It's just a noxious weed if you aren't interested in it being in your field, hard to get rid of.....but that hard to get rid of is one of the reasons it makes for a great hay patch!TennesseeTuxedo said:
Buying Johnson grass seed
- Thread starter Bigfoot
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Bigfoot said:
Before the advent of ethanol wide spread usage, Milo was the Corn of the time. In dry years, Milo stalks were what you fed hungry cows....with protein tubs or cubes for some kick.
I thought about haying it but the stems are so big that you would have to cut it really short, before they got too big. Planting it at 50#/acre on a drill with 7" spacing would do ok. Plants would be close enough together so as to limit stem diameter.
************* said:
If you lived in N. Texas where the blacklands predominate, you'd have a Cedar Tree forest when you got back.....neglected land around here is just that. Real PIA to get rid of because of a county burn ban....like bring in a dozer, clear off the place, and make a big pile to burn off. Rules on burning are strict.
On Caustic Brunos remark:
"WGF Sorghum is pretty easy to find makes great forage and hay.
Both are sorghum."
Yes sir but JG makes itself perennial whereby SS doesn't......and JG doesn't seem to have a big appetite like SS. Big difference in cost of ownership.
"WGF Sorghum is pretty easy to find makes great forage and hay.
Both are sorghum."
Yes sir but JG makes itself perennial whereby SS doesn't......and JG doesn't seem to have a big appetite like SS. Big difference in cost of ownership.
It does make good cattle feed but it grows so much faster than our other grasses, particularly orchard grass, that it makes the 2nd cutting cycle difficult. Wait for the slower grasses to stand tall and the Johnson grass it way too mature. Cut when the Johnson grass is just right and the yield is low.
kentuckyguy
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dvcochran said:
This is one of the only problems I run into with Johnson grass. Our hay fields are spotted with Johnson grass so I usually try to catch it in the boot stage or when some of it's starting to seed out. Problem is when it's rains every 3 days like it has this year.
I was planning to cut tomorrow but we are having an unannounced downpour right now. Two hours ago no rain in the forecast. Now it says it will rain until 8:00 pm. Weathermen have a strange job when you are paid to be wrong.
chaded
Well-known member
My hayfield is around 40% or so johnsongrass and I wish it would hurry up and take over the entire thing. It pops up a little bit in the pastures but the cattle attack it pretty quickly.
bird dog
Well-known member
I was very pleased with my Sorghum Almum trial. The plants did well all summer and were still growing in early November before we had a hard freeze. They did not turn as brown during our late summer drought like the Johnson grass did. The seed came from Turner Seed. I no till drilled about 10lbs per acre.
One thing I like is the root system leaves a lot of bare ground at the base of the plant and I drilled oats into that. The early freeze knocked them back but they are now coming on strong. No fall grazing but maybe some in mid December.
One thing I like is the root system leaves a lot of bare ground at the base of the plant and I drilled oats into that. The early freeze knocked them back but they are now coming on strong. No fall grazing but maybe some in mid December.
My feed/seed store can't get it from his supplier any longer. Getting it shipped in personally is freight prohibitive.....besides you have to sneak out the back door if you can get it and don't let the BTO customers see you.
Where can I get it at. I have a new pasture in texas. That's all the hay I cut here. Let me know please Lonnie. 979-540-3879
Where can I get it at. I have a new pasture in texas. That's all the hay I cut here. Let me know please Lonnie. 979-540-3879
After all these years, I still can't get over people on here actually planting Johnson grass! I have fought a 50 year war, since 1973, trying to keep that sh*t out of my hayfields. SInce I discovered the Wick Bar about 25 years ago, it has bee easier. If it weren't for neighbors letting it grow, and birds landing on my fields, I would have about eradicated it by now!
bird dog
Well-known member
If you need some soldiers for this war, the local sale barn should have a few. They will graze it out in a couple summers.
In my area and probably Lonnie's, If managed correctly, it grows in the hot summer year after year without replanting or adding inputs. A drought won't kill it and if the stand gets thin, a good discing will revitalize it. Protein is decent and seed is cheap. Add some nitrogen and it will make some serious tonnage. Roll it out for hay and you can seed other areas. Its fabulous in areas where erosion is a problem.
Lonnie--Turner seed in Breckenridge has Sorghum Almum seed in stock. It is very similar. Some like it better as the stems are thinner. It can be planted in February. They may can order the johnson grass seed or tell you where to get it.
I tried to buy JG and can't get it. I wanted to plant almost 100ac this next year but all the JG is being sold as hay and they aren't able to get any seed. We need a wet year, next year and I was told the seed would be ready late, next year.
You are right. JG is a great product for hay. With the higher input costs its foolish not to look at such a productive grass that requires so little. It has awesome benefits to wildlife also. Deer love the grazing and cover and birds like the seed. It's a winner all the way around.
I asked the seed guys... what can I plant that likely has jg mixed in and they laughed.
I'll ask them about the SA to try until they get JG in.
I buy 2nd cut with johnson grass hay every year just for the seed.
I've got it coming up wverywhere I unroll or feed a bale. I'd buy seed if I wasn't a tight wad.
