Switchgrass

[Fryguy]

Hi guys, newbie on the forum here. Have a question for someone with more experience than me with new switchgrass planting. I no tilled some seed back in mid may on ground I had used simazine on and 1 dose of roundup. Went over it a few times with the drill playing with seeding rates and apparently I disturbed the soil little heavier than I wanted. Got heavy crabgrass now. I mowed the other day. I do have some switch coming in but it's small. I'd really like to smoke that crabgrass, can I hit it with quinclorac now and not damage the switch?

 

[Tree Spud]

I think the switchgrass will take over the crabgrass once it gets established. 1srt year switch will take a way to show itself and wont see much height 1st year. 2nd year better then 3rd it is tall and the clump stems have expanded.

I understand Quinclorac can kill grasses. Would need to review the label to see secific grass types.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

From what I can find, there are not many options to control annual grassy weeds in a newly planted switchgrass stand. Ive looked into both quinclorac and mesotrione and both cause significant injury to the switch seedlings.

(PDF) Response of Three Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Cultivars to Mesotrione, Quinclorac, and Pendimethalin

PDF | Annual grass weed control and switchgrass cultivar response to PRE-applied pendimethalin and POST-applied mesotrione and quinclorac was evaluated... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

www.researchgate.net

From my experience, the annual grassy weeds are more of a visual problem than anything else. Use Simazine again next spring and consider frost overseeding the thin areas the next spring.

 

[Fryguy]

Sounds good guys. Was planning on simazine again next spring. Thanks for the input. I'll practice my patience

 

[BuckSutherland]

I'm on my second year trying to get a couple patches of switch established. Feels like I am getting my ass kicked. I had my ground blacker then the ace of spades last sept. Came back and spread the seed around mid october. Got a foot of snow 4 days later. Then this spring I roasted everything with simazine and roundup.


The switch seems to be coming in the low ground. On the higher ground I can find a scattered stem occasionally. I dont think we have had enough f*******g rain to get it going on the high ground. I'm getting more seed and gonna spread again fourth of July, and then again this fall if I have to. I have some thistle patches sprouted on me so I tried to spot spray them with 2-4d. One of my patches was completely overtaken by horsetail. Gonna try to kill that shit and get some clover seeded in that portion to try and smoother that shit out.

 

[Fair oak]

I planted a 30-40’ wide switchgrass screen this past June. Mainly to shrink the plot size and create some structure and edge. I simply broadcast the switch seed into last years cereal rye and red clover and the rolled and sprayed with 2 quarts/acre of gly. The switch came in pretty good for 1st year and it was mostly about 18” tall last time I was at the property. Some clovers and other broadleafs came back but not terrible. It seems pretty thick but would like the screen thicker. Will the switch get thicker on its own or should I broadcast some more switch next spring? Also, what should be sprayed next spring and when? Thanks!

 

[Bill]

I planted a 30-40’ wide switchgrass screen this past June. Mainly to shrink the plot size and create some structure and edge. I simply broadcast the switch seed into last years cereal rye and red clover and the rolled and sprayed with 2 quarts/acre of gly. The switch came in pretty good for 1st year and it was mostly about 18” tall last time I was at the property. Some clovers and other broadleafs came back but not terrible. It seems pretty thick but would like the screen thicker. Will the switch get thicker on its own or should I broadcast some more switch next spring? Also, what should be sprayed next spring and when? Thanks!

I wouldn’t do a thing to that stand. Patience is key when planting switch grass. My last planting I thought was a failure. After 2 years I really couldn’t find much switch in a 10 acre field. 3rd spring I sprayed simazine and gly and it took off like mad.

 

[Tree Spud]

I wouldn’t do a thing to that stand. Patience is key when planting switch grass. My last planting I thought was a failure. After 2 years I really couldn’t find much switch in a 10 acre field. 3rd spring I sprayed simazine and gly and it took off like mad.

