Switchgrass options

[Troubles Trees]

I am planning for next years spring planting and I want to introduce something I have zero experience with and I know some of you have a plethora of experience with this topic. As I look online at the link below (I got the link from a comment somewhere on this site) it doesn't specify if any of these products are annual or a perennial plants, nor does it say what hardiness zones this stuff can endure. Here in NY winters can get pretty cold so it is part of my concern. I know many of you use MG and I will include it in this leg of the adventure but the cost is certainly a factor for as much area as I would like to cover. My soil isn't the greatest so that is also a factor, I would like a perennial and something that can take bad winters.
Cave In Rock and Egyptian Wheat I have read about on here a few times, I like the idea of using seed as it is quicker to get in the ground than MG and since I don't have access to a tiller, frost seeding is ideal and preferably without spraying but that is an option. I don't mind putting in some manual labor to hand scratch the surface with a rake to get a better germination rate, it would be at least 1 but less than 2 acres total.

What are the best options to achieve my goal here?

https://www.northwoodswhitetails.com/product-category/spring-planting/

 

[Bassattackr]

Egyptian wheat is a grain sorghum, much like corn, milo, etc. It is an annual that has to be planted every year. Like other sorghums, its a high nitrogen user and responds best when kept as weed free as possible. It stands thru the fall and early winter but will thin out and fall with snowfalls, etc. You cannot frost seed EW, it has to be planted after the soil temps are warm enough (65-70 F), much like any other warm season annual green/grain.

Switchgrass is a perennial warm season grass. It can be (and does well) frost seeded. It takes 2-3 years to show its fullest potential depending on weed pressure. Like other NWSGs, they are best burned, disced (or even mowed at the right time) to keep the stand.

MG is also a grass but typically established from a rhizome. Depending on the supplier, the rhisomes are ordered and shipped to your door. I don't have any experience with MG so I will let others chime in here.

Check out the Lickcreek section on here, excellent resource for both EW and SG.

Good luck!

 

[scott44]

What are you trying to do a screen or bedding ? I've planted e-wheat for a screen and it looks great during the summer and early fall but fall rains and snow knock it diwn pretty good and for a screen it;s not that good.

I planted e-wheat next to my MG for the first couple years until the MG was taller/fuller.

Here's a MG and Cave n rock switch comparison, those are 5' tree tubes.

Frost seeding switch is fairly easy I just start about now and spray everything a couple times before winter and come Jan/Feb go out and spread your switch. I've never tilled the ground for switch but I know some people do and have good luck also.

 

[Troubles Trees]

Egyptian wheat is a grain sorghum, much like corn, milo, etc. It is an annual that has to be planted every year. Like other sorghums, its a high nitrogen user and responds best when kept as weed free as possible. It stands thru the fall and early winter but will thin out and fall with snowfalls, etc. You cannot frost seed EW, it has to be planted after the soil temps are warm enough (65-70 F), much like any other warm season annual green/grain.

Switchgrass is a perennial warm season grass. It can be (and does well) frost seeded. It takes 2-3 years to show its fullest potential depending on weed pressure. Like other NWSGs, they are best burned, disced (or even mowed at the right time) to keep the stand.

MG is also a grass but typically established from a rhizome. Depending on the supplier, the rhisomes are ordered and shipped to your door. I don't have any experience with MG so I will let others chime in here.

Check out the Lickcreek section on here, excellent resource for both EW and SG.

Good luck!

Great input, thank you sir! I will check out the Lickcreek post now.

 

[Troubles Trees]

What are you trying to do a screen or bedding ? I've planted e-wheat for a screen and it looks great during the summer and early fall but fall rains and snow knock it diwn pretty good and for a screen it;s not that good.

I planted e-wheat next to my MG for the first couple years until the MG was taller/fuller.

Here's a MG and Cave n rock switch comparison, those are 5' tree tubes.

Frost seeding switch is fairly easy I just start about now and spray everything a couple times before winter and come Jan/Feb go out and spread your switch. I've never tilled the ground for switch but I know some people do and have good luck also.

Thank you for the visual support bud, that helps immensely. MG is the tallest stuff you have in the pictures right?
I should have specified that I was looking to make spotty bedding areas hoping it spreads naturally.
Thank you very much for your imput Scott!

 

[Hoytvectrix]

What are you trying to do a screen or bedding ? I've planted e-wheat for a screen and it looks great during the summer and early fall but fall rains and snow knock it diwn pretty good and for a screen it;s not that good.

I planted e-wheat next to my MG for the first couple years until the MG was taller/fuller.

Here's a MG and Cave n rock switch comparison, those are 5' tree tubes.

Frost seeding switch is fairly easy I just start about now and spray everything a couple times before winter and come Jan/Feb go out and spread your switch. I've never tilled the ground for switch but I know some people do and have good luck also.

How old of a stand is your switchgrass? I drilled in some Cave in Rock two summers ago and mine is about that tall now. I was hoping it would get a bit taller, but I do love the way it looks now and in your stand.

 

[roymunson]

If you can get your MG in the sun, it'll be your best bet for a visual break in 3 years. Short of a staggered row of cedars (which will take forever to get up and get effective) MG grass is hard to beat.

