Year Round Harrow Guide for Pasture Maintenance

With tight budgets and rising land prices, there is a great need to squeeze the most you can from a livestock operation. Plus, you need to have equipment that is effective and well built. Both can be found in the Wingfield American Harrow.

Built right here in the USA, we provide the highest quality harrow on the market today. Plus, we also provide our customers with the information they need to increase their profits. Therefore, we list a step-by-step program for getting the most you can from your harrow, as well as your livestock operation, all year round.

December - January

When you are using winter pastures and need to spread excess hay, having a 3pt harrow or harrow cart makes all the difference. In moist conditions, where the hay wants to start rolling, the frame allows you to raise up and take pressure off the harrow mat. This helps filter the material out evenly, without leaving big piles. Then, let the hay dry or freeze, and harrow again to pulverize what remains. By focusing on these areas in the winter, it leads to a happy new year for your pastures leading into the spring!

February - March

Early in the spring, harrow pastures to aerate and warm the soil. In 7-10 days, you will then notice your more aggressive grasses will turn green first. This helps you identify where your weak patches are. Broadcast seed where the grass is thin, and then harrow the grass in the same direction as made in the first pass. This presses the seed into the grooves made in the first pass and covers it with residue. Wait until the grass establishes itself at 5-6” before you put livestock back on pastures that have just been reseeded or just harrowed.

March - August

You need at least two pastures for proper care using the Wingfield American Harrow. Keep your attention on the areas your livestock spend the most time in. Never let them graze the grass below 3” before you harrow the area to spread the manure. This changes the taste of the grass, and encourages the animals to move to different parts of the pasture. Continue to move the livestock around the pasture with the harrow, until they show you they want to go to another pasture - usually by congregating at a gate or reaching over fences to graze.

After moving the cattle from the pasture, harrow the whole area for uniformity by spreading out all manure piles. This process eliminates bare spots that promote weed growth in order to maximize the grass available for when the animals eventually return.

September - November

If the summer was dry, or too wet, and the pastures were overgrazed or trampled by hoof prints, harrow pastures to loosen the soil to receive seed by drill or broadcast seeder. If the ground cannot be penetrated by the harrow alone, you can use a tandem disc with blades set at almost a straight angle. You only want the disc to penetrate 1-2” to loosen the soil. It is important to run the Wingfield American Harrow after the disc to firm the soil and create a uniform surface for seeding

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This process will not harm the existing deep rooted grasses, and will return the pastures to uniformity before the weather sets back in.

If you want to completely replant the entire pasture, our Wingfield 3pt VersaVator can work the soil to a 6-8” depth with vertical tillage tines. Then, the S-tines on the unit can cultivate the ground at a 2” depth. Next, the unit’s cultipacker breaks up and firms the coarse soil. After that, you can broadcast seed with the electric seeder. Finally, the VersaVator’s finishing harrow incorporates the seed into the prepared ground. All in one unit!

Remember, manure is fertilizer that can help keep your pastures growth uniform and thick. This program will allow you to return the animals up to 2 times sooner, while also allowing for almost double the amount of animals grazing per acre. Our goal is for you to be able to maximize the animals per acres, while still maintaining a healthy pasture.

For more information, visit us at americanharrow.com.