bermuda grass

[vfigg]

does anyone feed bermuda grass? will it grow in indiana?

 

[Beefy]

we feed bermuda grass. probably.

 

[dun]

There are a few cultivars of bermuda that will grow and persist in southern MO. Nothern Mo seems to be too cold and I would assume Indiana would be about the same.

dun

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Bermudagrass is indigenos to many parts of the USA. It is a warm season grass with several genetic varieties.

Our cattle and horses are on bermudagrass pasture and we feed round bales to cattle. Horses get bermudagrass hay and alfalfa.

Probably one of the safest grasses to feed any breed of livestock.

Give it heat, sun, water, and fertilizer and you'll make lots of hay or pasture!

 

[cherokeeruby]

Bermudagrass is indigenos to many parts of the USA.

Au contraire mon ami! Bermuda grass is not native to this continent:

Bermuda Grass
Common Names: Bahama Grass, Devil's Grass, Couch Grass, Wire Grass, Indian Doab
Genus: Cynodon
Species: dactylon
Parts Used: the stems and the leaves




Bermuda grass originally came from the savannas of Africa and is the common name for all the East African species of Cynodon. It grows in open areas where there are frequent disturbances such as grazing, flooding, and fire.

Although most of these species have remained in Africa, today Cynodon dactylon is found in warm climates all over the world between 45° south and 45° north latitude. It can be found growing in pastures and the understories of open woodlands and orchards. It is called bermuda grass in the United States because it was introduced from the Bermuda Island.

Bermuda grass is a creeping grass, and will creeps along the ground and root

where ever a node touches the ground, forming a dense mat. It also reproduces from roots under the ground. It has a deep root system, and in drought situations the root system can grow 47 to 59 inches (120-150 cm) deep. Most of the root mass lies 24 inches (60 cm) under the surface.

Its blades are a gray-green color and are short, usually 1 to 4 inches (3-10 cm)long with rough edges. The erect stems can grow 0.3 to 1.3 feet (0.1-0.4 m) tall. The stems are slightly flattened, and an inflorescent purple in color.

Bermuda grass reproduces through seeds and through runners and rhizomes. The seedheads are on 1-3 inch (3-7 cm) spikes and are themselves about 2 inches long. Bermuda grass will put out seeds about 3 months after planting. The seeds germinate at temperatures above 68° F (20° C), and begin to grow within 2 weeks. One plant can cover an area of 3 square yards (2.5 sqm.) in just 150 days after germinating.

Bermuda grass can grow in poor soil. During droughts the upper parts die off, but the grass will keep growing from its rhizomes. It prefers moist and warm climates, and where there is more than 16 inches (410 mm) of rainfall a year.

Bermuda grass is an early successional grass, and is first to grow back after grass fires, which burn quite often on the African savanna.

To the Hindu in India, bermuda grass was a sacred grass because it fed their sacred cows. In ancient Roman days they squeezed the juice from the stems and used it as a diuretic and and astringent to stop bleeding.

Bermuda grass is considered a very invasive and competitive weed. Few herbicides are effective against it. Before mechanized farm machinery, bermuda grass was the farmer's worst weed. However, back then it saved thousands of acres of farm soil from erosion. It was the most widely grown pasture and turf grass in the South. Bermuda grass is highly nutritional for cattle and can be fed to sheep.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

OK Cherokeeruby...

Guess I opened my mouth too wide...lol. As I said, bermudagrass is a warm season grass. Obviously, it would not be indigenous to the colder areas of the USA. But when I said "many parts of the USA"...there are a lot of parts where it is warm, hot, etc.

It is a good grass and livestock has a high tolerance for it, unlike fescue and some of the other cool season/good rainfall areas. It's hard to kill it, and that makes it a very good pasture grass which can tolerate a lot of traffic, graze down, and with just a little water it recovers nicely.

