Old Field Management - Fescue Elimination

[MN Slick]

Do you have any remaining cool season grasses in these area(s)? If so, first priority would be eliminating the CSG.. Per steps above - Either through 1) selective herbicides and/or 2) selective timing of your use of herbicides.

You could also eliminate the MFR as it's an invasive. There's another thread that I started on this about herbicide options..

I agree adding switch to the open sections would make great bedding!

Yes, the grazed areas are cool season grasses.

 

[MN Slick]

My only negative thoughts about the switch is that at some point you should burn it....and unless your able to control that burn specifically to the switch areas you will lose all your other cover...
My other thought is that if you could control a burn now(this coming spring), you could just burn those areas and seed what is in the seed bank and comes back...

I should have explained the make up of these areas a little better. These areas aren't conducive to burning without torching the other cover. One thicket is about 30 acres with only about 3 acres of open grazed areas spread through it the other is 20 acres with perhaps 4-5 acres open. The goal is to fill these areas in to some degree. Sunlight will be somewhat limited so my thought on switch was maybe some of it will do ok but I don't see it getting thick and requiring burning.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

I would be inclined to vote for option 2. Get rid of the cool season grass and you probably surprised what comes back. It sounds like you have great habitat around that will undoubtedly spread to the open areas if you get rid of the carpet.


Sidebar note... I was out inspecting some areas that I smoked cool season grasses. I planted switch but I have alot of Big blue and other forbs coming that I did not plant. Super neat.

 

[chadw]

We are trying to decide how to approach some overgrown pasture areas that will no longer have cattle come late October. Prime bedding is the goal. There is plenty of cedars, brush, shingle oaks, MFR, etc. right now but also open areas within that have been grazed short and look like fairways. Some of the best bedding I see in North MO and Southern IA have these characteristics aside from the fairway length grasses in the openings.

Options we are looking at but open to other ideas.
1. Spray this fall and drill or broadcast switchgrass. These areas will have some shade so the switch won't get very thick, which might be perfect. The short grass conditions now would make seed to soil contact easier if we decide to take this route.
2. Spray this fall and let nature take it's course.
3. Do nothing and let the grass in the open areas come back. The best doe bedding area I've ever seen was essentially this. It's an active cattle pasture with patches cedars/brush/MFR/Osage with 12-14" grasses in the open areas.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks

We did #2 this spring—gly right as brome was 3-4” coming out of spring green up. The natives responded amazingly well. Had our regions biologist walk the far on Tuesday and she was amazed. Left all tree/structure over 10’. Eliminated any MFR.

Worked well enough, that on another part of the farm, we will be spraying after the first frost this fall.


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