First Post / Switchgrass Frost Seeding

[SnowWaterWhitetails]

Hello all,

Happy 2024! First time post-er.

Quick question. Has anyone had any success frost seeding switchgrass into Egyptian wheat stubble? I have chopped the Egyptian wheat down and there is a clean seed bed underneath so the seed should get good seed to soil contact.

I have never seeded switchgrass before so looking for any pointers. I purchased some Simazine for spring green-up.

Thanks!

 

[Mortenson]

If the seed can get to the soil I see no reason why it wouldn't work. If the clippings formed a mat then it would be less ideal.

 

[Tree Spud]

Make sure there is snow on the ground. As snow melts, it will move seed towards soil. Snow also allows you to visually monitor your seeding rate & dispersal.

I hand seeded 15 acres of SG into existing wheat, alfalfa, and weeds and it worked well.

As noted above, if you have a thick layer of EW covering soil, you may need to disc first.

 

[omicron1792]

Hello all,

Happy 2024! First time post-er.

Quick question. Has anyone had any success frost seeding switchgrass into Egyptian wheat stubble? I have chopped the Egyptian wheat down and there is a clean seed bed underneath so the seed should get good seed to soil contact.

I have never seeded switchgrass before so looking for any pointers. I purchased some Simazine for spring green-up.

Thanks!

Will work great. Need to spray 2quarts/acre gly and 2-4quarts/acre of Simazine after green up. Switch won’t grow for a few months so safe for a month after green up. If you do this it will do great.

If not you will be disappointed imo.

 

[cbw]

Recommend the new variety, RC Big Rock. I drilled some in June 2023 and it was 3’ tall by September! This summer, will be drilling it in all the spots we had been using EW.


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[omicron1792]

Recommend the new variety, RC Big Rock. I drilled some in June 2023 and it was 3’ tall by September! This summer, will be drilling it in all the spots we had been using EW.


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Great stuff. Good luck. My drilled switch comes up quicker but it all seems to equal out in year 2.

I actually use imazapic for switch and it does fine if you plant at higher rate

 

[SnowWaterWhitetails]

Recommend the new variety, RC Big Rock. I drilled some in June 2023 and it was 3’ tall by September! This summer, will be drilling it in all the spots we had been using EW.


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I bought the RC Big Rock from Northwoods Whitetail. Expensive seed so that’s why I’m doing my due diligence. Should grow great though. Soil PH is perfect and free of weeds.

 

[Brian662]

It is NOT recommended to spray glyphosate after Greenup when using the RC line. They germinate quicker and cooler temps than traditional switch. Jon has a video about this on his Northwoods Whitetails YouTube channel. Simazine is still ok for use.

 

[SnowWaterWhitetails]

It is NOT recommended to spray glyphosate after Greenup when using the RC line. They germinate quicker and cooler temps than traditional switch. Jon has a video about this on his Northwoods Whitetails YouTube channel. Simazine is still ok for use.

Noted. Thanks for the tip, I probably would have sprayed gly and killed off some germination. I’ll check the vid out.

 

[Bill]

Late to the party but it shouldn't be a problem at to frost seed.

 

[omicron1792]

Looks like he just doesn’t like gly sprayed after seed down, not worried about it already germinated. I would have to see actual evidence of switch, any switch, breaking ground any time around green up.
Several places showed germination at 2-3 weeks, but planted in warm ground, tilled, in June.

 

[omicron1792]

I have used espresso, fastest germinating variety ever made, and planted in Alabama. Didn’t germinate anywhere near green up.

 

[Brian662]

Please spend 6 minutes watching this video to understand the difference between older varieties and the RC varieties.