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Switchgrass

Well I checked on my frost seeded CIR this summer to be disappointed by over run by foxtail. I will add that I mowed twice this summer and last week end was very happy to see that switch had popped up fairly well after what I though was a disaster in the middle of June.

So July 1 thinking I had failed on my CIR I had some extra seed and a corn plot that I wanted to put in to CIR next year that was destroyed from deer damage I said what the heck let me give her a try being I had added atrazine in the spring and there was little weed competition.

So I tilled the corn under. Knowing I had to cold stratify my seed and I didn't have 30 days to wet chill. I placed in a cooler full of ice water for 24hrs. After that I placed the seed on a tarp dried and planted ASAP.

I used 5LBS CIR/ Kanlow and I used 1 Solo cup full of Pearl Millet and these where the result. I am not saying to do it this way just wanted to share. I just sprayed a new field with oust and gly last week end to prepare for next season seeding . Just sharing came in great lots of switch. I was surprised.
 
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Thanks for posting John, are the clumps millet? I may have misunderstood but don't spray Oust unless switch is dormant or to prepare for dormant seeding this winter.

Do not apply to green growing switchgrass.

Looks like your stratification test worked out :)
 
Yes the clumps are Millet, spraying nothing on this field should be good to go next year. I sprayed a brome field to prepare for spring seeding on another area.
 
Paul (and anyone else),
I have tried to read most of this thread and I feel as though I have learned a lot. I really appreciate all the advice everyone gives but I am a bit confused about the use of SFA-75 this fall. I had understood that SFA-75 was safe on growing SG as long as it is dormant. Your recent comments scared me a bit. I basically have three scenarios and would like to know what to do as far as spraying this fall & next spring.

1) CIR,Kanlow & Big Bluestem drilled early summer (I started reading this thread too late to frost seed). This has grown to 12-36" as I did pretreat in spring with glypho & atrazine. Looking great!

2) Same mix planted as above into lowland area where weed competition hampered germination. NGs are sparse. Did kill broadleafs off in early September with OPEN SITE per recomendation from Justin at Osenbaughs. Good kill.

3) New areas to be frost seeded this winter. This will be CIR & Kanlow. I feel I missed the window for active growth in WI so I was going to use SFA-75 late October when I spray dormant switch?? I have been mowing these areas but I did not have a chance to burn all of them out with glypho as above.

Thoughts please??
 
The first planting won't need anything and should be good to go.

The second area probably is fine but you can apply SFM75 when it's dormant.

The area you are preparing I would spray glyphosate and SFM75 asap while grass is growing and able to absorb the herbicides into the root system.
 
Thanks Paul. Is there a soil temperature in the fall that correlates to switchgrass dormancy? Should it be completely brown?

Unfortunately, I will not be able to apply the SFA75 for another week or two on the sites to plant this winter. Is this harmful to the frost seeded switch or just less effective on weeds?
 
Bullbuster said:
Thanks Paul. Is there a soil temperature in the fall that correlates to switchgrass dormancy? Should it be completely brown?

Unfortunately, I will not be able to apply the SFA75 for another week or two on the sites to plant this winter. Is this harmful to the frost seeded switch or just less effective on weeds?
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It's length of day so just it's not green, Oust /SFM75 will be more effective if CSG is still green and not a threat to switchgrass seedlings if applied at least 3 months before germination ;)
 
I got my SFM75 from Keystone and as I knew it is a powder. I was hoping it would come with a volumetric measuring device but it does not. I dont have a way of weighing such small amounts as 2-4 oz. I know this issue has been touched on before but does anyone have a weight to volume conversion for SFA75 by chance?

Otherwise, I was thinking of weighing out 8 oz on my digital fish scale and then doing the math. It sounds as though dose is pretty critical and the stuff is expensive. Thanks
 
Bullbuster said:
I got my SFM75 from Keystone and as I knew it is a powder. I was hoping it would come with a volumetric measuring device but it does not. I dont have a way of weighing such small amounts as 2-4 oz. I know this issue has been touched on before but does anyone have a weight to volume conversion for SFA75 by chance?