Bill ... how and when were you able to use Gly on the SG?

 

[Bill]

Bill ... how and when were you able to use Gly on the SG?

For me the first week of April has some of the fescue turning green but the switch hasn’t germinated yet. (Most years)
I’m in N Missouri. That would need to be adjusted for north or south. Spray before soil temps reach 60 degrees.

 

[omicron1792]

I planted a 30-40’ wide switchgrass screen this past June. Mainly to shrink the plot size and create some structure and edge. I simply broadcast the switch seed into last years cereal rye and red clover and the rolled and sprayed with 2 quarts/acre of gly. The switch came in pretty good for 1st year and it was mostly about 18” tall last time I was at the property. Some clovers and other broadleafs came back but not terrible. It seems pretty thick but would like the screen thicker. Will the switch get thicker on its own or should I broadcast some more switch next spring? Also, what should be sprayed next spring and when? Thanks!

Man that’s gonna be a great switch stand. Mine never look that good in year one.

 

[H20fwler]

Switch for me is always a sleeper, doesn’t look like much until after a couple mowings to make it crown and by year three it is just there. Keeps getting better every year.
I wouldn’t worry about crabgrass or weeds the switch will take over.

 

[Tree Spud]

Switch grass takes about 3 years to get a reasonable stand ... years 1-3 are sleep, creep, & leap.

 

[buckdeer1]

I have had good luck frost seeding and think it grows faster than spring drilled.I always keep mowed about a foot tall the first year then let it go

 

[Fair oak]

Looking for ideas on what to do with a food plot that I need to get rid of or change. The plot was created on a whim my 1st year owning the property. It was an old logging landing with just native grasses and a few pockets of willow brush and a couple mature spruce and white pine. Now it’s wide open and just in a terrible spot. Creating it was a mistake as I don’t want deer hanging out in this area…. I attached an aerial. My cabin is in the southwest corner and the buried power line is my southern border and is my access to stands on south and east side of property. I posted this here as the only thing I can think of is super thick switch planting that the deer don’t want to use?Maybe screen it heavily on the south end and let the rest go back natural? Looking for any other ideas. Thanks!

 

[buckdeer1]

Why don't you want them there?Do you use for access? Maybe an oak tree orchard they will feed on the acorns but only for a few weeks

 

[Fair oak]

Why don't you want them there?Do you use for access? Maybe an oak tree orchard they will feed on the acorns but only for a few weeks

Yeah my main access for southern/eastern stands is right off the southern edge of the bigger portion of that plot. I created the plot thinking the deer would only be using it sparingly in the mornings and evenings and I could sneak by undetected the majority of the time. Turns out the deer use it randomly at all times of day and night and sometimes bed in the plot or on the edges. Really need to turn it into an area that deer don’t spend time in.

 

[buckdeer1]

I would either plant hardwoods there and keep trimmed so there little bedding or maybe plant a screen around it.What do you need more food or cover

 

[PrairieShadow]

For me the first week of April has some of the fescue turning green but the switch hasn’t germinated yet. (Most years)
I’m in N Missouri. That would need to be adjusted for north or south. Spray before soil temps reach 60 degrees.

@Bill

On established switch, say year 2, can you still spray gly and before the switch has come out of dormancy? or are you strictly talking spraying non germinated seed at that time?

 

[omicron1792]

@Bill

On established switch, say year 2, can you still spray gly and before the switch has come out of dormancy? or are you strictly talking spraying non germinated seed at that time?

Sure. Also can spray atrazine or simazine. I mix all three and spray early green up before switch has come out.

Also how big of an area? Can use hand sprayer and selectively spray non switch stuff with gly anytime.

 

[Bill]

@Bill

On established switch, say year 2, can you still spray gly and before the switch has come out of dormancy? or are you strictly talking spraying non germinated seed at that time?

I sprayed a field early in the spring when it was going into its 3rd year. It really popped that summer.