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Switchgrass

CRP planting in Western Iowa. Looking much better !!
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Update on our July 4th drilled switch. We didn't have the clean weed free planting like I've seen on here. Our prep was four applications of round up, crop oil, and atrazine. Still foxtail and stubborn weeds pushed through quickly. We drilled right after the spring rains had completed and the summer drought set in. I don't know how much rain this planting received since it was put in the ground but it's been minimal. My biggest fear was a couple shots of 0.1" of rain within a week of planting and then nothing but sun and heat following that the young plants wouldn't make it. However, they sprouted and grew, as well as the weeds. We mowed the weeds high one time, which bought us a little time. Then following 1983's instructions on here we sprayed the planting with Duracor, Quinclorac, and MSO. At the time of spraying we were about 7 weeks post planting, weeds were getting pretty mature so the herbicide didn't clean things up perfectly, but it definitely helped. Foxtail was still able to develop seed heads but broadleaf weeds were smoked from the Duracor. I checked on the plantings over the last week and I'm very happy with how things look and really look forward to next years growth!

The three lower areas we drilled had awful foxtail issues, here's one spot that got missed spraying, glad we sprayed and didn't let it all go to this!
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At first glance this area looks rough, but upon closer inspection there's young switch plants in there. The areas that bordered trees the stand of switch seemed to be thinner
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The hilltop / hillside we drilled was previously brome, which finally was gone after all the round up applications, and the foxtail seed bank was minimal here. I was worried being exposed to all day sun and heat this summer this part of the planting would fail but this stuff is doing really well!
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Quite a few even have seed heads forming!
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Nearly pure switch here and some remnant prairie grasses that survived the four applications of round up and atrazine!?
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One thing that seems to really help foxtail as a pre is Pursuit. The couple times I've used it it really seemed to control foxtail. Not a common one you hear about often.
 
I didn’t get to it this year. It looks like a drill will not be happening. Would aI benefit if I spray now in October before first frost, then frost seed during cold? If I did this what would the simizine protocol be, when would it need sprayed?
 
It looks like I will have access to a no-till drill next month sometime. I tried, but will be unable to get it next spring. It is obvious that you are now suggesting planting it later in the summer, but since i have access to a drill now is there any harm in drilling it now? Would I be better to wait and broadcast next spring? The ground is not bare, but the ground cover is fairly well dead. Thoughts?
 
T_Max said:
It looks like I will have access to a no-till drill next month sometime. I tried, but will be unable to get it next spring. It is obvious that you are now suggesting planting it later in the summer, but since i have access to a drill now is there any harm in drilling it now? Would I be better to wait and broadcast next spring? The ground is not bare, but the ground cover is fairly well dead. Thoughts?
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Can you get the drill in July? I'd go that route over fall planting.
 
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