Switchgrass project

[j-bird]

I went and took some photo's last night of my current switchgrass project and though I would share. My farm has a gross need for additioanl cover - to address this I enrolled some ground into CRP program, but the cover that came up naturally just didn't seem to hold the deer - So I contacted my NRCS folks and was given the green light to plant switchgrass (but I had to pay for it). Because of the expense of the seed and I had to pay someone to drill it for me I kept it on the small side. The "bare" photos are from when we planted in June last year. The "green" photos are from last night so right at a year later. The planting year I mowed the broadleaves once they got above the switch and thenI sprayed generic 24D later. I thought I had a failure the first year as the foxtail took over.

This is generally what the CRP looked like before I decided to improve it. It just wasn't holding deer or being an effective screen.

 

[j-bird]

Now for some before (at time of planting last year in June) and what I have this year so far (as of yesterday).

Before....



After...... (roughly 40" tall - and I still have 2 months of hot & humid weather ahead)

 

[j-bird]

Same deal here - except the narrow area is to act more as a screen from the field while the wider area is to become doe bedding.

Before....


After - more grass in this than broadleaves but that's fine either way - I like the diversity and it doesn't seem to be hurting the switch - again right at that 40" tall mark.

 

[j-bird]

Another area. This one is where Ineeded to add cover around a feeding area. In the distance you can see a small corn plot of only 1/4 acre or so. The area that is brown was simply fescue waterway to controll erosion with CRP again between the plot and the trees - again not much cover.




Last night - as you can see the increase is pretty dramatic with again 3 foot tall grass and broadleaves. I hope this helps with daytime feeding and simply increasing the beddng opportunities. With this just being the first year I hope I get even taller growt next year. I would like to see between 4 and 5 feet -but that may be asking a bit much.

 

[j-bird]

I have more photo's but I seem to be having some issues (stupid technology). I think I am on the right path and I think other critters like quail, turkey and rabbits will be helped as well. I don't know the exact variety of switchgrass it is but I can tell you where to get it (although it raised a stink on that other site) - all I know is that I am pretty happy thus far. The "stick" in the below photo is 48" tall (so it isn't a yard stick or a meter stick). Based on the results thus far I have no doubt I will be expanding my switchgrass planting. I limted what I planted to see how it would go - I have even larger areas to do for bedding and more strips to do for field screening as well.

 

[scott44]

Nice looking switch J-bird! The switch really improved it from the CRP, how heavy did you plant the switch?

 

[dipper]

In 2012 I tilled the soil in spring and basically killed it. We didn't get any rain from damn near June to September. I drilled cave in rock switchgrass.
That stuff is resilient as it gets. It didn't do a thing the first year, it isn't super thick but it is reseeding itself and getting thicker.
It's gonna take over. From what I've seen the only thing that will ruin a planting is nasty cool season grass.

 

[j-bird]

The planting was actually switch, indian and big bluestem - we drilled the mixture at roughly 10 lbs/acre. The switch was placed in a seperate hopper and thus is planted in rows. Only the switch seems to have done anything. As I expand I will plant only the switch to eliminate the high cost of the indian and big-bluestem grasses (since they didn't seem to do well at his point) and may try just tilling and broadcasting or frost seeding. I figure the switch will reseed and thicken on it's own over time, but for now the broadleafs can add some diversity. I went from knee high cover to around waist high - hopfully it will do even better next year. If I had known then what I know now I would have planted the switch in the CRP along time ago.

 

[dipper]

That's really interesting j bird, because I planted the Indian and big blue too. I should note I have multiple nwsg plantings. In the spot where I mixed everything the switch seems to be the only one growing real good. This was last years planting, I have any older than that.
I actually bought my Indian and big blue seed from this hippie lady and I thought she sold me some bad seed. It obviously wasn't certified. I got it for like $6/pound so that is a really good deal.
Maybe someone has a thought on this? Does the fluffy seed take a little longer to grow? Little longer to grow? I'm not writing my stuff off yet. But that switch is really impressive.

 

[Riggsgwp->]

As far as Big Blue/Indian growth my first year it grew about 6-8 inches and this year it is 20-24 inches thus far and looking good. Some other areas didn't take as well and I'm only seeing forbs not sure why. I may replant a few acres into switch after seeing those pics.

 

[jwill1776]

Switch tends to be an early adopter, big blue and indian tend to show up more in the 2nd or 3rd year if given a chance to establish.

 

[j-bird]

I got my seed in a mix of roughly 1/3 of each type (indian,switch & big blue) from who I beleive to be a good source for a competative price. The indian and big-blue still had their "beard" and went in the main hopper of the drill, the switch went into a different hopper. I may have some of the others but I figured the grass I see that isn't switch was foxtail - I could be wrong (happens alot - ask my wife). I should be able to tell later in the year as the grass seeds out. I figured year 2 and 40" was pretty good. Hopefully the deer like it as well.

 

[j-bird]

dipper - only one type of seed I want from a hippie! I get enough air traffic as it is and those ding-dongs really check out my giant ragweed every summer - so ain't no way I could get away with it even if I tried. I am surprised they have not raided my shooing houses looking for meth labs yet. My boy joked and said he was going to paint a sign "NOT A METH LAB" and toss it up on the roof of our shooting houses (he must get his sarcasim from his mother)!

 

[NYPLOTTER]

I got my seed in a mix of roughly 1/3 of each type (indian,switch & big blue) from who I beleive to be a good source for a competative price. The indian and big-blue still had their "beard" and went in the main hopper of the drill, the switch went into a different hopper. I may have some of the others but I figured the grass I see that isn't switch was foxtail - I could be wrong (happens alot - ask my wife). I should be able to tell later in the year as the grass seeds out. I figured year 2 and 40" was pretty good. Hopefully the deer like it as well.

If it's 40" now it going to put a lot more growth on over the next 60 days. July and Aug are the big switchgrass months...

I have some going into year 3, some in year two and this years plantings. My year 3 stuff was looking pretty nice when I was at the farm a couple weeks ago. Can't wait to how it looks this weekend when I'm back up there. I will post some pictures.

 

[j-bird]

I figured the heat and humidity of July and Aug would help. If I think about it I will check the height at the end of July and again end of Aug just to see.

How well should I expect it to stand up to old man winter?

 

[NYPLOTTER]

In heavy snow it will go down but it pops up pretty good. Unlike weeds and such that just go flat there is still some cover during the winter and spring. I think you get less snow (maybe a lot less) then we do in central NY so you should be in good shape. We need conifers in NY for winter cover.

 

[NYPLOTTER]

Got some pictures of my 3rd year Switchgrass today. Looking good so far this year. Some of the thin spots I frost seeded this year have some foxtail coming in so I'm going to spray this week. But most of the field looks great.

 

[j-bird]

Talked to my seed supplier about the switch and he tells me I could be possibly be looking at 7 to 8 feet tall yet this year. If it grows that much in that amount of time I should be about able to watch it grow! This is far better than I had expected - especially since it was only planted last June. I didn't figure Iwould get anywhere near 5 or 6 feet until at least year 2 or maybe even year 3.

 

[john volkman]

in a hot wet year i have had my cave in the rock exceed 7ft, I'm in ne wi. Indian grass seems to grow later in the year than switch in my stands

 

[huntall]

good looking grass! I have 2 small paches of Alamo Swithgrass. I got my seed from turner seed. It is still young, but i have not even gone to check mine this summer.
Hope mine will look as good as the ones above.
Mine is a little over one year old.