Rototillin and switch grass

[Jeff]

I've started the process of planting some switch grass borders to block the 200 yard view the wildlife have of us while we mill around the cabin yard. We should be able to still have a view to them via the screeen porch and cabin.


 

[jb616]

lots of great videos from Whitetail Habitat Solutions....seed is not cheap. probably 13-14 dollars a pound or more and it will take 5-7lbs per acre.  Cave in Rock should grow 5-6 ft and there is another strain from Northwoods Whitetail in da UP that germinates quicker and might be taller...

[Jeff]

I wish I could afford one of Jeff's visits!  I got what I could get here. The expense of the seed is why I'm starting small.

I'm tilling a garden spot. Its been 20 years since it was worked with a tractor. Its still wet and the sod and thatch and clay mix is a beast. Ill try to get through it once today, let it dry a couple days, then go again.  Its about 800 sq ft.

 

[catalina]

Jeff, use this info for what its worth -it and $1.49 might get you a cup of coffee at the local gas station, lol. I have a fair amount of experience with planting and establishing warm season grasses in new areas. For Screens/breaks like I think you are wanting AND if you are trying to stretch a limited amount of seed id suggest working your soil like you are doing with the tiller and let it sit through a good rain and crust a little bit. after it has crusted a little take an old piece of chain link fence or cattle pannel or woven wire fence and weight it down and drag it across the crusted ground, sow your seed and drag it again unweighted. Switch grass doesnt like to be deep but it needs a little coverage to prevent birds and other environmental losses. If trying to stretch your seed plant it angled across the strip leaving bare strips wide enough to re-till this year and possibly next until what is sown is well established and then let the prevailing wind sow the seed from your established patches into those bare patches. Bit of time to get complete coverage but does work. Likewise for quicker pure stands if you can force yourself to never mow the switch grass but to burn it off each spring while it is still dormant but the other stuff is starting to grow, you will be amazed how fast it spreads and fills in those bare spots. Just a bit of my experiences with it.  Gene

[Jeff]

Gene, my plan was, since this is a smsll aeea, to let it dry another day, till it again shallow, then wait until I see weeds emerge, spray with pronto, seed, rake it in a bit by hand, then roll with a water barrel roller I have here. 
Could that work? As I have everything for that. I also have some plotstart lime replacement. 

[jb616]

I don't think you will need the plotstart. I think your soil test last year wasn't too bad. I just googled it and switch is tolerant of 5.0 to 8.0 Ph. Save the Plotstart til fall planting.

[catalina]

Jeff, sounds like a very sensible plan and should work well. Not sure what your soil test results were but jb616's info about switch being tolerant of a wide swing in pH is what we have seen too. However the sweet spot we have seen for best is if your pH was 5.8-6.2. Personally if your pH is in that range Id save the PlotStart till fall planting too. If you are at or below  5.7 might consider using it. Gene  

[Jeff]

I just used the neighbors soil ph tester. The lowest I test anywhere it might matter, was 6.7  the highest was 7.2  and I would say the average at right about 7.0

Here is a video I did of the first 24 hrs of this first spring visit to the cabin including tilled areas.

I went ahead and planted the grass, I didnt need to spray, that soil there was sterilized last year! I burned over 100 yards of slash there.
Sawyer's Flea and Tick Medicine Seizures and Ducks and Snakes and 24hrs of the U.P. Cabin - YouTube

[catalina]

Burning the slash there explains your good pH -wood ash is a good source of Calcium! Gene

[Jeff]

Well, this is also all limestone and dolomite in this area. We can hear the freightors as they pass lime island, and we can here the blasts from two quarries when we are paying attention.