Anyone tried the Don Higgins blend? I know a guy who said his Real World stuff held up better to snow than the straight cave in rock stuff. Good grief it's expensive stuff tho!
I have used a good amount of both the Bedding in a Bag, as well as the RW Switch grass. Wish I had known about it before using Pheasant Forever blends/mixing my own for my WSG mixes and CIR for my Switch grass. Side by side, the Real World products are taller, stand up better and seem to be easier to establish.
Planting CIR I usually go 8-10#/acre, the RW Switch I have going 4-5#/ acre, so the price gets closer/acre. Once established the RW switch is about 2-2.5' taller on average, and the stand stands up ALL winter long. Super thick stalks, almost like a thin sorghum stalk. Most are close to the diameter of my pinky finger.
Having said all this, I usually plant smaller 5 acre fields of straight switch and switch grass screens, so the extra couple feet of height is VERY much worth it to me to spend a little more. If I was doing a huge field of straight switch, maybe that height wouldn't matter to me with that large of an area of security cover.
Spring time after a heavy snow and icey winter, I can park my truck on the other side of a 10' wide strip of RWS switch grass and you cannot see it at all. I'm not tall (5'6"), but reaching as tall as I can in the spring, the tips of the RW switch is still close to a foot over the tips of my fingers.
The Bedding in a Bag (BIB) I have experienced the same as the switch grass. Taller than anything else I have planted, and stands up better. I work on CRP projects in OH, and MI that calls for WSG mixes. Probably adding up to 4,000 acres in total in WSG mixes and combination. The BIB if I can use it/afford it, get reimbursed for it, it's not even close for performance. Several instances where the USDA person checking the stands is blown away and taking pictures asking what in the heck did you plant?
I farted around for about 30 minutes attempting to post my own videos and pics from my phone. Apparently that skill is beyond me :-(
A cool video I usually send my buddies for a "non advertisement" style of video that shows a mature stand is Don Higgins harvesting a buck that comes out of a stand of BIB. The whole video is worth a watch, but if you FFW to the 9:30 mark it shows the recovery, and them walking in the stand without a sales pitch gives you a good idea of height and how thick it is. :