Otherwise, I was thinking of weighing out 8 oz on my digital fish scale and then doing the math. It sounds as though dose is pretty critical and the stuff is expensive. Thanks
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We got a special measuring cup when ordered Oust XP and use that with SFM75. Not sure if weight = volume but you can buy an electronic scale on Amazon for $30
 
Quick question.. I am in the process of establishing a new stand of switch in my front yard :) I was just wondering if the Oust in the fall and Atrazine in the spring will harm any of the trees (couple mature oaks) that I'll be planting the switch around? Ill be spraying directly over their root systems. Thanks.
 
AIRASSAULT said:
Quick question.. I am in the process of establishing a new stand of switch in my front yard :) I was just wondering if the Oust in the fall and Atrazine in the spring will harm any of the trees (couple mature oaks) that I'll be planting the switch around? Ill be spraying directly over their root systems. Thanks.
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Nope. Oust is meant for weed control around lots of trees such as oaks & atrazine is a great herbicide for weed control around trees as well.
 
Cool.. thanks. I knew gly wouldn't harm them because it is absorbed through the leaf, but I wasn't sure about something that works by being absorbed into the surface of the soil.
 
Hey guys I'm looking to make my first attempt at planting switch and I have a quick question. I applied roundup this fall on one of the last days that hit 50 degrees. I didn't get a good kill on what is existing hay field. My plan was to frost seed this winter and then spray gly and simazine this spring. Is this a viable option or should I plant with soybeans and come in next winter for the frost seeding?
 
kurtish said:
Hey guys I'm looking to make my first attempt at planting switch and I have a quick question. I applied roundup this fall on one of the last days that hit 50 degrees. I didn't get a good kill on what is existing hay field. My plan was to frost seed this winter and then spray gly and simazine this spring. Is this a viable option or should I plant with soybeans and come in next winter for the frost seeding?
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It will be fine, just hit it hard with gly and atrazine at first green up.
 
Ideally, I'd hit it several times while cool seasons come up. 1 goal is to have minimal trash on top - you want as little residue as possible so don't let stuff start growing like gangbusters. Essentially, you need a clean surface until about May/early June when new switch seeds emerge. So, what I do in that case, especially in smaller areas, I hit several times with round-up & atrazine & I go very heavy with both and high water volumes. I would skip the Simazine even though it works decently well compared to Atrazine, Atrazine is just a good bit better. Find a farmer & get some. Make that ground glow & you're seeding will be a success. Let weeds & trash get in there before switch is up, done, wasted. Do it right. Good luck!
 
Here what I've got...

Frost seeded switchgrass this past march and had great weed control (oust & gly prior fall, atrazine in spring). Problem was the switch came in good in some areas but spotty in others. SO, I just got done dormant seeding some more switch into the thinner areas. My question is this...what can I spray this spring to control weeds, if anything? Normally for second year switch you would spray oust 2nd year but I have just frost seeded additional switch. Again, weed control was very good that first year. Thanks for the help! Mark
 
I'm guessing atrazine again. I played with crossbow this spring trying to kill clover. Didn't do anything but burn the clover but wiped out the goldenrod and some other weeds. Ended up clean except the clover.
 
MNbuckhunter said:
Here what I've got... Frost seeded switchgrass this past march and had great weed control (oust & gly prior fall, atrazine in spring). Problem was the switch came in good in some areas but spotty in others. SO, I just got done dormant seeding some more switch into the thinner areas. My question is this...what can I spray this spring to control weeds, if anything? Normally for second year switch you would spray oust 2nd year but I have just frost seeded additional switch. Again, weed control was very good that first year. Thanks for the help! Mark
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Yes Atrazine again give it a healthy dose and you will be good.
 
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