Could anyone tell me about how much burmuda grass seed it will take to plant 13 acres? and about how much it will cost?

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), April 20, 2002

Answers

I have 4 acres left to seed with my pasture mix seed... all the seed places I researched recommend 25 pounds of seed per acre. My pasture seed is a custom livestock mix, so at $3.75 a pound, I'll need 100 pounds that will cost me $375.

The amount of seed per acre is standard, so it looks like you'll be needing about 325 pounds of seed. The total price will depend on possibly a bulk price since you will be needing quite a bit - it will be up to your feed/seed store.

Dawn <><

-- Dawn Benelli (dawn@orchardmistalpacas.com), April 20, 2002.

I know nothing of bermuda grass, but I seeded timothy and brome grass on new hayfields two years ago, and used about 5# of timothy and around 8# of brome per acre. Works fine. It is thin the first year, but by the second year it fills in and really goes gangbusters producing hay. Pasture could be done the same way, just be careful to let the new seeding get well established before letting animals on it too heavy.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), April 21, 2002.

Didn't know that you could seed bermuda grass. Bermuda is planted by the root (sprigs) the grower has a sprig puller and you plant them with a sprig planter or can be planted by hand, bermuda only does well in the southern states. Dawn your seed price seems very high. Most of the "new" fescues and rye grasses are about $1.00-$1.20 # seed @ 15-20# acre The good red clovers $2.00# max. The very best alfalfa $3.00# I have seeded fescue for the last 20yrs. I plant 15- 20# cleaned bin run fescue @ .60-.70cents # and add 1-2# white clover @3.00# This pasture can stand a drought better and you can winter graze fescue and it can stand heavy foot traffic in wet areas I use this for sheep and cattle. (not horses) I have tryed mixes of "new seeds" and was always disappointed. Steve

-- (smhamp@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002.

Hi,

You can certainly plant bermuda seed! I would suggest that you plant bermuda mixed with rye grass seed, when the rye comes up first it will help hold the bermuda grass seed in place until it germinates. Planting bermuda before the temp reaches 70 degrees is not a good idea as bermuda loves warmth. About 25 pounds per acre is a good start. Bermuda will create runners and just about take over if fertilized. You can sprig some varieties, around here most folks sprig coastal for hayfields, but if you just want grazing or to hold the soil, regular bermuda works fine. You can buy in bulk from the feed store or as we do here, have the truck come out and spread the seed, fertilizer, etc in one pass. Works great and costs about the same as if I used tractor, gas, etc.

Have a good one

-- Cindy (sidepasser@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.

Living in Minnesota (it's snowing today...) I don't know much about the southern grasses. But Dawn's prices seem very high to me! What types are you seeding?

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.

Burmuda is the standard around here [central OK] We went to visit with the man that has been caretaking my 13 acres for some 20 years, he lives in the original house that my great [great?] grandfather built in 1911 [barn] and 1913 [house] so he is a LONG time friend, I had checked a catalog just for referance, but the rates vary widely for different kinds of grass/mix, and it didn't have burmuda listed,

I was trying to get an idea of the cost, so I will know how much to save up to pay him, with out going through the "how much?", "well now, don't worry about it," kind of talk.

No doubt we need to do a field trip to the feed store before I write a check, but I needed a ballpark idea of how much money to save up. [Hubby's new teeth have to be paid for first] I sure don't want to ask him how much and not have it to give him.

Thanks for the heads up on it, later...

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002.

Hi, Paul,

>>Living in Minnesota (it's snowing today...) I don't know much about the southern grasses. But Dawn's prices seem very high to me! What types are you seeding? >>

This is a lot. I'm not saying this is Bermuda grass.... As I said, it is a custom mix pasture seed. I have alpacas, and wanted a custom mix that is similar to an alpaca mix developed from Australia, since they can't ship the seed here to the US.

Horse pasture mix is a lot chaper, but it is not nutritionally complete for my livestock.

Dawn Benelli

Orchard Mist Alpacas

www.orchardmistalpacas.com

-- Dawn Benelli (dawn@orchardmistalpacas.com), April 21, 2002.

Hi Thumper,

I'm just northeast of OKC. I researched this same question a couple weeks ago and the answer is 5-10 pure live seed pounds per acre for bermuda. The higher rate will get you a better stand quicker.

Here's a website address for USU ag publications that is awesome for info for growing just about anything here in our area. http://agweb.okstate.edu/pearl/

Good luck

-- Stacia in OK (oneclassycowgirl@aol.com), April 22, 2002.