Switch grass planting

[Luckybuck]

Good morning all. Been watching a ton of videos on different planting for cover/concealment and I found one on switch grass that struck me funny. It seems you don't plant it until the fall and the following spring it really goes to town. Anyone had any luck planting switch grass? I had an area clear cut 2 years ago and while it is finally starting to thicken up I can still see clear across the opening. Size is approx. 5 acres. I am thinking of doing a strip 10-15' wide along the sides for access and to help block neighbors view and then doing strips or pockets of switch in the rest of the area to help break up the space. I will be in this area a lot cutting tops and brush to make space for the switch just seems odd to me not to plant until the fall. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mortenson]

My thought was switch does best being frost seeded. I also don't think a 10-15' wide strip will effectively conceal much. You'll need it to be wider with switch, or come up with different type plants.

 

[Luckybuck]

Ok thanks Mortenson. what would you recommend for width or other plants for concealment? Looking for ideas and how much work I'll have to clear out better.

 

[scott44]

I've planted mine by prepping the summer/fall before by killing everything with multiple sprayings of gly and then frost seeding my switch, it's worked out well for me doing it this way.

What I frost seeded into.

What it looks like a few years later.

 

[Mortenson]

Well with other ideas, you could go with anything from a super legit 3 or 4 row pine/spruce block, which would take lots of time/money/caging to 2 or 3 row miscanthus (Bill and maybe a couple others have pics of what that looks like) to perhaps yearly plantings of Egyptian wheat. Pros and cons to it all. Miscanthus takes a few yrs to establish but it looks pretty sweet when planting with concealment in mind. For switch to be a ground level conceal, I'd think you'd need a minimum of 50-75'.

 

[Bill]

I’ve always done switch like Scott. Fall prep, frost seed over the winter. But guys have had success with a spring kill and then planting. I just have no personal experience doing it that way.

for a screen I’m with Mort, there are other options that are better.

here is a link to pic 3 year old miscanthus. http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?t...eus-propagation-from-cuttings.480/post-105821

switch takes 3 year to really establish also but it will never block the neighbors view like two rows of MG

 

[Luckybuck]

Scott that looks amazing! Yes I was thinking of doing a rows of pine(red pines, spruce or white pines). I know this is a several year project. For reference north is the top of the page. Stand placement are where they have always been and I know they have to be moved around. Let me know what you think.

 

[Tap]

Scott that looks amazing! Yes I was thinking of doing a rows of pine(red pines, spruce or white pines). I know this is a several year project. For reference north is the top of the page. Stand placement are where they have always been and I know they have to be moved around. Let me know what you think.

A screen made of trees is great until a disease wipes them out.
Blue spruce are a doomed species and my Doug Fir are having a lot of issues. Ive lost most of my red pine, too. Hemlocks have a blight, too.
Norways seem to be the most stable species around here.
Its nice to have a permanent screen, but Id advise to not plant a mono culture. You could lose them all.

 

[scott44]

I've been trying different combinations here's one I planted MG into an existing switch screen, this is only about 30' and it's 2-3yrs old in this pic but it seems to work. The MG is a quite a bit slower to develope planted in switch like this but it will survive planted in an existing switch field.

 

[j-bird]

I have some that was drilled and some I simply frost seeded. The trick is simply keeping it alive so it can get established. Once you get that far....you just let it do it's thing.

When we drilled - it was early summer. It's a warm season grass so it grows fastest in the heat of summer. However if you get a drought...your screwed. I battled weeds the first summer and then it was fine.

Frost seeding - it's still about weed control to give it a fighting chance. I frost seeded into an area I had simply allowed to grow up in weeds. I spread seed, knocked the dead weeds down and simply sprayed the broadleaf weeds as they started to show up. This wasn't as productive as the drilling (on a germination rate perspective), but I didn't need a drill either.

Keep in mind switchgrass will provide actual grass to about a 4 or 5 foot height...the seed heads will reach 6 feet or so but does little from an actual cover aspect. My switchgrass does a pretty good job standing in the winter as well....but I don't get snow like you do either. You may be better off with adding some suitable conifers.... Rows of switch are fine with it then spread out among other native weeds works out well. You just don't want a sea of the same grass....the deer don't like it. They like the edges and small clusters of cover it creates (my experience).

 

[smawell18]

Yup, prep is key. Kill the weeds and create a clean seed bed the year prior. Once I kill the weeds I burn the thatch. Frost seeding into round up ready bean stubble also works well. Then frost seed when the snow is mostly melted. I have yet to frost seed mine yet this year. Lots of snow still in MN. The key is to frost seed with enough time for the seed to stratify. You need plenty of days where the temp gets above freezing but then drops below freezing at night. This will help to soften and open up the seed and allow it to germinate. Switch has a high dormancy rate. Follow your frost seeding up with a spraying of simazine a couple of weeks before green up. Hitting any cool season grasses that emerge with glyphosate is okay if you do it early enough. Once the soil temps reach I believe 55 degrees the switch can germinate and gly would kill the switch so if you take that step you really need to know if it has germinated or not. It's a great screen and also good cover when done strategically. Good luck!

 

[ksgobbler]

So this will be spring year 2 for me. I have some cool season stuff coming up I am going to hit with gly if we ever get a dry day with no wind. What should I expect?

 

[roymunson]

I bought about 15 acres worth of switch to put in this spring. Planning on spraying everything and then having Pheasants Forever use their no till to put it in the ground for me. Should make the seed reach further. Pretty excited about it.

 

[jsasker007]

Roy,
Are you doing a pure stand or putting anything else with it?

 

[roymunson]

Roy,
Are you doing a pure stand or putting anything else with it?

Planning on doing a pure stand, but in strips or pieces amongst some old field growth/briars that we're going to let grow up, then a clover fire break. The pieces that we're planting will be a pure stand, but they'll be cut up with edges and hopefully act like spokes on a wheel that'll bring all the deer to a common, killable spot

 

[jsasker007]

Sounds like a plan. I have enough for a couple acres but not sure how I want to use it yet. What you describe sounds pretty good.

 

[roymunson]

Here's a pic of what we have planned. Blue line is a feathered edge we're going to put on it to give a buffer zone between woods and field.

But in the middle and west end we're hoping to have switch and old field growth. Then bring all the edges together at the point smack in the middle of things. Water hole there and with the lay of the land, it could be a really slick decoying stand too. We're still deciding on things, but this is the rough framework

 

[jsasker007]

Impressive---you guys don't mess around. Must have some young people involved with all that? When I look at what you have going on all I can think about is the WORK. I do like the layout you've already got for the fingers of woods and fields---nice.

 

[roymunson]

My hunting partner has 2 sons who are 17 and 19 who enjoy habitat wiork too. I've got 3 boys but the oldest is not yet 8, so we've got a work force coming, but itll take some time.

Blessed enough to be able to get away from work and make my own schedule where I can go out and work on it. Have a 100hp tractor at work and a 15' batwing mower at work so we can dip into that.

Lotta work, but i really enjoy it. If i'm not working or being a spouse/dad at home, i try to be out there.

 

[jsasker007]

Yes sir, once the boys are old enough you can double up and be a dad with your kids in the woods. Doesn't get any better than that.