dbltree
Super Moderator
It may produce seed heads if it doesn't get mowed and doesn't have to compete with too much weed cover. You'll know better this fall...
LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
Some of our first year switch is starting to seed out, not all of it though. In this picture you can just see it starting to peek out.
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LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
Found some big foxtail plants this weekend and after pulling them out of the ground it was pretty easy to see why these can over take a field! Keeping these out of the switch plantings has helped a bunch, we can notice a big difference from one field to the other when foxtail is present or not.
It may produce seed heads if it doesn't get mowed and doesn't have to compete with too much weed cover. You'll know better this fall...
Got my answer today, quite a bit of it is seeding out. :way:
letemgrow
PMA Member
That foxtail is hard on native grasses getting established...it sure does make for a good pheasant shoot in the fall tho.
Ok - new to the forum and this topic may have been discussed, but I started to read through the previous 70 pages and could not find the topic.
I just closed on an additional 30 acres of land next to my house which is on 28 acres. The new land had a dirt bike track on it, which i promptly had bulldozed over the weekend. The jumps were all pure top soil as the land was used for corn about 10 years ago. I planted a couple of acres of sunburst this past spring on my current property. I want to extend the switchgrass into the new land which is where the track was located. Probably another 3 or 4 acres.
My real question, This new spot is now completely clean top soil. I have read that switchgrass should really be planted in winter/early spring. I was hoping to take a short cut and put seed out now, so I do not have to worry about planting next spring. I understand that it would not grow this year - but will the seed survive and be ok for next year - or am I better off just waiting until march? I live in Southeast Wisconsin if that is needed.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for suggestions.
Chris
I just closed on an additional 30 acres of land next to my house which is on 28 acres. The new land had a dirt bike track on it, which i promptly had bulldozed over the weekend. The jumps were all pure top soil as the land was used for corn about 10 years ago. I planted a couple of acres of sunburst this past spring on my current property. I want to extend the switchgrass into the new land which is where the track was located. Probably another 3 or 4 acres.
My real question, This new spot is now completely clean top soil. I have read that switchgrass should really be planted in winter/early spring. I was hoping to take a short cut and put seed out now, so I do not have to worry about planting next spring. I understand that it would not grow this year - but will the seed survive and be ok for next year - or am I better off just waiting until march? I live in Southeast Wisconsin if that is needed.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for suggestions.
Chris
Daver
PMA Member
I would think you will have a heck of a weed problem if you seed switch over newly exposed bare soil at this time of the year. Your switch isn't going to get going until next spring anyway and in the meantime you will have a weed fest out there. I would let the weeds come on now...mow and spray them with gly to kill everything you can.
I would do this yet 2 or 3 times this fall. Go into the winter with as bare soil and dead plants as you can. Then frost seed your switch in Feb/Mar and manage your weeds next spring and you should have a good switch stand by this time next summer, with it being a lot better the following year.
My only concern with this is that the new land is located very close to where I hunt. I really try to keep the land as "quiet" as I can once archery season comes around.... Maybe I will have to sacrifice a little of the "quiet" to set me up for a good growth of switchgrass for next year and beyond.
Since this group is a wealth of knowledge, I might as well throw this out there to. As I mentioned above, I planted sunburst early this spring on probably 3 acres of my property. The land was old farm land that had been overgrown with weeds for the past 10 years. I sprayed to kill all of the weeds and once dead, I disked the land, planted the seed and that is it. Based on my reading, I made a mistake when I did not continue to spray with gly after I seeded - and as you can imagine, the weeds came back in pretty strong. I have cut the field to keep the growth down. Any suggestions as to what I do at this point. I was on a 3 year plan for the switchgrass to come in. What would you all suggest for next spring? Do I burn it if I can to get all the weeds gone? Do I cut to keep it shorter and spray with something at this point? Sorry if this is a bad question, but new to this whole process.
dbltree
Super Moderator
Do NOT seed now! Much of the seed would be likely to germinate and then die because it would not have time to become established. Dormant seeds might survive and germinate next spring but how much of it is dormant is hard to say and Sunburst is not as dormant as Cave In Rock.
Spraying gly again in late April might have helped but would not prevent a flush of weeds from coming up. You can only do that with residual herbicides such as atrazine, simazine or low doses of Panoramic (pre-emergence).
You can kill foxtail with Paramount/Drive 75 and broadleaves with 2-4D now (post emergence)
Your best option now is to clip the weeds 8-12" high for the rest of the summer (see recent pics in the NWSG thread) to give the switch seedlings some sun
August 2nd, 2011
This is a 4 year old stand of Cave In Rock switchgrass established by frost seeding into killed sod in early March
We use atrazine the first spring and followed up with Oust in early April the second spring and ended up with a beautiful stand!
It's thick as hair on a dogs back now!
Picture of switchgrass seed head
Sometimes slow to start the first year, once it gets established switchgrass can provide some awesome cover! :way:
ajadams
PMA Member
As far as the bare ground that you are going to put switch in, I would throw some oats in now to keep the weeds down the rest of the year and they will die off this winter. Then in march frost seed your switch. First green up before the switch is growing spray everything (including your exsisting stand) with gly.
I was thinking of that exact thing. I have some brassicas that I am going to plant this weekend just on a small patch. Put oats in the other areas to get me through this season.
Thanks to all for their responses. I am sure that I will have additional questions, but glad that I found this site.
spltbrow
Member
Very interesting idea. I may try that. I have a field that is 50% dead already that i have been spraying this year and am planning on frost seeding switch. This may be a good option instead of dead ground.
dbltree
Super Moderator
Anytime up to early October but early September is optimum time...:way:
dbltree
Super Moderator
Not usually a lot of thought given to soil fertility when sowing NWSG but they can be severely affected by nutrient deficiencies like any other plants. This 3 year old field of switchgrass has something severely wrong...
Plants are pale and discolored
Many areas of the field will barely grow weeds
but where the switchgrass is growing adjacent to a food plot in the same field and fertilizer and lime has been applied, the color of the switchgrass is dramatic and obvious1
We've taken soil tests so we can correct the problem and get a good stand of native warm season grass growing here again! :way:
Plants are pale and discolored
Many areas of the field will barely grow weeds
but where the switchgrass is growing adjacent to a food plot in the same field and fertilizer and lime has been applied, the color of the switchgrass is dramatic and obvious1
We've taken soil tests so we can correct the problem and get a good stand of native warm season grass growing here again! :way:
Dbletree, I have a terrace that I did for summertime work and I put rye over it help hold this year but the rain has been missing us, anyway they said I could put switchgrass on it. Should I broadcast it this Nov. so it will take off next June or plant it in March or will either be ok?
Thanks
Hornhntr
Thanks
Hornhntr
dbltree
Super Moderator
Anytime after Thanksgiving is safe to dormant seed but I usually wait til late January if I have a choice.
Rye has some allelopathic chemicals that can inhibit the germination of small seeds so I would get it killed in early spring if possible....