I have a 30 acre pasture covered in broomweed, croton, and other misc. weeds. Underneath, there's sparse common bermuda and KR bluestem. With all the rain, my sheep haven't been able to keep the broomweed down and is choking out what little desirable vegetation there is. If I shred this down to say 7" will I get a better result on the re-growth than spraying with 2-4D? Also I plan to drill seed a native mix in this area next spring. Am I better off using a no-till method, i.e. drill seeder with a cultipacker behind it or break-up the ground? Thanks!

Answered by Dr. Larry Redmon, State Forage Specialist, Texas A&M University:Do not shred. Use 1 quart of 2,4-D per acre to control the broadleaf weeds. Later in the summer (mid September) apply 5 quarts of Roundup (or equivalent) per acre to destroy all perennial grass vegetation. Begin seedbed preparation during the fall. A second application of Roundup in late winter/early spring should be made to again control any unwanted perennial grass vegetation. With the presence of common bermudagrass and KR bluestem, it is unlikely a good stand of native will be obtained due to the intense competition from the introduced species. Do not use a no-till system of planting. Prepare the seedbed completely and broadcast the seed and cultipack.