And one can't even tell it isn't grass--from a distance. Good!

Had ya all fooled... 48,000 sq yds of astroturf! LOL

Soooo, your tractor is just for show! (Just kidding.)

--
Jean B.