Switchgrass

[rackhunter]

Ive been told the CIR is shorter then the Canlow and it will hold the Canlow up. From my understanding discing brings out alot of weeds do to stiring the ground. Also your seed might end up to deep in the disc up ground.
Last year around the first of April i mowed an area and then seeded with CIR and ran a packer over it to get good seed to soil contact. I then sprayed with 2 qts Atrazine and 3 weeks later sprayed with Roundup. I was concerned because there was alot of duff (trash on the soil) but for the most part it came in really good.

 

[dbltree]

Ordered seed from prairie seed farms today. There went $800. They recommended 8 lb cave in rock and 2 lb canlow per acre for deer bedding. Cave in rock for the height and can low for the shorter grass and to also help hold the cave in rock up during the winter. Hopefully I made a good choice with that mix. They did recommend me to disc it maybe 3 time and then hit it with 2 lb atrazine and 1.67 pints of dual II magnum per acre and then plant. (also make sure rain is in forecast to activate the atrazine before planting seed)

Still a little confused if I should disc or not. He said by discing multiple times on different days would help kill the new seed generated by discing. then hit with herbicides to keep weeds at bay. That process would give me the quickest results for growth. Also said get seed in ground by April 15th.

Multiple discing would help destroy new germinating weed seeds but you;ll struggle to actually do that in only two weeks. I know John recommends Dual but every test I have read says that switch seedings were severely reduced by using Dual. Atrazine is very safe on switchgrass but you may have to add 2 quarts of simazine to it to increase effectiveness.

If you have problems with weeds just be prepared to clip 8-12" high as needed or spray with Drive 75 and 2-4D when switch has 3-4 leaves. That combo will clean things up quickly!

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

I've seen pictures being share of some switchgrass fields that already have 4"+ switch grass... make sure to check those fields well before spraying any herbicides! Hate to destroy a field of switch...

 

[Hardwood11]

Switch

Paul: I missed your seminar in Parkers the other day, planned on attending but just couldn't make it due to a conflict...anyway, I have a farm in Warren County and it has a 7.9 acre field that was at one time tillable, right now it is basically weeds, it is not being tilled or hayed.

I have two options: Seed it down to alfalfa/hay mix and have the neighboring farmer hay it (provide some income) secondary food plot.

-or-

I could plant switchgrass all most of it, possibly leave 2-3 acres for a food plot, or even plant fruit trees/oak trees on part of it.

The field is tucked away from any roads, nice location next to some great bedding cover...Your thoughts? Also, what programs would I use to help pay for the seed and planting (WHIP?)

 

[dbltree]

Assuming you already have other food sources on the farm I would opt for switchgrass...it's my understanding that they are not funding WHIP right now but you might try EQIP. If the land is in Iowa you can apply for Conservation Cover cost share thru REAP so check with your local NRCS office regarding that :way:

 

[Nontypcl1]

I've seen pictures being share of some switchgrass fields that already have 4"+ switch grass... make sure to check those fields well before spraying any herbicides! Hate to destroy a field of switch...

Here's pics of my switch from yesterday frost seeded last year. Definitely getting an early start this year!

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[Daver]

Wow, that is about 5-6 weeks ahead of schedule! Crazy year!!

 

[bwese]

All of my cir switch patches were greening up by the end of March. I missed the window to glyphosate them. Looks like it will be a next year project.

 

[rackhunter]

It seems the ground temps have came back down in S. Iowa so a person will still have sometime to spray gly on recent planted or frost seeded CIR

 

[Jbohn]

Ok, headed out this week end to put down my Atrazine at 4lbs a acre, upon arival I had a few patches of clover coming up in one of the corners of the field, I didnt spray 2-4d because of the residual effects but I nuked the hell out of it with round up put it on heavy , anybody had this issue before , what are the chances I set the clover back enough to get my switch going the clover was thick in a few spots , the field was bare no growth so I got a good spray last fall. Im in west central Illinois. what should I do if the switch doesnt emerge in these areas. Last question I was heavy on the atraxine should that help keep the grasses back as well. I live 800 miles away so trying to make sure everyhting is right..

Thanks

 

[dbltree]

Ok, headed out this week end to put down my Atrazine at 4lbs a acre, upon arival I had a few patches of clover coming up in one of the corners of the field, I didnt spray 2-4d because of the residual effects but I nuked the hell out of it with round up put it on heavy , anybody had this issue before , what are the chances I set the clover back enough to get my switch going the clover was thick in a few spots , the field was bare no growth so I got a good spray last fall. Im in west central Illinois. what should I do if the switch doesnt emerge in these areas. Last question I was heavy on the atraxine should that help keep the grasses back as well. I live 800 miles away so trying to make sure everyhting is right..

Thanks

Atrazine won't control the clover more then likely but if you can, use 2-4D later this summer when switch has 3-4 leaves (probably mid to late June) to kill the clover and then next spring you can use Oust and gly before switch comes up in the spring....this year that happened very early!

 

[12 point]

Paul--I have a field of LB,BB,Indian & switch that i burned a few weeks ago.The grass is about 8" tall in the field now.If i spray Plateau on it with crop oil ,will it kill my switchgrass.This grass is three years old now.Thank's.

 

[Sligh1]

Dt can chime in BUT Plateau does NOT kill established switchgrass.

 

[rackhunter]

Additional spraying for CIR question

With ground temperatures rising quickly in Southern Iowa in late March I sprayed my winter frost seeded CIR with 2Quarts Atrazine and added some gly. I dont think i added enough gly to be effective enough. So I resprayed with Gly a week ago and my question is since ground temps are back down and I sprayed the Atrazine almost a month ago can/should i spray Atrazine again? Thanks

 

[dbltree]

If i spray Plateau on it with crop oil ,will it kill my switchgrass

as Skip mentions Plateau/Panoramic wil not harm established switchgrass BUT...adding crop oil to the mix on emerged NWSG may cause injury...read the label on that first....

I sprayed the Atrazine almost a month ago can/should i spray Atrazine again?

spray it all summer long and it won't harm switchgrass at any point

(don't spray gly of course... )

 

[Central Iowa]

Made fire this week burned about 20 acres between a blown hose on the tractor and electrical problems on the Ranger it ended up being a long day and had to burn late into the night because of time constraints. I have never burned at night it really made for a dramatic viewing.

 

[dbltree]

Good stuff Travis and I think night time is usually the safest time to burn as winds diminish :way:

 

[Scott]

Second year CIR is thigh high already, been a good year for growing grass

 

[showstopper]

I frost seeded switch this year. I do not have any coming up, just wondering if anyone else is seeing any sign of life. I have everything burnt off with atrazine and round up max so I am patiently errrr.... impatiently waiting! Just wondering what other people are seeing in there fields. Thanks

 

[dbltree]

I frost seeded switch this year. I do not have any coming up, just wondering if anyone else is seeing any sign of life. I have everything burnt off with atrazine and round up max so I am patiently errrr.... impatiently waiting! Just wondering what other people are seeing in there fields. Thanks

You probably will be lucky to see any switch before the end of summer, it's very slow growing and like most NWSG it grows down rather then up the 1st year.

It's also a WARM season grass...it thrives on heat that scorches cool season grasses so it could be a while yet...