Switchgrass plugs
- Thread starter ksgobbler
- Start date
Bill
Administrator
Do some more reading on MG. It's native to Florida. What we use for screens is sterile and will not spread by seed. It was genetically modified to use on biofuel farms. I'm going on 8 years with it. No runaways to date.
Much better than switch for screening.
Bill
Administrator
I hear you. My pet peeves are MFR and Russian olive. I could be wrong but I just haven't found a negative with it yet. Gly will kill it.
j-bird
Moderator
My drilled switch took 3 full years to reach it's max height of about 5 feet on average. It's great for hiding deer in it, but I am 6 feet tall so it doesn't hide me from the deer. Depending on the elevation differences and the like you are dealing with, switch may or may not work. I am implementing MG (from Bill actually) along a road for a screen in combination with some cedars. If you need or want a wall of grass over 4 feet tall.....consider the MG. The only reason my cedars are still there is because my MG needs to grow and mature as it only went in the ground last summer. Once I have a wall of grass, more than likely the cedar will come out. As for issues with the MG - as I understand it, in our climate the seeds never mature to become viable. Only way to spread it is thru cuttings or rhizomes and I am told gly will kill it. The rhizomes only spread so far as well.....as it too is a bunch type grass. Both will do the best in a full sun environment. I am told MG doesn't like wet feet and my switch tolerates minor flooding, but so far both seem to do better with drier soils.
j-bird
Moderator
Switchgrass may get you what you want. Simulate what you will need......Get some T posts and place a few where you can pull a long piece of twine or the like at a height of 48" off the ground at that location. Put some flagging tape on the twine so it's easier to see. Get you a 3D deer archery target and set it up at the further and highest spot in the area you are trying to screen and then take a few passes on the road in the highest riding vehicle you have and see if it looks like 4 feet will be tall enough. I realize this sounds dumb and a lot of work, but you need to really know what height you really need. If 4 feet will do it a 10 yard wide strip of healthy switchgrass should do the trick. This is sort of a measure twice and then cut sort of thing.....last thing I want to do is put the effort into a screen and find out after a few years it isn't going to get tall enough. Just a suggestion....I do some weird things, but I bet in a typical pick-up truck while driving down the road....4 feet isn't enough.....5 feet maybe.
ksgobbler
5 year old buck +
I’ve got a couple bare spots about 50 yards off the road where I had some dirt work done last summer. I could also put switchgrass there. I was going to sow forage sorghum in it later in the year. I’ve got a bunch of shrubs that will be here next week. Initial plan was to line the road with 50 of them. I figure plum and choke cherry should give some thickets along the road. Was going to plant patches of golden currant and fragrant sumac elsewhere.
j-bird
Moderator
Just keep in mind for a true screen you don't want to draw the deer to it. Especially one near a road. Trees and shrubs are great, but they take time and after leaf drop they may not be as effective. Tall grasses and conifers tend to be the best long term solution to keep prying eyes out. I have seen deer bed within 10 yards of a county road before as well in cover, so sometimes they just are not that smart either. Good luck and take lots of pics along the way!
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
I think you should plant a double row of cedar. ;)
ksgobbler
5 year old buck +
I live on a dead end dirt road so not worried about them being hit by cars. Just trying to keep honest folks honest. The plum thickets behind the house I can’t see through. Not really a deer manager. Quail like shrubs. Cedars are a no go. Last year I planted a combo of Egyptian wheat and Sudan grass that worked okay for awhile.
ksgobbler
5 year old buck +
I don’t know. There is switch in the native grass blend I just seeded the 5 acres of the south field in. 20 yards is doable. Too late to seed? 20 yards is doable and If I burn the stubble from the screen this year I could easily broadcast it. Not many frosts left though
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
I've got some established switch too and it does get "spotty" in places, the deer sure love to bed in it and the bunnies burrow into it after the snow nocks it down some, it does take a few years to really get going. For pure fast screen it looks like the MG is hard to beat, I'm going to put some out this year.
