Don Higgins blend or CIR Switch

^ So after doing this "research" I (FINALLY) got to see the seed tags that came on the new Sundance seeds. I'm still in AZ but I got my SIL to take a few pics. I'm more dazed and confused than ever on this issue. I got all in 5lb bags. What is this tag saying? 22 lbs of foxtail in a 5 lb bag?? What am I missing here???View attachment 76155

That tag makes 0 sense to me. I’m totally lost on that one.


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That tag makes 0 sense to me. I’m totally lost on that one.


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Thanks....glad I'm not the only one. I got an email to John K. Maybe he can shed some light.
 
My switch is really thick and some areas I want that for screening but others I want diversity.I am hearing more people mixing switch at 25% each of big blue little blue,side oats gamma and forbs.I am going to break some of my switch up to try and get some weeds to grow
 
Thanks....glad I'm not the only one. I got an email to John K. Maybe he can shed some light.
That makes no sense at all. Maybe 2.2% and they screwed it up. But I wouldn’t plant that.

My switch is really thick and some areas I want that for screening but others I want diversity.I am hearing more people mixing switch at 25% each of big blue little blue,side oats gamma and forbs.I am going to break some of my switch up to try and get some weeds to grow

Not an expert. But I’m never planting big blue with little blue again. NRCS Talked me into a mix of big blue, little blue and Indian grass once. Never saw little blue but the big blue came on year one. Since then all I have is Indian grass.

Again no expert and results may vary but Plant 2lbs/acre of switch with a clover mix.

It gave me an interesting field of food and cover.
 
Again no expert and results may vary but Plant 2lbs/acre of switch with a clover mix.

It gave me an interesting field of food and cover.
Interesting… have any pics of that?
 
That makes no sense at all. Maybe 2.2% and they screwed it up. But I wouldn’t plant that.



Not an expert. But I’m never planting big blue with little blue again. NRCS Talked me into a mix of big blue, little blue and Indian grass once. Never saw little blue but the big blue came on year one. Since then all I have is Indian grass.

Again no expert and results may vary but Plant 2lbs/acre of switch with a clover mix.

It gave me an interesting field of food and cover.
Have you got some pic's of this Bill? I think I like the idea.....if they will co-habitate. How long have you done this??
 
OK....John Komp (NWWT) replied to my email to him and said that the Giant Foxtail content was 22 seeds to the pound. And, said that the other Techumseh variety (which became rejected) was 300 to 400 foxtail seeds to the lb. So, evidently this is quite "clean" seed.....as switchgrass goes. (Some say that even with foxtail in the switch....that the switch will outcompete it in years 2 and 3....so do not worry about it.)

I gotta say I've never seen another seed tag like this.....and it is/was somewhat concerning.....and I am a little bit "jumpy" after my first purchase of this seed. This whole switchgrass thing is beginning to feel like a "smoke and mirrors" event, and who do you trust? But I am getting a handle on it (I hope).

Tho....I gotta add John Komp at NWWT is a stand-up guy....and I will continue to do biz with him. I know he is trying to do the right thing. Kudo's John.

In time gone by....my local seed dealer was bagging some cereal rye seeds grown locally and selling it to local customers. The following year I got lots of pigweed issues, which I never had before. And when I went to buy more cereal rye the next summer....the manager said they were no longer selling the rye. Took me a while to understand why....but it finally dawned on me. (yeah....I'm a slow learner). Now I am suspect of seed companies and dealers....about like I am of our government. "Trust but verify"......my new mantra. I'm getting old....no time for bullshit.sundance #2.jpeg
 
John Komp is a good dude with A+ customer service. Glad he got your questions answered Foggy.
 
If that is accurate, 22 seeds / pound doesn’t sound too bad. Lots of seeds in a pound so that percentage is very low.


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If that is accurate, 22 seeds / pound doesn’t sound too bad. Lots of seeds in a pound so that percentage is very low.


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Agreed. He answered me last night (sat nite) which goes above and beyond. Said they should have used 22 PER lb. That would have helped. I'm likely a little gun shy on seeds....lol.
 
Interesting… have any pics of that?
Have you got some pic's of this Bill? I think I like the idea.....if they will co-habitate. How long have you done this??

The only picture I can find is from one summer dated June 22nd.

image-png.19069
 
Here is another picture from later in the summer on a part of the field where the switch came in thicker. I mow trails through it. Lots of weeds but the clover persists.

image-png.13817
 
Here is another picture from later in the summer on a part of the field where the switch came in thicker. I mow trails through it. Lots of weeds but the clover persists.

image-png.13817

That looks like amazing habitat! How have the deer responded?


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That looks like amazing habitat! How have the deer responded?


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It's our favorite Rut spot. Felt odd at first sitting in a box in the middle of a 40 acre field but the does hide in it and the bucks are stomping around all day looking for them.

I've got a few fields that were planted much heavier with switch that don't seem to get the deer usage like this one does.
 
How long have you done this??

Sorry missed this part. I'd say I'm going on about 6 or 7 years with it. Surprised the switch hasn't filled in more but it hasn't. I had a year of bad thistle but @SD51555 told me to ignore it and it went away.
 
Sorry missed this part. I'd say I'm going on about 6 or 7 years with it. Surprised the switch hasn't filled in more but it hasn't. I had a year of bad thistle but @SD51555 told me to ignore it and it went away.
How did you accomplish this feat. Did you first nuke it all and then plant the switch and the clover together?.......or, did you drill the switch into the existing clover??

I think I would have a difficult time establishing switch into existing clover. Would really like to see some more pics.

EDIT: Just saw the pics above. THAT is good looking food/cover/bedding. Kudo's.
 
I have some areas with switchgrass screening along a clover edge and the switch is always popping up in the clover, for whatever that's worth. Switchgrass is a pretty prolific spreader under the right conditions.
 
How did you accomplish this feat. Did you first nuke it all and then plant the switch and the clover together?.......or, did you drill the switch into the existing clover??

I think I would have a difficult time establishing switch into existing clover. Would really like to see some more pics.

EDIT: Just saw the pics above. THAT is good looking food/cover/bedding. Kudo's.

It was a pasture for probably at least 50 years. Some where someone had to seed a pasture mix with clover. After I bought it I had the neighbor plant beans in it for 2 or 3 years. Hill ground so long term that wouldn’t last for erosion reasons.

I drilled switch into it At 2lbs per acre in late February and had the local sprayer hit it with gly and atrazine in early May. The clover was in the seed bank and came on its own.

But I don’t see why this couldn’t be replicated by planting the clover after spraying. Only takes a blade of grass above the clover for it to survive. The key was I started with a pretty clean field. Once established I don’t think clover can choke out switch grass with its expansive root system.
 
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