# Switch Grass?



## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

My interest is up after seeing some posts about switch grass. We have a strip of black mucky dirt that runs along a pond we have. It's pretty wet. Maybe 30 yards wide and 150 yards long. It's too muddy for machinery, but I planted rape with a hand spreader and it worked there. But I was thinking about planting a bunch of silky dogwood's and making it a nice thick bedding strip. But what about spreading switch grass after planting the dogwood's? What does switch grass grow in? Anything? How about sand for other locations on the club? Is it expensive? When to plant? Will a hand spreader work? Do deer eat it? Do they bed in it like I expect? Or is it a waste of time and money?


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

As far as getting switchgrass established, the biggest 3 factors are likely site prep, site prep, and site prep. Need to eliminate as much weed and grass competition as possible; once you've planted it, I don't think there's much you can do chemically to protect young switchgrass plants from invading grasses, and you can only mow to control tall weeds, and even then, probably only relatively early in the season.

Switchgrass is pretty tolerant of moist soil conditions. 

I don't believe deer are likely to eat it very much.

It does provide excellent bedding cover.

The seed is not too costly; certainly cheaper than the other warm-season grasses.

If you have a PF chapter somewhere near you, I would suggest you contact them. They may get you a real bargain on the seed, and probably have a local switchgrass "guru" or two that can give you some good advice.

Once switchgrass is established, it tends to crowd-out other plants; it would not likely co-exist well with your dogwood.


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## Swamp Ghost (Feb 5, 2003)

I have been told by one of our county PF guru's that you can spray newly established switch grass and other prarie grasses, that are not taller than 8", with Plateau to control some weeds and all other grasses.


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

Starting with a weed free seed bed is key. Since switch grass is a warm season grass that grows in the heat of the summer. 

I planted switch grass in the spring a few years back. Then I sprayed the plot with roundup 10 days later. I admit I was a little nervous. But I was certain the grass had not sprouted. It worked great. The stand was 5 foot tall this year. You need patience to grow it. Many folks give up and plow it under too soon. I didn't see any grass seedlings till the end of the second summer. It grows a very deep root system first.

Swith grass will grow nearly anywhere, good in sand, and dry areas. It will handle seasonal wet areas. Not sure about the "muck"


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

If the area is wet black muck. You could probably do well planting cuttings. I am no expert on planting cuttings, but I have read a lot about it. You should be able to shove Silky and red Osier cuttings down into the muck. Some use dogwood cuttings when they are preventing ditch bank erosion. They actually bury long "dogwood whips" a few inches deep, and plant them horizontally. They will sprout along the whip.


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## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

If site prep is even a small factor, I think I'll just stick with the dogwood's. There's already tons of wild grasses and weeds there. Along with some cattails. I was just trying to make it even thicker. I think I'll let the native grass take over. Thanks.


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## mike hartges (Jun 9, 2003)

My wife and I have planted lots of cuttings. Shrub type willows should work in the wet areas. We now have willows that are 8ft tall that were planted as 6 inch sticks that were about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. Make sure the buds are pointing up if you plant cuttings. Some of our switchgrass is planted on clay soil that is wet in the springtime. It seems to do well on my wet or dry soils. I don't know about planting it in muck.


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