I mowed then burned my target areas to get a clean surface. My then two-year old switchgrass had already began to green up, and the fire didn't bother it any. From what I've researched, fire at this stage actually stimulates growth. This photo was from February 16.
Planted on March 15th.
It was a painfully slow process trying to find the first sprouts. But it turned off very cold after planting and neighboring farmers had corn in the ground for 3 weeks before emerging. This is a row of sprouts I found on April 18th.
I was checking weekly and waiting for the majority of the seedlings to get to the 3rd-true leaf stage in order to make my first herbicide application. At this stage, the plant is just barely over an inch tall. This photo was from April 29. I waited another week before spraying.
This photo was from May 7. Here you can see that the ragweed, clover, and other broadleaves were completely covering the ground. There is a 10' strip of switchgrass right where I sprayed. The Accent herbicide works on several grasses and broadleaf weeds.
Johnsongrass (red-colored grass in picture) and other weeds were killed or stunted by the application of Accent herbicide. Marestail (top right) and other broadleaves can be controlled later. My finger is touching a switchgrass seedling. This photo was from May 14, one week after spraying.
At the 5th-true leaf stage, a broadleaf herbicide application can be made. All literature I've read recommends waiting until this stage before applying hormone herbicides like 2,4-D or dicamba. This photo is from May 12, but the majority of my seedlings weren't this tall until a few weeks later.
I applied a herbicide containing 2,4-D, dicamba, and metsulfuron methyl on June 3rd. At this time the majority of my seedlings were 5-6 leaf and 8-10" tall. I got an immediate kill of all broadleaves that were beginning to shade out the switchgrass seedlings, and several weeks of residual control that kept the ground clean for another 5-6 weeks.
This photo is from June 5th, 2 days after spraying Cimarron. You can see the ragweed and other broadleaf weeds curling up, but it's very hard to find the switchgrass at this point when you stand back and look at it.
I flagged every seedling I could find in a 10' wide strip (I still missed some). This is the same location as the picture with the drill at the top of the thread.
Here is the same spot on February 27 after one growing season.
After that, it was just sit back and watch it grow. By the fall, most of the seedlings were knee to thigh high. The 2011 plants had bushed out and were over head high by September. This photo shows the height and volume of 2-year old plants by mid September 2013. These are planted on the levee slope so they don't look as tall as they actually are. All of them are up to the roof of my truck.
A 2011 stand after three growing seasons. February 27. My sorghum sudangrass and all of the other natural vegetation is pretty much broken down to knee high. The switchgrass is still tall. Excellent hunter cover.
A photo in the early February ice. You just can't knock this stuff down.
I will go over it all soon with atrazine to help keep it clean while it grows early this spring. After it gets big enough, a fire every 2-3 years will help maintain the stand.
