Frost seeded switchgrass

[Robert86]

New here, first post, anyway I frost seeded switchgrass in December and we got snow the next day so I know the seed stayed on the ground. I did a double spary of round up in the fall so I had bare dirt. I sprayed simazine on April 10th of this year and as of right now there is very little weeds coming up it looks mostly bare. Did I do something wrong in this process or do you think it hasn't been warm enough yet? I'm located in eastern Wisconsin, we have only had a couple of days in the 80s. Just looking for opinions, thank you.

 

[omicron1792]

I did exact same thing here in alabama this year and I’m just now getting some switch coming up.

 

[Bassattackr]

Likely too early. Switch is slow. Be patient..

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Switch is truly a tortoise. Slow and steady to come up. I frost seeded 3.5 acres this spring in Northern Missouri onto a mostly clean soil surface and we barely have anything coming up yet.

 

[Brian662]

The natural "frost seeded" switch that is next to my existing mature switch screens on my food plots is about 3" tall right now in SE MN.
The mature screens are mid thigh in height, so the young stuff is way behind, as usual.

 

[Robert86]

If you feel that you didn't seed heavy enough, could you throw pure switch seed down now? Maybe right before a rain?

 

[Tree Spud]

Switch is a warm season grass, it needs warm weather. Have had the longest, coldest delayed spring here in Wisconsin i can remember. Seeding rate is usually 5-7 lbs/acre. It is a very definitive clump when it starts to grow. I can't comment on impact of simizine, should check with your supplier. I have read that you should wait to apply simizine after the SG has developed leaves.

Watching grass grow is like trying to watch water boil. You can't make it happen. Your first year you may only get 12" shoots. Took me a good 3 years before it got to 4-5' high. Give it time.

 

[Brian662]

I would not throw the seed on the ground mid summer. You'll likely get better results with less wasted seed if you wait until late fall through early spring to seed.

 

[Brian662]

Switch is a warm season grass, it needs warm weather. Have had the longest, coldest delayed spring here in Wisconsin i can remember. Seeding rate is usually 5-7 lbs/acre. It is a very definitive clump when it starts to grow. I can't comment on impact of simizine, should check with your supplier. I have read that you should wait to apply simizine after the SG has developed leaves.

Watching grass grow is like trying to watch water boil. You can't make it happen. Your first year you may only get 12" shoots. Took me a good 3 years before it got to 4-5' high. Give it time.

Almost all of my first year switchgrass starts as single chutes if grass. It generally becomes a clump grass at year 2 once it's developed solid roots 4-6' underground.

 

[Robert86]

Almost all of my first year switchgrass starts as single chutes if grass. It generally becomes a clump grass at year 2 once it's developed solid roots 4-6' underground.

That would make sense to me, I see little like one inch tall switch, at least I'm pretty sure it's switch in the area that I frost seeded, it just looks thin. Maybe some didn't germinate yet? Just nervous I spent all this time and money, hoping it pays off.

 

[Brian662]

That would make sense to me, I see little like one inch tall switch, at least I'm pretty sure it's switch in the area that I frost seeded, it just looks thin. Maybe some didn't germinate yet? Just nervous I spent all this time and money, hoping it pays off.

You'd have to refer to your method of planting, time of planting, and seed germination rates (active vs dormant) to best understand your situation.

 

[Robert86]

You'd have to refer to your method of planting, time of planting, and seed germination rates (active vs dormant) to best understand your situation.

How do you know if it's active or not?

 

[Brian662]

How do you know if it's active or not?

The seed tag on the bag it came in. A good active rate is >80% but average for switch is generally ~60%.

 

[Robert86]

So I have switchgrass second year and was going to spray simizine tomorrow, it's a 3700 square foot strip, can anyone tell me how much simizine I need to spray on that, and with how many gallons of water? I'm going to use a hand sprayer.

 

[silver_yummies]

43,560 sq ft in an acre. If you wanted 3 qts per acre, you will want to apply 8.5% of that amount since 3700 is 8.5% of acre.

32 oz in a qt so full acre is 96 ounces. Take 8.5% of 96 is 8.2 ounces you need to apply.

Amount of water depends on how fast you are walking and application rate. All that matters is it gets applied evenly.

Someone else can correct my math but I think that’s how I’d do it.

 

[Brian662]

3,700 Sq ft is less than .1 acre.

Simazine normally goes on at a rate of 2 qts/acre. In *my* ATV sprayer I spray an acre with about 12 gallons of water. If everything were equal, I would guess you could mix .2 quarts to about 1.2 gallons of water.
Pretty tough to replicate this in that small of a sample though.

 

[Brian662]

Also, keep in mind that simazine needs rain to become soil active, so applying it before a light rain is ideal.

 

[Robert86]

Thanks guys, that is right inline with my math.