Switchgrass as CRP
- Thread starter meyerske
- Start date
bwoods11
5 year old buck +
Rare, most new practices require a mix.
When I asked about a heavy switchgrass dominated crp plan/mix the biologist said that was not going to be an option as it overtakes most other nwsg and turns plantings into a monoculture of it and that is not what is wanted. I agree that is what will happen in a switchgrass dominated mix and concur it is not good for the overall habitat/conservation plan.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
We try and plant a good mix of big/little bluestem, Indian grass along with a clover mix & wild flowers and not go as heavy on the switch. Like others have said eventually the switch will start to take over as the dominate plant in a CRP field with it in it. I planted a good sized piece of pasture with Durana as the under story cover and it seems to be competing pretty good so far and holding its own.
wango tango
5 year old buck +
My state wildlife biologist prescribed pure switchgrass. Kanlow variety to be exact. It’s crazy thick and 6-7 feet tall. Walk in 5 feet and disappear. It stands up better than anything in snow of winter conditions.
It is absolutely a monoculture!
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It is absolutely a monoculture!
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meyerske
5 year old buck +
Do deer bed in it?
The wrinkle in CRP NWSG plantings that may not be widely considered is that you don't have to plant a straight mix across the acreage. You can plant your grasses seperately from your forbs or mix anyway you want. You just have to plant all the species prescribed on the acreage designated.
wango tango
5 year old buck +
They do. It’s the warmest spot in town. Not always needed but when it is, it is of the utmost importance. Just physics. It’s in a south facing slope. They can get out of the wind and lay in the sun.
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MN Slick
5 year old buck +
How about during Sept, Oct, November? Some guys claim monos of switch don't attract much bedding. Don Higgins says the opposite.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I wouldnt know because I don't have any switch but Don does sell seed right. So...
j-bird
Moderator
I had to include it in a mix 33% switch, 33% Indian & 33% Big blue. The switch simply took over. The deer like the edges of it but not bedding directly in it. It limits their vision too much in my opinion. They seem to like some openings in it and the ability to pick up their head while either laying or standing and see what is going on. A slope can help with that, but mine is mostly on flat ground as field buffers of 30 to 120 feet wide. You can get that if switch is mixed in with other grasses/weeds, but in a mostly pure stand that is tough to do. The deer like the edge between the switch and the other cover types.... I have the best results with it with ragweeds, goldenrod and the like as it creates clumps of cover yet the deer can see and have some browse as well. The kind I use the grass gets about 5 feet tall and the seed heads will get 6 or 7 feet tall. It stands well in the limited snow I get as well and doesn't turn into a see of sticks like ragweed and goldenrod will in the winter.
What jbird describes above with cedars and shrubs in the mix but not overtaken by cedars is the best bedding habitat I have found. Any of the places with the grasses/weeds/cedars as described have been full of whitetail. This includes in the hills away from rivers and in areas of large rivers on backside of bluffs. This is what I am trying to create in a few areas on my farms and so far so good. The areas range in size from 3 acres to ten acres. They were formerly brome or crop fields and now deer use has exponentially increased year round as well as other wildlife utilizing the areas. Quail, deer, and turkeys to name ones that are hunted but lots of other nongame birds and critters are now there as well.
I have used bbstem, cir switch, and indian grass for nwsg and mother nature has provided the forbs. I added cedars and shrubs and nature added her own versions of those as well.
I have used bbstem, cir switch, and indian grass for nwsg and mother nature has provided the forbs. I added cedars and shrubs and nature added her own versions of those as well.
john volkman
5 year old buck +
this is exactly what i did, and it was allowed. i no longer have any CRP acreage though, i have moved everything to CSP.
Do you know how I can get specifics on planting forbs and grasses separately in CRP. I am looking to sign up and want to do it this way. The biologist I talked with said he didn’t know that was possible.
Iowa_Dave
5 year old buck +
FWIW, I re-upped my CRP acres about 2 years ago and was pretty much obligated by the NRCS office to go with one of a couple options in terms of seed mix. I forget the exact seed breakdown, but it was pretty darned expensive once you start mixing in a lot of "fluffies" and various other species. Meanwhile, the dominant seed was CIR switch. It was my opinion from the start that the switch will overtake everything else in the mix in a year or two. 2019 was really the first year of the new mix growing and I can still see a "mix"...for now. I suspect that this year, or next, the switch will take over all the rest...which is pretty frustrating given how many $$'s went into it.
Now then, despite my misgivings about the wisdom, or lack thereof, of the particular seed mix I went with out of obligation...the greatly increased annual payment made me all better again. :) I suspect though that I will find out first hand what the deer will do with many acres of predominantly switch. I did go with the fire break buffers though that for the most part, run along the brush/treeline. So that will create quite a bit of "edge" cover too.
Now then, despite my misgivings about the wisdom, or lack thereof, of the particular seed mix I went with out of obligation...the greatly increased annual payment made me all better again. :) I suspect though that I will find out first hand what the deer will do with many acres of predominantly switch. I did go with the fire break buffers though that for the most part, run along the brush/treeline. So that will create quite a bit of "edge" cover too.
john volkman
5 year old buck +
they may require you to buy a mix but if you have multiple sites or one large site you can determine how you pu the seed down. I ordered my seed separated and that way i could plant it how i wanted. Note that i did mine over 10 years ago so it may have changed since i had my initial contract. Im now In CSP on all of my sites.
