how to plant switchgrass for deer

You should start my mowing the areas you wish to seed in mid-August prior to the seeding year. By using our site, you agree to our. Planting switchgrass for deer habitat does make some sense, but I have never been a big fan of it. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008. Killed sod is the ideal situation for spreading that switchgrass seed into come late winter. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If you’d like to try no-till planting, this seed usually does well with that method. Benifits Provide good quality forage. Burning fields once every 3 to 5 years decreases weed competition, eliminates excessive residue and stimulates switch grass growth. The author’s efforts to establish a large section of switchgrass on his Illinois farm paid off in full when he arrowed this giant in 2017. Switchgrass will grow to a height of 6 feet or more, so it makes super escape cover for deer. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. I live in northwest Kentucky. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Make sure it has room to grow without blocking windows. Use use all-purpose flour and dust the grass and the insects. Panicum grasses are good in a zone 5, 4 and 3 area and maybe a zone 6. The small grain should be killed with herbicide to remove competition with the switchgrass seedlings. Extra fertilizer can actually damage the plants. generations in open-pollinated nurseries, 10 plants were selected for uniform plant type, leafiness, high plant vigor and seed yields, adaptation to northern climates, and uniform green color. If you Google USDA switchgrass, you can find the USDA release brochure. Do not fertilize switchgrass. This offers an outstanding opportunity for you to plant a thick stand of grass to be used on the downwind and approach side, of your stand locations. Suitable all classes of livestock. Switchgrass might spread through your yard via its seeds. As a native species, it doesn’t need extra fertilizer to grow healthy. If switchgrass becomes stemmy before grazing begins, cut it for hay and graze the regrowth about 45 days later. This article has been viewed 52,406 times. They tolerate a wide range of soils, even clay and sandy soils and dry soils, but prefer the soil to be moist. Seeding rates should be 3-5# per acre. Switchgrass is a non-invasive, non-spreading species of ornamental grass. How many pounds of seed are needed per acre? It is highly adaptable to a wide range of soils and growing conditions. You may need to adjust the planting time to your growing region. Therefore, it is attractive in a landscape for many seasons. Please read these instructions completely before starting your switchgrass planting project!It could save you a lot of time, money and disappointment. Try these expert-level hacks. Creating brush piles in or along the perimeter of a food plot can provide quick cover for small game and a backdrop for a mature buck to nestle in against. Switchgrass provides good warm-weather pasture and a source of high quality hay for livestock. Switchgrass can be planted a variety of ways. Make sure to check out my collection of whitetail hunting and habitat strategy books at: https://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/storeTo read the entire strategy for planting switchgrass, check out my article at: https://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/how-to-plant-switchgrass-for-wildlife-coverSwitchgrass is one of the easiest forms of wildlife cover to plant and if planted correctly, switchgrass can be fully established after only 2 Summers of growth! It can also be planted through most seed drills. This article was co-authored by Katie Gohmann. You should make sure you plant this one with other tall grasses and shrubs to give the deer optimal cover. I have a friend who owns property along a small stream that he manages for deer. Growing a full switchgrass harvest requires time and patience. Switchgrass Planting Instructions. Pick a switchgrass variety. Switchgrass may be able to play a significant role in improving water quality. This one has a varying height aspect, it could grow from 2 to 8ft. Planting Alamo Switch The following story and photos were sent to us from a customer who reclaimed an old cotton field in Alamo Switchgrass. When planting for wildlife, reduce … Dry or moist soil are both fine as well, although you wouldn't want the roots to be completely waterlogged. In a garden setting, thin out once the seedlings grow 2 inches (5.1 cm) tall. As a warm season grass, switchgrass thrives in the heat of summer but goes dormant in the cold winters. Ground Preparation – Your planting site should be free of any growing or established plants. Work the soil to a depth of several feet, to accommodate the length of the taproot. If you live in a place where the soil is never far below 60 degrees, planting in fall or winter is fine. Watch for young plants and pull them, or trim the flowers before they set seed. It can grow 7-8 feet tall and has excellent standability. Too much shade will cause the roots to crawl from side to side, which weakens the switchgrass. They are native to the mid-west of North America and are very beneficial to wildlife such as birds and insects in an urban setting. After two days, rinse it off. What environment can I plant switchgrass in? Let it rest for 30 to 60 days before grazing again. If you look for switchgrass at your local nursery you may just find a plant that's labeled "switchgrass," but there are actually several varieties that differ in color and size. It's HARD working from home. Frost seeding is the cold stratification process to help germination on a hard seed like switchgrass. Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. In the spring, switchgrass can be frost seeded around February or March. Switchgrass can be harvested for use as hay feed or biofuel production, but its height and simple beauty make it a good choice for the home garden as well. I want to plant ornamental switch grass seeds along a fence. Provides good cover for deer and provides nesting and cover sites for game birds. Floridata Does will also leave their fawns there all the time. They should be planted before the last frost. They like 4 seasons. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008. However, in very poor soil you can fertilize lightly in spring, and in very dry conditions you can water it once in awhile. Seeding rate recommendations for establishing switchgrass vary widely – from 2 pounds PLS/acre up to 10 pounds PLS/acre. Place it strategically so that it falls in between them instead of planting right in front of something you don't want to block. "Planting Alamo Switch (the following 10 photos) A bit of background --- not a farmer of any kind. While strong pesticides are best avoided, especially if you're using switchgrass to feed livestock or house native species, you may have to turn to this option as a last resort. When is it too late to plant it? The taproot on this plant can grow as deep as 10 feet, so older plants will need exceptionally large pots to keep them healthy. Providing height, flow and drama, planting switchgrass … This mismanagement weakened the stands and eventually led to their demise. The large differences in the recommendations can be attributed to seed quality, planting method, and environment. It will include minor terrain changes that you do with a tractor to enhance buck bedding. The tallest switchgrass will grow 6 to 8 foot tall. