Bermuda grass

[Florida cattle]

I'm looking at planting some Bermuda grass this spring, and I'm leaning towards Tifton 85 or Russell, I've read the test data from several field trials on most of the varieties, but I'd like to hear first hand from people with "real world" experience in dealing with the different varieties, both good and bad.

 

[Jogeephus]

Here's a link to a recent post that UGA.Danny made back in October. Its got some pictures of the top three grasses for our area as well as some info about it.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=40605&p=449991&hilit=Russell#p449991

I'm a big fan of T85, but from what I've seen of Russell I wouldn't have any trouble using it. Don't know about the digestibility of it compared to T85 though. What will it be used for primarily?

 

[Caustic Burno]

I'm looking at planting some Bermuda grass this spring, and I'm leaning towards Tifton 85 or Russell, I've read the test data from several field trials on most of the varieties, but I'd like to hear first hand from people with "real world" experience in dealing with the different varieties, both good and bad.

Planting grass doesn't mean you will get a sucessful stand. You can't fight mother nature.
I have fought and tried to grow coastal to no avail. I have one pasture that is full of common bermuda cross the creek and it won't grow. That pasture is full of Bahia. Go over the hill to the back pasture it is Alica, Bermuda, and African Star. Had a fellow one time ask me what is the best grass to plant for pasture my reply was what will grow in your pasture.

I have became a firm believer in test plots first, I currently have one in Red River Crab grass.

 

[simangus23]

Tift 85 is the way to go based on TDN --- but if I was in FL I would definately use a disc mower conditioner when putting Tift 85 hay up. definately save you some drying time..

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have had soiled sampled and I have a coastal hay field quite a few people have coastal in the area second to bahia. The problem I ran into is a rust due to I have so much bottom land. I even put in a drainage system to control the rain run off. I lost, learned no matter what the experts say you can't fight mother nature and coastal can't take wet feet for extended periods like our winters and 60 inches of rain a year in creek bottom pastures.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have had soiled sampled and I have a coastal hay field quite a few people have coastal in the area second to bahia. The problem I ran into is a rust due to I have so much bottom land. I even put in a drainage system to control the rain run off. I lost, learned no matter what the experts say you can't fight mother nature and coastal can't take wet feet for extended periods like our winters and 60 inches of rain a year in creek bottom pastures.

Good point!! So, if you have wet soil, although all other conditions remain good, don't go with Coastal. Now, if you don't have consistently wet soil then Tifton 85 or Coastal might work just fine if soil recommendations dictate!!!


I tried seeding some Cheyenne Bermuda seeds one time in a moist area = didn't work. But, all the Jiggs tops I planted elsewhere popped up like a jack-in-the box and have done well ever since then. A neighbor of ours planted Tifton topps on his land and they too did well although it took about 2 years for them to really show well and bale.

The point I was trying to make to the fellow before you go hole hog try it first in a plot it doesn't always work as they say or stand up in your particular spot to the grazing pressure. You can actually be reducing forage trying to improve it I have been to that rodeo.
Fellow here planted the Cheyene as well looked good until he put cows on it, didn't hold well under the pressure his was creek bottom as well. It did better than the coastal. I put in a 4 or 5 acre test plot of Red River Crab grass in the bottom looked real promiseing under the cattle. I guess I will find out how well it reseeded this spring, grass had great yields.

 

[Florida cattle]

Guys my plan is to use it for hay production for cattle, with a 4-5 week cutting rotation. I'm just trying to make up my mind on what I want to use so I can hurry up and send my soil samples off.
Caustic I have a friend who planted some Red River Crab Grass last year for grazing and he loves the stuff.

 

[TEhayandcattle]

For hay production that doubles as grazing Tifton-85 is my favorite, here in South Texas. If you intend on selling any as horse quality you need to cut closer to 3 weeks and call it coastal, consumers don't take well to the big leaves, but for cows go 5 weeks for shear production. At 5 weeks we bale about 6 rounds about 800 lbs p/Acre running around 20%CP and TDN, blows coastal away. This grass has an unlimited potential as far as fertilizer uptake, on test plots have applied up to 1500 lbs of 18-18-18 and seen visible results with tissue sampling over 26%CP. Never let grow past 6 weeks and think you will cut and bale without taking out a loan for parts on hay equipment if grass is properly fertilized and watered, makes alot of hay if you do though. We run Pro-Germinator and HighNRG with Foliar feed, I know the price is outrageous but you get more than what you pay for if you compare dollar to dollar with conventional dry fertilizer. Chelated products show results for years instead of weeks. I have five acres in front of the house, dryland, that I run my weiners on, With adequate rainfall we can fenceline wean calves without ever dropping weight, the last bunch we kept record on gained over 4 lbs a day(We don't wean until 5-600 lbs either) without supplement. Of course we do run Beefmaster cows and my little ones are over 1400 lbs. I could go on and on about miracles we've seen from Tifton-85 but everyone will think I'm full of it. I don't know what your weeds are there but here the biggest key to quick healthy establishment is weed control, our most efficient tools are matches and spray rigs and we like to plant in the fall about the end of September, to avoid weed competition, Tifton grows underground forming a tap root first and then it branches out and erupts unless it's choking on weed cover. Kill out all other grasses or you will take years to fully establish if you don't give up first. I thought Tifton only liked sand until we planted black clay behind roundup ready cotton, Oh and if you run it fertilized for hay production don't let horses graze in hay pastures, they fall over and make grass angels because they are foundered and have to wallow over to the next juicy bite.

 

[Jogeephus]

Oh and if you run it fertilized for hay production don't let horses graze in hay pastures, they fall over and make grass angels because they are foundered and have to wallow over to the next juicy bite.

:lol2: :lol2: Never heard that, but I know everything else you said is on the money so no need to doubt you.

I've seen 200 pair on as many acres graze simultaneously in conjunction with hay operation and still get a yearly total of 16 rolls/acre. 1 pair an acre will not touch it but I have learned that 20 pair/acre can outgraze its growth in 3 weeks. I've also learned not to stand anywhere near a cows backside that has fed on T85 in any form as the cow mud has an extremely high splatterability factor rivaled only by winter annuals such as oats or rape.

With rain and fertilizer, I've measured dominant shoot growth at 3 inches per day which I thought was pretty impressive.