Zero switch up. None. I hit with atrazine bomb, post emergents & a tiny amount of s-metolachlor (10-15 oz) about 45 days ago. Missed one little strip that came up in weeds but easy to deal with those. I’ll update with some pics later when things grow. Bet it’s mid to late July possibly. Dead as it comes on 95% of this.
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DannyBoy
Well-Known Member
I would start the area with a cereal grain. Plant it and let it go through its life cycle. You could probably still get away with oats right now. Plant and pray for rain. That will be your easiest option for erosion control. Drill natives on the contour next spring and use herbicides for quick establishment. Could frost seed too, as long as there is plenty of duff from the grain to hold seed in place but drill would be best if planting "fluffy" natives. I like Indian, big blue, and ALWAYS add a short native like little blue to the mix. My preference.
I know guys on here get real wound up on all grass stands and herbicide use for quick establishment. I tend to lean heavily towards diverse grass and forb stands. With proper site prep I would personally go that route on HEL and mow for maintenance. The weeds the first few years will help hold soil in place vs using herbicides and having an extended period of bare ground/no active vegetation growth. My .02. Good luck!
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^^^^ Agree On the diversity!!! Agree!!! For example- above is a solid switch stand. It’s 4-5 acres. I want some faster thick cover in this spot. The rest of fields are probably 50% or more of forb mixes, some weeds. Massive diversity. Did mono-culture above but even in some of same fields- Having a break line where new type of cover & planting starts is great. I echo above. Monocultures have a place but diversity is needed when u have the space.
IMO to keep it simple for folks- I’d have 3 different “management areas”.... 1) could do switch (& add BB if wanted) & manage w/post emergents & atrazine, etc. 2) Plateau (imazapic) area with stuff like BB, Indian & tolerant forbs. 3) area with vast mix (preference & lots of diversity) started with dead & clean seed bed (like coming out of beans and spray post emergents like crazy man before planting to kill couple weed flushes) & manage with mowing.
One example area on my farm on different types cover/diversity:
Next to:
Next to:
IMO to keep it simple for folks- I’d have 3 different “management areas”.... 1) could do switch (& add BB if wanted) & manage w/post emergents & atrazine, etc. 2) Plateau (imazapic) area with stuff like BB, Indian & tolerant forbs. 3) area with vast mix (preference & lots of diversity) started with dead & clean seed bed (like coming out of beans and spray post emergents like crazy man before planting to kill couple weed flushes) & manage with mowing.
One example area on my farm on different types cover/diversity:
Next to:
Next to:
DannyBoy
Well-Known Member
Good stuff, Skip. I still need a tour of the Sligh Ranch one of these days!
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Noticed new switch up this morning. Was not there last week. Mid June about average for me on new stuff. Sometimes def later tho.
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Out of curiosity, I planted 12 switch seeds in a pot on May 5th. They're in a black pot in direct sunlight and get regular water. Only 3 seedlings have emerged so far. 2 of them have been up for 3 weeks and are only 1-1/2" tall. The third just came up this week. This switch stuff is slow to germinate. I've got some foxtail and that's already putting on seedheads at the property, but clearly it's too early for 24d or Quinclorac. Mow again? (Can't get Atrazine)
DannyBoy
Well-Known Member
Switch has hard seed coats that really soften up with freeze/thaw. That is a likely culprit for such slow germination in your potted plants.
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Look at previous post on “JUNE 9”. No switchgrass visible at all. This is same spot JULY 5. It’s for sure a very solid stand & success. It’s maybe 8-12”. I’ll post some pics in another month or so. I’m gonna guess it gets past waist high.
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MNbuckhunter
Member
Checked on ours yesterday in SW WI and it was just popping up. Should be looking solid in the next month or so. Hopefully get about 24-30” of growth this year.
Look at previous post on “JUNE 9”. No switchgrass visible at all. This is same spot JULY 5. It’s for sure a very solid stand & success. It’s maybe 8-12”. I’ll post some pics in another month or so. I’m gonna guess it gets past waist high.
