MO Hunt

I was wondering if anyone knew if switchgrass could be planted in the late summer or if was just a spring planting in Missouri? Any info would be very helpful thanks.

Redclub

Up here in Wi. switchgrass can be planted into July, It is a warm season grass/ very hardy once it gets established. Should be burned every few years. Have to cut weeds early.
RC

hillrunner

I copied this from someone who knows more than I do. I have done both and wont waste my time seeding switchgrass late in the year again.

"have seeded both fall and winter and like others who have tried both it seems that late Janurary thru mid March seems to get a better germination rate then fall seedings. So IMO I would seed mid winter during a thaw on bare ground or at least no more then a few inches of snow.

One pound of seed sown at the proper time on properly prepared ground (sod killed previous to planting) and weeds controlled with herbicide is worth more then 100#'s planted the wrong time under the wrong conditions."

MO Hunt

Thanks guys. Think ill wait till next year

North Texan

I have seeded it as late as August here in North Texas and have done ok. I've done a lot of pit seeding after grubbing mesquites with a dozer. Timing hasn't been as big an issue as moisture. When it rains, everything works. When it doesn't rain, nothing works. March and April work a lot better here for that very reason.

It really takes 3-5 years before you know what you've got when seeding native grasses. Bluestems more so than switchgrass.

hillrunner

I don't know that their is an easy answer to this in Texas with the obvious climate difference. Up here in Iowa we can get a decent stand of
switch on the 1st year by frost seeding onto previously killed sod and controlling weeds with atrazine. The frost seeding allows the seed to stratify through the freeze thaw cycle which causes a much greater germination the 1st year. The atrazine(which has no effect on switchgrass) holds back all other cool season growth allowing the switch to take hold. It is also important to kill all competition the year before with a couple doses of round-up and possibly a burning to clean up the trash.
When switch is seeded later in the year and weeds are not controlled with herbicide it generally takes 3 years to get a stand around here.