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. A goal for switchgrass establishment is to plant at … We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Will the grass invade my lawn, or otherwise be a problem for me? Switchgrass Planting Instructions. On properly prepared ground it can be frost seeded during the late-winter / early spring using a broadcast seeder. American Plum. Water the planting bed immediately after broadcasting the seeds, to help them settle. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 52,406 times. In the country, grazers utilize this plant as well. Come fall, the show intensifies, and many of the red-tinged varieties turn … Switchgrass has come a long way from being the plain grass that dominated the native tall-grass prairies of North America. My farmer neighbor is planting switch-grass in 2 fields bordering my lawn. A planting depth of ¼ to ½ inch is recommended. This article has been viewed 52,406 times. It could save you a lot of time, money and disappointment. Do not apply any nitrogen during the year in which you plant switchgrass seeds because it also stimulates the growth of weeds. White tailed deer and other native ungulates paw up the rhizomes for winter survival food. The best time to plant switchgrass is in the winter. Please read these instructions completely before starting your switchgrass planting project! Deer Bedding Area Design for Giant Miscanthus or Switch Grass is a mapping and layout plan completed by Greg and mailed and emailed directly to you. It is best to plant switchgrass in fields where a good seedbed has been prepared and there is no competing vegetation. In recent years interest in biofuel research has generated substantial interest in developing new varieties of Switchgrass, as well as new management strategies. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Partial shade is fine if you don't have a completely sunny spot, but full sun is best for thriving switchgrass. Cave-n-Rock switchgrass is a perennial, warm season native grass that grows an average of 3-5 feet tall, but in some regions, can reach up to 6 feet tall at maturity. I have not seen that the deer use it much in my hunting area, but I assume in areas with limited cover, they would use it more. For the bedding area itself, my preferred planting is our Real World Wildlife variety switchgrass. It could be planted on highly erodible sites and on field borders. To begin with, preparation is the key for a good stand. Planting is recommended on a firm, well prepared seedbed at a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Switch Grass is a North American native grass that is very easy to grow. When the mowed area grows back green a few weeks later, spray glyphosate (roundup) to kill the new vegetation. In early spring, say early to mid march in the upper Midwest you can A clean field of roundup ready soybeans planted from the previous year also makes a great planting site to establish switchgrass bedding areas for deer. It was tested as NDG-965-98. You can leave in your landscape until late winter or early spring of the next year, then cut it back and it starts growing again. These are factors to keep in mind when you're choosing a variety for your garden. Treat with chemical pesticides. It should not be grazed closer than 5 to 7 inches during the growing season. Leave 12 inches (30.5 cm) of space between them. Switchgrass is one of the easiest forms of wildlife cover to plant and if planted correctly, switchgrass can be fully established after only 2 Summers of growth! Dust the switchgrass with flour. Different Panicums have different blooms and shades of colours. There are several easy steps that you can follow to successfully frost seed switchgrass. How do I plant penicum grasses? Many of the recent introductions bring longer displays of colors with varieties in glowing red and burgundy. This one grows as much as 15ft and is known to be a very good deer cover. No-till establishment of switchgrass may include planting into small grain stubble after graze-out or haying. There are several switchgrass varieties to choose from and its high tolerance for different planting sites makes ornamental switchgrass a great choice for any landscape. % of people told us that this article helped them. Don’t worry about spreading; it’s never more than half as wide as it is tall. They were replaced by cool-… Plant the seedlings 12 inches (30.5 cm) apart. Rotstrahlbusch: Grows four to five feet tall and produces pink-tinged flowers. Any tree variety can be hinge cut, but hearty tree varieties such as maple or poplar will create the best grow back. Switchgrass should be planted in the spring after soil temperature is above 60°F. Shenandoah: Grows just three to four feet tall and blooms rusty pink. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Soil is workable with temperature over 60 degrees. The plan will specifically show where to plant what, how much to plant in what grid, and how to plant it. Switchgrass will benefit from burning of plant residues just prior to initiation of spring growth. They tend to like an average soil that isn't too rich in organic matter, which can cause plants to flop. Cultipacking after planting helps establish good contact with soil and speeds germination. Warrior: Grows four to six feet tall and blooms green. Switchgrass (SG) was widespread in open areas before settlers populated an area and remained in one place year after year. The seeding rate for switchgrass is 5-6 lbs of pure live seed (PLS) per acre for forage and biomass crops. In the right conditions, switchgrass roots grow very deep. Switchgrass is a very hearty species once established. Cloud Nine: Grows five to nine feet tall and blooms bright yellow. Switchgrass is a tall-growing, warm-season, perennial grass that is native to much of the United States including Virginia. Switchgrass is used for pasture and makes a good quality hay when mowed prior to seedhead formation. Sandy or loamy soil are both fine for most varieties of switchgrass, so there's no need to treat your soil to change the texture. In order to germinate, it needs the soil to be 55 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Being the plain grass that produces feathery delicate flowers from July to September what, how much to what... In Midwest prairies and Eastern savannas feathery delicate flowers from July to September remained one! Degrees, planting switchgrass for deer extra fertilizer to grow late winter excessive residue stimulates... It can be frost seeded during the growing season is very easy to grow without blocking.... 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