Switch. 3rd years the charm.

[Bill]

The summer after frost seeding I though it was a failure. Last year looked better.

This year it's almost to thick.

25ish acres here and I jumped a decent 2.5 YO up when I drove in. Gotta stop doing that!

 

[deepsleep]

Beautiful. I wonder how much 1st year switch gets unnecessarily plowed up? I know at least one. We tried to convince him but he wouldn't listen!

 

[scott44]

Nice looking switch field, I felt the same with mine after year one.

 

[dipper]

i feel the same way, it is awesome having a bedding area which used to be a nocturnal deer only zone. Yup, since the deer changed their mentality to the grass, u gotta.
How far was it popped up? Once they get used to u burning past them in that tall grass, they won't stand up. I have to pretty much step on them to move them in my established fields, but that's a little later in the season when the grass is fully grown.
My grass is about up to my chest

 

[Native Hunter]

That looks like a really nice stand....

 

[Bill]

Thanks guys.

Deep,
I bet your right. It would be easy to give up the first year. I had 2 other stands planted the same time. 20 is pretty much a wash. Another 10 acres that I mowed last late summer, then sprayed with 2,4-D and atrazine this spring. Funny, half of it is a pretty good stand. The other half not so good. But I wont completely give up on any stand until year 3.

Dipper,

If he stayed put I was running him over :D.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Wow Looks great Bill!
Will that switch grass maintain itself after established???

 

[dipper]

Bill if u have a cool season grass issue, u can use oust to nuke that. I sprayed in fall and it didn't hurt the native grass. It's like having a clear slate for the switch come spring.
I wouldn't count weak spots out at this point. I've had some good chunks look real bad in year 3, and really start coming around year 4. It takes a little effort but this grass will grow. It's really a lot of fun.

 

[Spiider]

Great looking stand!

 

[deepsleep]

Bill if u have a cool season grass issue, u can use oust to nuke that. I sprayed in fall and it didn't hurt the native grass. It's like having a clear slate for the switch come spring.
I wouldn't count weak spots out at this point. I've had some good chunks look real bad in year 3, and really start coming around year 4. It takes a little effort but this grass will grow. It's really a lot of fun.

I have had the same thing happen, usually in areas of sandier/poorer soils. I actually overseeded some of the areas at the end of my hunting vacation (mid Nov), but even the areas I didn't overseed filled in in year 4/5. I sprayed the first 2 years with gly/simazine early spring. I would have used oust like dipper if I could have timed it correctly.

 

[Bill]

Thanks.

I may mow it high this summer, oust it late fall and lightly frost seed a bit more.

 

[dipper]

Remember ure plants are making seed, cut it u won't have seed. Now cutting it after it seeds is another story... But u will also be loosing ure cover. I'd spray and be done with it, or do nothing at all.

 

[buckvelvet]

Your planting looks really nice Bill.

 

[Bill]

Wow Looks great Bill!
Will that switch grass maintain itself after established???

Not really. We have one field that is about 6 years old. Was getting over taken. I'm to chicken to burn so I sprayed it with gly and atrazine in the early spring. It looks much better except where the blackberry is taking over.

Good point Dipper.

Thanks buck..

 

[wildfire]

Do not know where exactly you are, but in central Mn. hunters will not go into thick blackberry brush, so guess where the deer will go if pressured?

 

[Bill]

Do not know where exactly you are, but in central Mn. hunters will not go into thick blackberry brush, so guess where the deer will go if pressured?

There's a thought. I've got an acre patch that I never see a deer in. Maybe a bigger area would offer more refuge.