I'm in the far corner of SW Wisconsin. Given the cold spring, how long until you expect frost seeded switch to germinate? I have hit all my frost seedings with Simazine about 4 weeks ago but still need to follow up once more with glyphosate and 2,4-D. I'm trying to spray on a day it's not like 45 and cloudy but it seems like that's all we've been having. The few days above 60 have been gusting winds. Just keeping an eye on how much time I have before I should consider dropping the 2,4D and going gly only.
Soil temps are likely very low. I’ll take a guess - weather dependent & on conservative side. You likely are very safe into may. Id avoid in June to be safe. If you want to be safe - based on your location - mid may I’d be done.
If it were mine, I’d run gly, ams & bit more simazine. & I’d run it early may with that combo. Adding bit more simazine will buy you more time.
With that combo- you don’t need the 2,4-d… simazine or atrazine + ams (could add crop oil as well) is potent for post emergent broadleaf control. If I had cool seasons or hard to kill weeds, I’d bump up Gly rate based on that.
Does anyone have a good source for soil temps by area? I’ve found a few through a simple google search and they’re all so variable that I can’t make any sense of what it really is. When it says switchgrass needs a soil temp of 55 to germ, how is that measured? Surely when we hit a 65 and sunny day the top soil must exceed 55, so it must be some sort of duration level to that measurement?
It’s much like water temp. If you have a base water temperature of a lake or pond of “50 degrees”…. It might get “80 degrees outside” but take it a week to bring it to 60 degrees. Same with soil. It’s measured into the soil, not the radiant heat temp hitting the soil. Takes prolonged heat & sun to bring it up. Clearly south facing or burnt ground will heat up faster.
IEM :: ISU Soil Moisture County Temperature Estimates
Iowa Environmental Mesonet of Iowa State University
Latest Iowa 4-Inch Soil Temperatures - IowaWeather.com
The following maps are county analyses of four inch depth soil temperatures across the state of Iowa from yesterday, two, and three days ago.
iowaweather.com
You have time. Patient. It’s even early if you want to kill cool seasons grasses. “Plenty” of time ahead.
A little hard to see the slope here but I frost seeded SG with a little snow a few months ago. Not much vegetation as I burned it down pretty good with multiple spraying last year. I'm a little concerned SG seed might have gotten displaced through snow melt and rains since putting it out. Was thinking of broadcasting over it again to be safe but know it will be only the "soft" seed likely at this point would grow this year. Won't know for sure if the seeds still there or not until germination but just worry it will be too thin if some got displaced. It's just the boundary along the trees for screening so would like it thicker so am leaning towards hitting it again but have no experience with it. Thoughts?
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If u have any doubts or reservation + u have the time & seed…. Add more!! Can’t hurt. The only downside is a bit of time & $. In those cases…. I will choose the extra seed every time. But that’s me when I’m on the fence about something that I can tweak & be sure about. Go for it. Seed some extra. You are a long ways out from even seeing plants but the fact u have any reservations…. Go add some more & keep the weeds at bay - should be good.
Austin
Member
Was planning on burning my switch for the first time this spring. This will be it's 3rd growing season and it is well established. 5-6ft tall. I was originally thinking mid may, but noticed it has already started to germinate. Is burning existing switch that has already started growing ok?
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Absolutely OK.
I think you guys just answered my question in these last few posts but I frost seeded CIR in early March, sprayed Atrazine at 3oz in early April and am just getting ready to spray Atrazine 3oz and Gly but right now its way too wet but will these 90 degree temps in Southern Iowa this week cause any germination or am I still good? Hopefully by mid week this week I can get my chemical on. I burned this area off last spring and sprayed it 3 times last summer so that along with the first application this spring of Atrazine there is very little green anywhere.
Atrazine at 3 oz?? Or 3 quarts?
Plateau is often 2 oz (still can be a tiny bit harmful on switch) & could be 3 oz - dunno if that’s what u meant?
Atrazine & simazine, labeled to like 2 to 2.2 quarts I believe. If it was legal & got applied at 3-4 qts - it would be just fine but clearly I’m not for folks breaking the law
.U r just fine to spray this week.
Sorry, yes 3qts, don't know why I typed 3oz, that wouldn't have done me very much good.Atrazine at 3 oz?? Or 3 quarts?
Plateau is often 2 oz (still can be a tiny bit harmful on switch) & could be 3 oz - dunno if that’s what u meant?
Atrazine & simazine, labeled to like 2 to 2.2 quarts I believe. If it was legal & got applied at 3-4 qts - it would be just fine but clearly I’m not for folks breaking the law
U r just fine to spray this week.
You'll be fine. Soil temps were very slow to come around this spring. I don't expect to see switch till June.