Frost seeding switchgrass

[tsawyer340]

I was wondering if it would be worth while to frost seed some switchgrass into a fencerow. Would like to establish some additional screening. I know to properly establish switchgrasss it helps to be able to spray and mow. I will be unable to do any maintenance in this location. Is there a chance it will take without any maintenance or will I be wasting my time?

 

[sandbur]

I have repeatedly sprayed with roundup over two summers and then frost seeded NWSG. Indian grass seemed to do the best, but a bit of luck with the mix.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Save your money, hard enough to get switch established when doing everything correct.

 

[Booner21]

Search this topic on Iowa whitetails forum a very detailed thread on establishing switch through frostseeding. I plan to frostseed mine here in a little bit. Not sure I would seed it into a fence row. I don't think it will do good in competition or in the understory.

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[habitat]

If there isn't trees and the seed can make any decent soil contact,i usually broadcast my switch right before a snow if I can.i haven't had a problem

 

[tsawyer340]

There's not much trees in the fence row, some sumac and some other random shrubs. Some cool season grassses do grow there.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

The cool season grasses are a problem when trying to get switch established. Unless you can spray those cool season grass/fescue with about 6 quarts of roundup per acre, they will choke out your switch before it gets going.

 

[scott44]

I've frost seeded switch a couple times with decent results but I started the summer before by spraying the area with Gly a couple times summer through fall. Not sure you would get the desired results by not killing all the cool season grasses before hand.



This is what I eventually frost seeded into.

 

[wiscwhip]

Drooling over that Ford.....................

 

[buckdeer1]

I would spray it this year and plant next or plant something such as 10 ft each side,I have done that along a creek to create more edge cover

 

[j-bird]

I have never frostseeded, but I have drilled it and all I can say is it is all about getting the seed to germinate and controlling competition. If you can;t control competition your results are going to be poor. Cool season grasses in particular are going to become active well before the switch can germinate and thus shade out the switchgrass. I had to spray and mow mine in the dead of summer to give the switch a fighting chance to get established. Once you get it established your fine, but getting to that point can be a real challenge. If you want to plant this fence row I would suggest taking this year and kill off all the weeds and the like - you may be able to retain the shrubs, but any exisiting weeds and grasses will need to go. Then you can frost seed or plant your switch. Your still going ot have to control other weeds that will pop up in the establishment year as well. It can be a decent amount of work that first year. NWSG are not a toss the seed and walk away sort of thing.....even with switch.

 

[Mortenson]

My opinion is yes you could establish some switch clumps in a fencerow with proper spraying, but I don't really see it helping with any screening unless your fence happens to be a wide chunk of dirt or has other vegetation already acting as a screen. I don't think a 5' wide strip of switch will screen.