When is a good time to frost seed native grasses?
- Thread starter H20fwler
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- native grass switch grass wsng
Bill
Administrator
Any time the ground is still heaving is good.
I once broadcasted into about 6 inches of snow on a warm day. It worked well. I could see how much seed was on the snow. But because it was warming up the seed sank through the snow pretty quickly.
I personally don't like bluestem or Indian grass because the snow knocks them down.
BUT I've never tried them with switch in the mix so I can't tell you it won't help with Stand ability in the winter.
I once broadcasted into about 6 inches of snow on a warm day. It worked well. I could see how much seed was on the snow. But because it was warming up the seed sank through the snow pretty quickly.
I personally don't like bluestem or Indian grass because the snow knocks them down.
BUT I've never tried them with switch in the mix so I can't tell you it won't help with Stand ability in the winter.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
I've been looking at a couple places that sell them as a blend already mixed, going to put it along road to help with privacy screen until conifers get bigger.
scott44
5 year old buck +
I have some mixed areas of Indian, big blue and switch and after 3-4 years there isn't much of the Indian or big blue left, the switch has taken over. Like Bill said Indian and big blue will get knocked over easy where switch might get knocked over but it will bounce back up.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Definitely something to think about, the switch seed is way cheaper than the mix.
Does the Indian and bluestem come up quicker? I've got a few acres of switch at the other farm and it seemed like it took a few years before it looked like anything, it does stay up good for me but I didn't plant it thick enough.
Does the Indian and bluestem come up quicker? I've got a few acres of switch at the other farm and it seemed like it took a few years before it looked like anything, it does stay up good for me but I didn't plant it thick enough.
Bill
Administrator
They all take until about the third year to be anything. I had a 10 acre field of switch I thought was a failure because even in year two it looked like 90% weeds. In the spring prior to the third summer I paid a sprayer to hit it with gly and atrazine prior to germination. The field exploded with switch that summer. Which may be another argument for just switch. I'm not sure bluestem or indian grass is atrazine resistant. For a field I might recommend against straight switch, but you're trying a screen.
Which brings me to another question. Have you considered Miscanthus grass? Way better grass screen in three years than switch will be.
Which brings me to another question. Have you considered Miscanthus grass? Way better grass screen in three years than switch will be.
DJL
Yearling... With promise
Were going to plant about 4 acres of straight cave in rock switch end of this moth (FEB) into last years corn field , but hoping to plant a few "islands" of red cedar within the area. Each island will have 4 or 5 cedars where i will try not to let the seed fall. Maybe if i burn the field slow and careful after a few years it wont ruin the trees and well have some tempting looking bedding spots for the whitetail :) No government programs for me...Not worth the BS for just the few acres.
wiscwhip
5 year old buck +
Just curious, are you required to use ecotypes native to Ohio, or just because switchgrass in native to Ohio, you could plant Kanlow(KS ecotype) or Alamo(TX ecotype) in that area?
j-bird
Moderator
I planted (drilled a 1/3 mix of switch, indian and big blue) and only the switch really done anything, but it has done really well now. I have never frost seeded it. Switch is much cheaper than the others and is much easier to broadcast as well. Mine was a product called "bedding in a bag" from Real World seed. It did great after the first full growing season - well the switch did. I have pics of it I'm sure on my property thread. I don't know which variety I planted.
wiscwhip
5 year old buck +
Then I guess you are not planting Cave-in-Rock?
EDIT: Did a little digging through some study papers, and found this...........
STRUCTURE analysis indicated that 67% of the inland switchgrass collected from road verges were most similar to U8x-A cultivars ‘Cave-in-Rock’ and ‘Shelter’ which originated from the Ohio River Valley or the Central Appalachian Mountain Region [42].
So maybe your good with C-I-R after all. At least if you really wanted C-I-R, you could use this to justify your decision to use it.
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Bill
Administrator
I have 7 year old fields that have never been burned. Every few years I mow pre green up. Spray gly before the switch germinates. Come back and spray 2,4-D after the broadleaf germinate. You could do that and just avoid the cedars with the sprayer. Won't work if you want wild flowers and forbs though.
