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Drilling on frozen ground

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passinthru

New Member
Dbltree:

I think I read that you used a truax drill on frozen ground with good results.

I was wondering which way you would prefer.

I am going to burn a hillside of brome in a couple of weeks to remove the trash. Then had planned to frost seed CIR switchgrass via broadcasting or drilling.

I have talked to someone about drilling, but he usually starts in that area at the end of march. I havent talked to him since I read your post about drilling in winter, so I dont know if he'll do that or not.

Do you think I'll get better results broadcasting or drilling over the frozen ground? I was hoping to seed some time in Feb. to take advantage of some freezing and thawing.
 
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I am going to burn a hillside of brome in a couple of weeks to remove the trash. Then had planned to frost seed CIR switchgrass via broadcasting or drilling.


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If you burn so there is no trash you can do either with great results.

The drill will just make sure you have good seed/soil contact and more accurate # of seed per acre. A drill would be the most preffered method and on a clean surface doesn't even have to be a no-till.

If I have a good clean soil surface such as with burning or planting into soybean stubble...then I just broadcast.

I don't need to rent a drill etc....just me and my bag spreader and a pair of "these boots were made for walkin'"
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Of course you can use a tractor mounted broadcast spreader but they are very difficult to monitor how much seed is being put on...CIR seed is to expensive to dump out on the ground
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This was just a regular Truax drill planting switchgrass into killed brome sod.

TruaxDrill.jpg


This is that field now:

Blackwellswitch.jpg


It was orginally planted to Blackwell Switchgrass and I have been hand seeding CIR into it since.
 
What will keep the brome from choking out the switch grass?

I'm thinking of doing pretty much the same thing on a very small area, about 40' by 100' that is brome. I'm just afraid the brom will out grow the pound or so of wildlife attractant I have left over from last year as well as the two baggies of blackeyed susans and purple cone flowers. Burning the brome will not kill it so how will the seeds stand a chance?

On a related note, if I mow for weed control, will that keep the flowers from blooming? If they don't bloom will they over winter to bloom next year? Is it the bloom that controls their life cycle?

Might have to have a burn party. OE800 40s for whom ever shows up.

The 'Bonker
 
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What will keep the brome from choking out the switch grass?


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It should have been killed last fall but... you can kill it with Roundup at first greenup since the WSG won't even germinate until very late spring or early summer.

Just don't wait to long...the brome will green up quickly escpecially if it's been burned

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two baggies of blackeyed susans and purple cone flowers.

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I wouldn't mix these with annual seeds such as would be planted in foodplots. Mix them with a NWSG mix or an all wildflower mix


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On a related note, if I mow for weed control, will that keep the flowers from blooming?

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Yes...most likely...that's why I prefer using a herbicide like Journey for wildflowers and NWSG other then switchgrass. Often you have no choice the first year if you don't use herbicide...
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If they don't bloom will they over winter to bloom next year? Is it the bloom that controls their life cycle?

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The blooms will only mean they drop more seed...the plants will come up year after year either way.

Burning early would encourage wildflowers over grasses BTW.


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Might have to have a burn party. OE800 40s for whom ever shows up.

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Maybe I'll volunteer to be "desginated driver"
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Maybe Ill just put the custom drill charge toward a good atv mounted spreader.

I'll be doing about 20 acres so it might take awhile with a bag spreader.
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Then have to come back with atrazine and roundup when the brome starts to green up good, since I didn't follow proper procedure and kill the brome last fall.
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Bonker and baggies of seeds, I see no good coming from that combo.
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Don't ya remember? I got my baggies of seeds from when you were seperating sticks, stems and seeds on a Jimmy Hendricks album cover. Or was it the album cover of Yes "From a Topicanical Garden". That era is quite hazy for me. Who am I tryin to kid? All eras are hazy for me.

The 'Bonker
 
I mowed my CP25 3 times this summer and it did not stop my black eyed susan from blooming after each time. The partridge pea seemed to do fine also. Still looking for the other 8 "forbs" in the mix though.
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Maybe Ill just put the custom drill charge toward a good atv mounted spreader.

I'll be doing about 20 acres so it might take awhile with a bag spreader.
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Then have to come back with atrazine and roundup when the brome starts to green up good, since I didn't follow proper procedure and kill the brome last fall.
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Hold off on your burn this winter, instead try burning in early June. On the day that you burn, broadcast the switchgrass seed as soon as all smokes are out. Mow to 10 inches in June/July if you have much weed competition but not after August 1st. Burn it again the following May/June or after your stand of switch has about two inches of fresh growth next spring.

Brome does not deal well with a late spring burn but your switch will love it.
 