While some may consider it a "noxious weed", many ranchers like it and their cattle thrive on it. Yes, it is invasive...but that's good because it is an excellent erosion control grass which easily recovers from abuse.

 

[TLCfromARK]

One entry found for indigenous.


Main Entry: in·dig·e·nous
Pronunciation: in-'di-j&-n&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin indigenus, from Latin indigena, n., native, from Old Latin indu, endo in, within + Latin gignere to beget -- more at END-, KIN
1 : having originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment
2 : INNATE, INBORN
synonym see NATIVE

For the orginal poster the following website might help a little. It's mainly pushing fescue but has a lot of other info on it.

http://www.fescue.com/

;-)

 

[catl]

Bill Wrote While some may consider it a "noxious weed", many ranchers like it and their cattle thrive on it. Yes, it is invasive...but that's good because it is an excellent erosion control grass which easily recovers from abuse. The ones that consider it a "noxious weed" are crop farmers that have to keep it out of their crops.

 

[Campground Cattle]

I love common bermuda great pasture, never gets tough like Bahia.

 

[Tod Dague]

We have common, costal, and tifton 85. I perfer the tiffton 85.

 

[J Baxter]

I am getting ready to seed/sprig a new pasture. I've been debating between common and some of the improved types. What is e everyone's preference in bermuda?

JB

 

[Beefy]

coastal or alicia.

 

[Chuckie]

How does Coastal compare to Tifton 44 or Vaughn's? I am trying to find out which one will produce the most hay, with the most nutrients in West Tennessee. There are so many different types.

 

[Bama]

I used to feed costal. I got a differant supplier that had tifton. He had it tested and it was 18% protein.

 

[Ferdinand D Bull]

How does Coastal compare to Tifton 44 or Vaughn's? I am trying to find out which one will produce the most hay, with the most nutrients in West Tennessee. There are so many different types.[/quote]

Check with your extension service. They may have done tests to compare yield and protein.

 

[Chuckie]

At work, we have a county extension man from a neighboring county, that works part time. I was talking to him about the different bermudas. He says that he has seen so many differnet kinds growing in this area. He was talking about the "World Feeder" brand. He said that the man that started this, found some bermuda in his yard and decided to start selling the seed from this patch. What he said it boils down to is that it is all a common type bermuda from different areas and some have different traits like any other kind of plant. Some like it dry, some like it cool, etc.... Asking him what would he plant, he wanted to know if I wanted his honest opinion? I told him yes, and he said go to Co-op and buy common bermuda seed and gave me details of how to prepare the ground. He said that if I did a soil test and fertilized it after each cutting with 100 units of nitrogen, that there wouldn't be a hair's difference in the nutrients and I would have spent a lot less than what someone says they have developed with a fancy name, selling it for ten prices because they convince the public that is better than what grows in their area. I have always valued this man's opinion and he has always been honest. He also was telling me about an "Equip" program where the county will pay 65% of what it cost to sew the field if I leave it for five years.

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

My common patch looked as good or better than my Texas Tough last year. I am gonna experiment with a little Cheyenne this year.

 

[bizybeehill]

If you live in an area where it gets cold enough in the winter for bermuda to go completly dormmant how do you prevent pastures from becoming mud holes ? Does it survive underground and regrow in spring ???

 

[Chuckie]

Bermuda has a very thick, fiberous root system. If you have ever tried to dig up a spot of bermuda, it is real tough. The roots intertwine and makes a very tough mat underneath the grass. It holds up as well, if not better, than the other grasses once established.

 

[memanpa]

here in az at the local feed store 2nd cut alphala sells for about 6.50 a bale, 100 to 120#
almuda 1/2 alphala 1/2 burmuda $7.00 a bale
burmuda bales go for up to $8.00 $8.50 a bale
cattle and horses love it!!
keep in mind i live in a state that ALL most all livestock have to be fed not free ranging!!!!!
wish i had 100 acres of burmuda to bale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!