Bermuda..hold em or fold em

[callmefence]

. record heat and getting mighty dry coastal iand giant is loseing it's color. Areas of common are scorched after last cut. It's still a little short and thin but it'll make a 5x5 per acre maybe a little more. Would you go ahead and take the hay off or leave it as ground cover till rain comes.

Thanks fence

 

[bird dog]

Leave it. At least it provides a little shade for the soil to keep it from having all the moisture baked out. Can you put cows on it? That would help keep it from getting so stemmy.

 

[1982vett]

Once upon a time I might have cut it for what I could get. Now I'm pretty sure leaving it is better for it once it rains again. I've got a few spots that would make a bale or two that's burning up too. Not enough cows to utilize it. I've under utilized pastures for a number of years now and I believe they are stronger for it. Probably thicken the stand too if you let it be. I'll vote with bird dog on this one too.

 

[Brute 23]

Yup leave it. One good shot of rain and you will be bailing. It may be Nov, but you will be that much further ahead.

 

[Texasmark]

"......Know when to walk and know when to run......" Kenny Rogers, the Gambler. Super song and movie.

I'd say it's the flip of a coin. Bermuda has deep roots and likes hot weather. If you need the hay, a bird in the hand is worth 2 in a tree. Wait till late in the year and what you have isn't much, considering nutrients and all.

 

[1982vett]

That's true also.

 

[snoopdog]

It turned dry here , and we baled. As per previous comments, I won't do it again, leave it. It will rain, it always does but I sympathize with the frustration.

 

[Texasmark]

My limited experience tells me that Sorghum crops to name one, are on a time table. ( I know that Coastal Bermuda is on a 30 day cut cycle and over that, goodies in it start dropping.) If you get proper support (rain in particular), in 45 days you get expected height and density from your SS planting. If not, when the time line is reached, the plant will switch to the mature mode, head out and that's that, regardless of what it provides for you at the time.... bale it in the boot and you reset the clock.

On Ky 31, we have been in the 90+ temps for as long as I can remember. I have my second cutting ready to cut as soon as I fix my baling tractor's AC....parts are due in today. Reason a cool season grass is working for me?????? Rains came at the right time and with my first baling, the plant reverted back to the growth mode and reset it's timer......I have sideline 31 that wasn't cut and is brown.

 

[1982vett]

My limited experience tells me that Sorghum crops to name one, are on a time table. ( I know that Coastal Bermuda is on a 30 day cut cycle and over that, goodies in it start dropping.) If you get proper support (rain in particular), in 45 days you get expected height and density from your SS planting. If not, when the time line is reached, the plant will switch to the mature mode, head out and that's that, regardless of what it provides for you at the time.... bale it in the boot and you reset the clock.

On Ky 31, we have been in the 90+ temps for as long as I can remember. I have my second cutting ready to cut as soon as I fix my baling tractor's AC....parts are due in today. Reason a cool season grass is working for me?????? Rains came at the right time and with my first baling, the plant reverted back to the growth mode and reset it's timer......I have sideline 31 that wasn't cut and is brown.

I was looking through old photos last night looking for our house paint name and ran across pasture photos taken July 2008... :shock: OH MY! Was fully stocked (over stocked) back then and the ground was bare. Feeding hay. The pictures from 2010 look much like this year. Green till July then dry and burning up. Only difference is now I'm under stocked with plenty of grass, although it is stressing badly.

 

[MurraysMutts]

We been holding on for a while now. Evening rains finally came and growth has exploded. Gonna make great hay if it ever dries. Lol

On the other hand we cut some for folks who thought it was the end of times. Didnt make a lot. But they were worried about not having any.

Glad we waited