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Maybe Ill just put the custom drill charge toward a good atv mounted spreader.

I'll be doing about 20 acres so it might take awhile with a bag spreader.
cool.gif


Then have to come back with atrazine and roundup when the brome starts to green up good, since I didn't follow proper procedure and kill the brome last fall.
grin.gif


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Hold off on your burn this winter, instead try burning in early June. On the day that you burn, broadcast the switchgrass seed as soon as all smokes are out. Mow to 10 inches in June/July if you have much weed competition but not after August 1st. Burn it again the following May/June or after your stand of switch has about two inches of fresh growth next spring.

Brome does not deal well with a late spring burn but your switch will love it.

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I would say that would work perfectly to help kill the brome and would also work well when planting NWSG seed...however...

Switchgrass seed must be stratified by cold wet chill or it will stay hard and will not germinate until the following spring.

In some cases, seed that is older or has been commercially stratified will germinate when planted in late spring.

It's for that reason I encourage people to frost seed switchgrass (either by drill or broadcast) in late winter.

The most common senario when people plant switchgrass in late spring is...dissapointment.

Nothing happens the first year and often they give up on the stand because they are sure it has failed.

You can do as Farmland suggusts just understand that there is an 85% chance that your switchgrass seed will not germinate until the following spring.

That's why I prefer to kill the brome in the fall after mowing or burning and seeding later that winter.

You can stratify the seed yourself if you decide to plant in June.

Read thru the switchgrass post for links on the subject.

Switchgrass
 
Good point Paul ... if the switchgrass seed hasn't been stratified there won't be alot of germination that first year if it is broadcast after the freeze/thaw action.
 
I completed my burn on the brome hillside, last week. The brome was not very thick or healthy, quite a few open areas with weeds and such. The burn went very well.
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But I just read a recommendation to someone else not to seed this year because they didn't have their brome killed in the fall.

Am I wasting my money frost seeding the CIR now? It is pretty expensive this year, but I wanted to get it going.

I know the timing of the RDP will be critical this spring.

Would you patiently wait for next year to do it right, or go for it?

Which route would you take in this scenario DBLTREE?
 
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Do all seeds, forbs, grass, weeds, whatever have to be stratified?

The 'Bonker


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Sorry! I missed these ??'s
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The most common ones Bonker are switchgrass and most wildflower seeds (forbs).

Not sure about the "Wildwood Weed" ...
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I completed my burn on the brome hillside, last week. The brome was not very thick or healthy, quite a few open areas with weeds and such. The burn went very well.
grin.gif


But I just read a recommendation to someone else not to seed this year because they didn't have their brome killed in the fall.

Am I wasting my money frost seeding the CIR now? It is pretty expensive this year, but I wanted to get it going.

I know the timing of the RDP will be critical this spring.

Would you patiently wait for next year to do it right, or go for it?

Which route would you take in this scenario DBLTREE?

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Oh sure...put ME in the hot seat
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The key in this case is killing that brome at first green up with Roundup and if you can add Atrazine then you would be alright (maybe...that's my "disclaimer"
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Then plan on burning late as Farmland mentioned (in the future) to put the kibash to that brome if it comes back!

The switchgrass shouldn't germinate until very late May to mid June so just let that brome get nicely greened up in April...and then nuke it!
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If your going to seed it...go ahead and get it on when there is no snow cover, early morning when the ground is frozen
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Well I must say that up until now I have always considered you a very polite man Mr. Dbltree. But after this comment, I am suddenly not so sure...

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go ahead and get it on when there is no snow cover, early morning when the ground is frozen

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That sounds a little cold, if you get my drift.
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Does your wife know what you are posting on these sites??
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Well I must say that up until now I have always considered you a very polite man Mr. Dbltree. But after this comment, I am suddenly not so sure...

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go ahead and get it on when there is no snow cover, early morning when the ground is frozen

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That sounds a little cold, if you get my drift.
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Does your wife know what you are posting on these sites??
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Perhaps I should be a little more specific
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Well thats it I'm getting me a bag spreader, and slappin on the boots.
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The switchgrass is hittin the dirt soon.

And then I'm droppin the bomb on the brome in early May or late April.
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Then look out monster bucks.
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Thanks man I'm pumped.
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Well thats it I'm getting me a bag spreader, and slappin on the boots.
grin.gif
The switchgrass is hittin the dirt soon.

And then I'm droppin the bomb on the brome in early May or late April.
cool.gif


Then look out monster bucks.
26404-archer[1].gif


Thanks man I'm pumped.
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Keep us posted on how it all works out
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Just remember...switchgrass grows down not up the first year...
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