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From earlier post.... I started mowing 2 little patches of weeds in switch & realized that was silly. Drove through to mow some clover. Snapped a couple pics. Switch actually had some seed heads on. Which- atrazine, good rain & good weed control- pretty normal. 2nd year should be thick stand.
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" I hit with atrazine bomb, post emergents & a tiny amount of s-metolachlor (10-15 oz) ". I'm curious about this mixture. "Atrazine bomb, post emergents, s-metolachlor" Looks like it worked great. Switch looks awesome on your August post. Tell me more about this mixture??
I've got an area that was tall fescue. I burned it down last fall with gly. Frost seeded switch and sprayed with Simazine. It was almost a complete failure. Just too many weeds. I'm thinking I'll try again this fall. I've got access to restricted use now.
I've got an area that was tall fescue. I burned it down last fall with gly. Frost seeded switch and sprayed with Simazine. It was almost a complete failure. Just too many weeds. I'm thinking I'll try again this fall. I've got access to restricted use now.
Zero switch up. None. I hit with atrazine bomb, post emergents & a tiny amount of s-metolachlor (10-15 oz) about 45 days ago. Missed one little strip that came up in weeds but easy to deal with those. I’ll update with some pics later when things grow. Bet it’s mid to late July possibly. Dead as it comes on 95% of this.
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I'd be very surprised if a failure. This is what I would do. Wait till a warm October day when any switch you have is dormant ( might be very tiny). Hit with heavy gly (4 qts/ a), 2,4d, ams. Should be smoke city. Come back mid april with gly, and, atrazine. If straight switch I'd even burn (fire) in late april.
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Thanks for the reply IBH. Yeah, you're probably right. Guess I'm just jealous of you guys. 
I've got soooo much foxtail and bur cucumber. It just chokes out everything else. I've sprayed, mowed, pulled, cut, sprayed and mowed some more. It just keeps coming. Looked at it yesterday. Starting to see some switch peek through the dense stand of foxtail. Most of my 2nd year switch looks great, but one area never did come in. Went in late July and planted RR beans. I'll spray it with gly in the next couple weeks and start over. You said 2, 4d, ams. What is ams? I'm not really a "green thumb" guy so I'm on a steep learning curve.
I've got soooo much foxtail and bur cucumber. It just chokes out everything else. I've sprayed, mowed, pulled, cut, sprayed and mowed some more. It just keeps coming. Looked at it yesterday. Starting to see some switch peek through the dense stand of foxtail. Most of my 2nd year switch looks great, but one area never did come in. Went in late July and planted RR beans. I'll spray it with gly in the next couple weeks and start over. You said 2, 4d, ams. What is ams? I'm not really a "green thumb" guy so I'm on a steep learning curve.
Ams helps the effectiveness of gly. I use ams replacement products such as request (every co-OP has different brand) Here is a good article for you.Thanks for the reply IBH. Yeah, you're probably right. Guess I'm just jealous of you guys.
https://www.farmprogress.com/node/219292
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Austin
Member
Hi guys, gunna be attempting by first switchgrass planting this winter. Mainly gunna be field screens around a couple food plots, a couple acres worth. Most of it is in beans right now, and what's not has been mowed and sprayed over the last month and half and will spray again if needed before winter. Gunna frost seed 10lbs ac of kanlow in Jan/Feb. This spring, mid April spray with gly and atrazine is the plan. Does that sound right timing wise for the gly and atrazine? And then possibly a second round of gly if needed through about the middle of may? Is one dose of atrazine usually good or is a second beneficial? Just trying to get a game plan before the winter, have learned a ton from this thread.
Thanks
Thanks
hillrunner
PMA Member
Sounds like you've got a great game plan to me. Atrazine is weak on grasses like foxtail so keep an eye out for that. I wouldn't spray the atrazine twice, I'm guessing it'd be off label to do so as well.
Jbohn
Well-Known Member
Was reading up on pockets of diversity in yours switch grass fields to promote more bedding because of natural browse scattered through out . Example take a 10 acre filed and mow pockets in it till up and kill grass in that area ..say 2 total acres maybe do 4 total 1/4 acre pockets .. Thoughts ?