A field in Walker County Texas was once coastal Bermuda. A ten acre section of it has been cleared of persimmon saplings with a root grubber and basal bark treatments of Remedy and diesel. The remaining plants that need to go are greenbriar and smutgrass as well as some easier to get rid of goat weed and dogfennel. Velpar is not an option because of close proximity of the field to oak trees. I don't think a broadcast application of 1 quart or glyphosate will control the greenbriar not sure about the smutgrass. Does it make sense to plow with a moldboard behind the 4020 the disk the sandy loam, roll it firm, and keep cattle off of it for a while with an electric wire. The results of a soil sample should be back in a few days. Will the coastal return? Maybe 50 percent of the ten acres is 75 percent smutgrass. Maybe 30 percent of the ten acres is thick with greenbriar. With the goal of returning the field to coastal for hay and grazing what should I do? Thanks for any comments.
Bring Back A Coastal Field
- Thread starter east_tex
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True Grit Farms
Well-known member
I would find someone to sprig the field with a hybrid Bermuda grass. Doing all that work for half the yield doesn't make sense.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
True Grit Farms":29d5rwxo said:
I agree sprig and disc, coastal loves the disc and what the disc doesn't get old fashioned 2-4-D will.
bird dog
Well-known member
That green briar will give you fits. Tough son of a gun to kill out. It will laugh at glyphosate. Its usually best to attack it in winter with remedy and diesel. It will need to be treated numerous times.
I would rather have mesquite trees than green briar. Unfortunately, I have both.
I would rather have mesquite trees than green briar. Unfortunately, I have both.
Farmgirl
Well-known member
University of Florida has some good articles about dealing with smutgrass. They give criteria for renovating pasture to get rid of smutgrass. If the wicked stuff is that thick and velpar isn't an option it may be the only option. The only chemicals that will kill it are glyphosate and velpar. I hate smutgrass!!!!!
ga.prime
Well-known member
Coastal is a hybrid bermuda grass. I get five 6x4 rolls/acre with mine if it gets rain enough. You know some other kind that makes twice that? I don't know anything about smutgrass, but if glyphosate kills it then I'd spray glyphosate on it because it won't kill coastal bermuda.True Grit Farms":1t8e9ja5 said:
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
ga.prime":2js31n3c said:
Dr. Dennis Hancock of UGA did a eight year study on production between a lot of different warm season grasses. And here's his results. When you add the RFQ - DMI into the equation T85 and Russell produce twice as much forage per acre.
ga.prime
Well-known member
That's interesting but there are other considerations. You remember when Furman P. was county agent? Many years ago I asked him about changing my hayfield over from coastal to Tift 85 or one of the other newer hybrids and he said "heck no, you don't want to do that".
ga.prime":j2zng5kl said:
Although I would not change a field from Coastal to Tifton I would not plant Coastal instead of Tifton.
Tifton will grow circles around Coastal.
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
ga.prime":cq7pbe7p said:
A lot of things have changed from years ago. I don't want to get stuck in the past like CB.
Jogeephus
Well-known member
The best way to deal with smutgrass is to either wick it with Velpar or spot spray it with Velpar. I'd hit the greenbriar with Remedy and it will knock it back and once you get your bermuda back on track I would think frequent cuttings along with the occasional sprayings with Remedy will put the greenbriar in retreat. In other words, focus your effort on the smutgrass and the other will fall in place. JMO
ga.prime
Well-known member
That's what I'm saying.Brute 23":3ros545e said:
ga.prime
Well-known member
Greenbriar means different things to different people, but I'm guessing in this case you're talking about members of the genus smilax. It will not thrive or survive in a pasture setting. Don't waste any time or money trying to control it.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Brute 23":3smyizo1 said:
Are you talking Tifton 9?
If so the Argentine will take it over.
Caustic Burno":5k5fcq6v said:
85
bird dog
Well-known member
ga.prime":2cb4ioh2 said:
He most likely has this and I think it is what you are also talking about.
http://rangeplants.tamu.edu/plant/greenbriar/
It thrives in sandy soil and is mostly found around trees and fence lines. While it is not usually a big problem in open pasture, it starts under trees and then starts expanding into large areas around these trees taking over small bits pasture as it goes. I have seen it start with a couple runners along a fence and in a few years it will be a 30' wide band 100 yards long along the same fence. It also makes your barb wire rust out. I would say its worth trying to control.
ga.prime
Well-known member
The best way ( and only way in my opinion) to control it is to keep it cut back. That's a natural side effect of pasture usage and maintenance. The tender new growth will be grazed by cows and deer and every other animal that walks by. The tubers supporting the smilax vines can only take so much of that before expiration. Keeping your fence lines clean is necessary but does not require targeting of smilax. If you eliminate shrubs, plants, and trees that smilax climbs on, smilax will go away. I know all about smilax.bird dog":3ajh0wqf said:
Jogeephus
Well-known member
The tubers are fixed in place and will grow into large clumps so it is highly likely that plowing will only make the problem worse. This is why I suggested treating the smutgrass then wearing the smilax down. You can knock it back with remedy but until you kill the root it will keep coming back. Like GP is saying, mowing and regular hay maintenance will work on the tuber and it will eventually starve and die.
