# Canary grass?



## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

We have 2 sites about an acre in size each that are where old ponds were dredged and the soil dumped and spread. But it's very spongy and nothing else I've planted there will take. I wanted to get some thick bedding cover by the ponds and the guys at the co-op suggested Canary grass. They said it will grow on wet/acid soil and should get like 6 feet tall. I understand it can be invasive, but it sure looks good for what I want and I doubt it will spread elsewhere on my land, or surrounding land, because almost all is dry sand. Anyone have any experience with planting Canary grass? Do deer bed in it like I think they will?


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

I went on a pheasant hunting trip to Iowa where the land owner/manager had planted some 30 acre patches of Canary Grass for his bird habitat. It resembled triangular shaped cat-tails, with plenty of sharp edges that pulled and dragged on your legs/feet. After a day of trying to slug my way through it I swore never again. Very dense, vary hard to walk- change that to fight your way into and through it. Birds do love it as but I can not imagine trying to drag a deer out. I do not remember any sign of deer in there.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

Reed Canary Grass is common on wet and muck-type soils. 

It tends to dominate its site. There's about a 70 acre patch of the stuff directly across the road from my farm. It's been in Reed Canary Grass for at least 40 years. Not a tree or shrub growing within it. It does grow thick and tall. Deer absolutely do bed in it. However, once you get one good, wet snow, it becomes pancake-flat, and will remain that way until the following spring. In fact, each year, the day after we get our first good snow, brand new deer magically show up on my property that had been bedding in the Canary Grass.

RCG may not be a bad choice, but, I would rather grow Switchgrass if it can be grown on your site. It is somewhat tolerant of wet conditions, though not quite as tolerant as RCG. And, unlike RCG, it will stand upright and provide decent winter cover for game birds (and a few deer) all winter long.


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## Bear Creek (Feb 9, 2003)

I agree with Farmlegend, Switchgrass is a better grass for cover. It does very well on seasonal wet sites, but if you have muck it is tough to get established. He is also right about the canary grass going flat with snow. I have a low area I want to kill the RCG in and plant Switchgrass, but I can never get in there in time to get the soil worked and planted. Also RCG is VERY invassive and VERY hard to kill if you already have it. I planted 8 acres of Switchgrass on a low land site and still hand Canary grass grow up on the muck areas of the site. And that was after working the soil and 3 sprayings of round-up!!! Good luck

Birdman


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## butrunt (Nov 22, 2001)

I agree with the switch grass if you can get it to grow there. Canary grass is invasive. It spreads by rhizomes and it will and can invade and take over.


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## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

Will switchgrass grow in low PH?


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## Swamp Ghost (Feb 5, 2003)

yes


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## wild bill (Apr 20, 2001)

another vote for switch grass.


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## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

OK, switch grass it is. One more Q, will SG grow in other locations that are more dry sand? Is this stuff like autumn olive and kinda grows good everywhere? When do you plant? Any prep needed or can I just broadcast on top of soil before a good rain?


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## butrunt (Nov 22, 2001)

You can plant it in drier soils also. If you want to get an early start you can frost seed it in late spring or wait until the spring or summer months.


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## Bear Creek (Feb 9, 2003)

If you have the site worked up and ready for planting, I would consider frost seeding it in Feb. or March. If you don't have it worked and or still need to kill the weeds and grass I would do that in May or June. You can always adjust the soil PH with Lime if needed.

Bear Creek


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## Live2Hunt (Nov 23, 2004)

Thanks Bob for getting this thread started, it has my interest up (Switch Grass). Hope you don't mind me jumping on your post but i do have some additional questions.

How long does it last? Annual or Perenial (how many years)?
If you decide you no longer want it how do you get rid of it? Will you be able to brush hog and round up or will it need to be burned first?

Hunt safe,
Ron


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

Switch Grass should work well. I had great success with mine. 
A couple pointers.
Weed control, spray the ground a few times with roundup, Better yet spray several times that summer, then plant the next spring. I would be hesitant on frost seeding, that can be hit or miss. This grass takes a long time to get going, you could waste 2 years deciding if it took. I would broadcast and drag it in, then roll it. Or rent a no-till grass drill from the county extension, or pheasants forever. 
Patients is the key, many work their SG fields up after the first summer. (I made that mistake once). I have a magnificent stand of SG, and I never seen the grasses until after the second growing season. It grows a 6 foot root system and takes a while to get established. Shade is an enemy, brush hog the field a few times the first two years to minimize shading from weeds. 

Pheasants love it. The deer seem to avoid making trails through it, "traveling. But they like to bed in it. My wife watched a 6 point bed down in my field 10:00 on Nov 15. 

My stand is 5 to 6 feet tall this year. Once established very low maintenence. You can cut it every few years. Some like to burn the fields every 5 years or so. I have not touched my stand and it is 8 years old.


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## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

Liv2, jump right in. We're both learning about switchgrass. The more info the better.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

What bish said bears repeating. Establishing switchgrass does require good site preparation AND patience; usually, you won't have a good stand until the 3rd season. Cool season grasses like canary grass tend to get established quicker.

2005 will be year 3 for my switchgrass plot. Its biggest obstacle is competition from cool season grasses. 

My second year stand of Big Blue/Indiangrass/Little Blue appears to be MUCH more successful, at this point, than the switchgrass. I think it has to do with the Plateau applications, which you can't do with switchgrass.

Indiangrass, my favorite:


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## Guest (Nov 30, 2004)

I found this today. I hope it helps you some.

http://www.miwildlife.org/h-pge.asp 

Brad


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