 

[scott44]

How old of a stand is your switchgrass? I drilled in some Cave in Rock two summers ago and mine is about that tall now. I was hoping it would get a bit taller, but I do love the way it looks now and in your stand.

That pic was taken the fall of 2018 and the switch was frost seeded Feb 2013 so 5 yrs.

 

[Troubles Trees]

What are you trying to do a screen or bedding ? I've planted e-wheat for a screen and it looks great during the summer and early fall but fall rains and snow knock it diwn pretty good and for a screen it;s not that good.

I planted e-wheat next to my MG for the first couple years until the MG was taller/fuller.

Here's a MG and Cave n rock switch comparison, those are 5' tree tubes.

Frost seeding switch is fairly easy I just start about now and spray everything a couple times before winter and come Jan/Feb go out and spread your switch. I've never tilled the ground for switch but I know some people do and have good luck also.

Those visuals are really helpful bud, a couple questions if you don’t mind elaborating. Was your switch a particular blend or just a single plant like Big Blue Stem? And where did you buy it from? Do you spray with Atrazine to kill off the unwanted plants?
I appologize for the noob questions but this is something I have no experience with, even with the terminology so I appreciate the information.

Just to be clear, this picture below has CiR on the right and MG on the left?


In this picture below the MG is on the left and EW is on the right?


And in the picture below is MG (I think) in the fall or spring? Trying to determine what will hold up until at least Deer season is over but all winter is preferred.


Thank you so very much for the input!! All very helpful Scott!

 

[scott44]

Those visuals are really helpful bud, a couple questions if you don’t mind elaborating. Was your switch a particular blend or just a single plant like Big Blue Stem? And where did you buy it from? Do you spray with Atrazine to kill off the unwanted plants?
I appologize for the noob questions but this is something I have no experience with, even with the terminology so I appreciate the information.

Just to be clear, this picture below has CiR on the right and MG on the left?
View attachment 31119

In this picture below the MG is on the left and EW is on the right?
View attachment 31120

And in the picture below is MG (I think) in the fall or spring? Trying to determine what will hold up until at least Deer season is over but all winter is preferred.
View attachment 31121

Thank you so very much for the input!! All very helpful Scott!

Yes first pic CIR on right and MG left, 2nd pic e-wheat on the left and MG on the right third pic is the same looking the opposite way so e-wheat on the right and MG left.

 

[neonomad]

I’m no expert, but a few thoughts. My switch got so thick I doubt deer bed in it, so I’ve planted a patchwork of food plots in it, kinda repurposed. If I were shooting for bedding I would definitely have it honeycombed with sections of lighter plantings or shorter grasses interspersed with taller thicker switch. And maybe give em something to eat in there, forbs? Also I’ve planted some of the Shelter variety from Ernst with some claims that it stays standing better than CIR, but mines to young to confirm. But you might plant some of both now in different sections to experiment. A little nitrogen once it’s established seems to help mine as well.

 

[scott44]

Those visuals are really helpful bud, a couple questions if you don’t mind elaborating. Was your switch a particular blend or just a single plant like Big Blue Stem? And where did you buy it from? Do you spray with Atrazine to kill off the unwanted plants?
I appologize for the noob questions but this is something I have no experience with, even with the terminology so I appreciate the information.

Just to be clear, this picture below has CiR on the right and MG on the left?
View attachment 31119

In this picture below the MG is on the left and EW is on the right?
View attachment 31120

And in the picture below is MG (I think) in the fall or spring? Trying to determine what will hold up until at least Deer season is over but all winter is preferred.
View attachment 31121

Thank you so very much for the input!! All very helpful Scott!

What I did was I sprayed it with Gly a couple times over the summer early fall and had a pretty decent kill and come Feb I frost seeded it. I sprayed with Gly once in spring when things greened up and I've never touched it again with any herbicide, it takes a few years longer by not using any chemicals but it has filled in nicely. I have a couple switch fields one straight CIR, one Soulthlow which is a MI switch and another CIR and Kanlow. I've also been experimenting with planting MG into switch with no prep and had decent luck again it takes a little longer but it works.

What it looked like after prepping it and what I frost seeded into.

My MG planted into switch no prep.

 

[Troubles Trees]

Yes first pic CIR on right and MG left, 2nd pic e-wheat on the left and MG on the right third pic is the same looking the opposite way so e-wheat on the right and MG left.

Thank you sir! That looks pretty ideal to where I am trying to get. I very much appreciate the advice bud.

 

[Troubles Trees]

I’m no expert, but a few thoughts. My switch got so thick I doubt deer bed in it, so I’ve planted a patchwork of food plots in it, kinda repurposed. If I were shooting for bedding I would definitely have it honeycombed with sections of lighter plantings or shorter grasses interspersed with taller thicker switch. And maybe give em something to eat in there, forbs? Also I’ve planted some of the Shelter variety from Ernst with some claims that it stays standing better than CIR, but mines to young to confirm. But you might plant some of both now in different sections to experiment. A little nitrogen once it’s established seems to help mine as well.

Good Point bud, I was planning on planting in strips 20 or so yards wide with each variety MG or something taller outside and also in the middle. Separating the different types will also educate me on what works best with my soil. I kind of have to go with something throw and grow due to the lack of equipment but I could hand work in a strip of edibles somewhere in there. I do like what you have done there, plus it gives a solid shooting lane :)