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Switchgrass

mswaldo said:
Thanks for the advice. What does the Oust XP do in the fall if the plants aren't actively growing?

How late in Fall? Does it affect the CIR SG?

Thanks again for the advice. I followed your technique so far and have a pretty good stand coming except for not being able to mow it.

What is the 2nd year spring maintenance I should do? (spraying)
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Oust will not harm established switchgrass as long as it is dormant. Usually late October or early November or you can spray early April but wet weather can be a problem in spring.

Purchase generic Oust as SFM75 from Keystone Pest Solution, link on first page of this thread. It will kill everything but deep rooted native prairie grass
 
I should have been clearer. Is that 2 ounces by weight, or is it 2 ounces by volume? I assume weight since it is a dry product?
 
Oust XP comes with a measuring cup, but I am not sure about the generic versions? We use SFM75 from Keystone Pest Solutions
 
Paul,


I have a few pastures that I would love to get into switch as the cows will be coming off for good this fall. Can pasture ground be handled much the same way? Dumbing it down - Spray in the fall, and frost seed in late winter?

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I checked my frost seeded switchgrass planting the other day. The weed control is pretty good and there seems to be a good amount of switchgrass, some of which is pretty tall already. I do have some bare spots in the field. I notice in some of the bare areas there is some sparse very short switchgrass coming up and other areas it seems to be more bare. I frost seeded fairly late, around March 25, due to heavy snow in west-central MN. I figured I had a little more time being further north. What I'm wondering is if not all the seed germinated this year and maybe some will germinate next spring? If I spray Oust XP this next April won't that kill any potentially newly germinating seeds? I guess what I'm asking is does this look like a decent first year stand and do you think it will thicken up as is or should I avoid spraying Oust to see if the other seed will germinate and spray something different for weed control? I think i laid down like 13# of seed per acre. Thanks!


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dbltree said:
Don't spray anything and see if it fills in, your stand is clean as a whistle!
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Sounds good, thanks!

Since I won't be spraying anything, maybe I will just throw a little seed down in the bare spots just before the snow flies this winter as a little insurance.
 
MNbuckhunter said:
Sounds good, thanks!

Since I won't be spraying anything, maybe I will just throw a little seed down in the bare spots just before the snow flies this winter as a little insurance.
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That is what I would do, otherwise you lose a year waiting to find out.
 
I want to Spray oust in a few weeks on a first year stand , can I then add a more seed next year should be good to go, add more atrazine early spring , over run with Fox tail this year bad.
 
Jbohn said:
I want to Spray oust in a few weeks on a first year stand , can I then add a more seed next year should be good to go, add more atrazine early spring , over run with Fox tail this year bad.
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You would be pushing it, normally I suggest spraying right now but you will have to wait until late November to make sure the switch is fully dormant. It should be fine but there are many unknowns and variables that make advice hard to give with 100% assurence impossible to give.

Foxtail rarely returns the second year and atrazine is not very effective on trash covered surface's but you certainly can apply it.

Do you know you need more seed?
 
Paul- I don't some areas came in great, but most where over run by foxtail, I mowed 2 times this year and don't see any , I know it could still be there and I need to be Patience just seeing what I need should I do nothing and just mow again next season or Oust in the spring and let her eat. Should I mow this winter or I would assume the foxtail will be flat so wont be much to mow. Didn't know if that would break up the thatch and help
 
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To put things in perspective... All my original stands I mowed and sprayed the fall before, winter seeded and did absolutely nothing after that. The first year it was a mass of weeds including foxtail, the second year switch was evident (first year there was none to be found), foxtail did not return but weeds did. Third year it finally developed into a mature stand.

The object of herbicides is get a mature stand sooner and Oust is a useful tool to accomplish that.

I would spray 1 ounce SFM75 /Oust per acre late November, add seed if you wish and atrazine if you wish but leave a strip as is to compare ;)
 
I bought a farm 3 years ago. Not knowing much about nwsg. I was told there were several acres in different plots that are in a crp native /wild flower mix that was planted in 2012. Honestly last couple years looked more like a weed mix. This year with me doing nothing at all there is a definite stand of switch starting to materialize. What can I do to help this along or get a thicker stand of switch.
 
Fire! Burning native prairie grass is the best way to keep stands healthy and thick. Timing is important however so burn April 15th to May 15th for best result's
 
October 3rd, 2014

Fred sent me an update on his new switchgrass seeding and folks for a 1st year seeding this is as good as it gets! Note firebreak



Fred started last summer /fall by mowing the CSG (cool season grass), allowing it to regrow then spraying early fall. He used 2 quarts glyphosate and 1 ounce per acre of Oust XP /SFM75 (Keystone Pest Solution )

He dormant seeded the seed mid winter (December- March at 6-10# pls per acre )

Fred followed up with a spring spraying of glyphosate and 2 quarts of atrazine per acre.



All he had to do then was let it grow! CRP contracts require seeding with a diverse mix of native prairie grasses and forbs which is great, however it is expensive and slow to establish unless a herbicide tolerant seed mix is used.
Switchgrass sown as single species is affordable, easy to establish and quick to mature if preparation work is done as Fred did. This makes it a great way to quickly establish cover on fields not eligible for CRP. Small pocket's of open land may be better converted to cover via tree plantings but for fields 5 acres and up switchgrass may be right for you ;)
 
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