Buying Johnson grass seed

[jltrent]

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.

You have to cut it at the right time, but it will turn off a lot of hay. I wish I had more of it.

 

[ClinchValley86]

You have to cut it at the right time, but it will turn off a lot of hay. I wish I had more of it.

Over towards Greene and Hamblen, many fields are solid stands by July and August. Regardless of weather they look thick from the road.

 

[jltrent]

Over towards Greene and Hamblen, many fields are solid stands by July and August. Regardless of weather they look thick from the road.

It sure is pretty country in Greene County.

 

[ClinchValley86]

It sure is pretty country in Greene County.

Sure is.

 

[Warren Allison]

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.

No, I won't let anything graze my hayfields. That's how the trash and weeds get in them. And you are right: Heat and drought won;';t hurt it. Only way to kill it is with RoundUp.

 

[Brute 23]

No, I won't let anything graze my hayfields. That's how the trash and weeds get in them. And you are right: Heat and drought won;';t hurt it. Only way to kill it is with RoundUp.

Grazing is the most effective way to permanently kill JG.

 

[Warren Allison]

Grazing is the most effective way to permanently kill JG.

I can see that, for people who cut their pastures for hay. But my prime Bermuda fields, where I raise equine quality hay, are not fenced. I couldn't keep them as pure as they are, nor cut them 4-5 times a year, if I grazed them.

 

[Brute 23]

I can see that, for people who cut their pastures for hay. But my prime Bermuda fields, where I raise equine quality hay, are not fenced. I couldn't keep them as pure as they are, nor cut them 4-5 times a year, if I grazed them.

Not saying it works for your situation but the cows only need 24-48hrs in a lot of cases when the jg is coming up. The cows will go right to it over the bermuda. It does not have to be grazed regularly.

 

[Lisagrantb]

Good friend of mine was trying to date the neighbor's daughter and her dad wasn't going to have it. We got kinda plastered one night and decided to cut the heads off some Johnson grass and spread it in his cotton field next to his house. Well as it turns out they ended up getting married and to this day my buddy is fighting the Johnson grass that we planted 30 years ago.

 

[tex452]

When I was a boy a lot of people planted Johnson grass, so did my dad, he had it sprigged instead of seed.
The neighbors cow's broke into my grandpas patch and two cows died from nitrate poisoning.

 

[ClinchValley86]

When I was a boy a lot of people planted Johnson grass, so did my dad, he had it sprigged instead of seed.
The neighbors cow's broke into my grandpas patch and two cows died from nitrate poisoning.

Is nitrate poisoning only a concern for fertilized JG? I'm curious. I'm familiar with the frost danger and Prussia acid. Not so informed on the nitrate side.

 

[tex452]

Is nitrate poisoning only a concern for fertilized JG? I'm curious. I'm familiar with the frost danger and Prussia acid. Not so informed on the nitrate side.

I don't think so, my cows have got out on a county road in the summer time and ate some, they didn't die, but got shaky and went down.
They didn't eat that much before I got them back in or it might have killed them.
The affects wore off after a while and they were ok.
I was going down the road and the neighbors cow was laying in the middle of the road really shaking, I thought she might have got hit, but it was nitrate poisoning.
I know if people that had it tested before grazing it.

 

[gman4691]

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.

Indeed…I don't particularly like Johnson Grass and try to keep it under control. However, sometimes I'll let the cows graze the rye grass in the hay pastures in late winter or early spring and they go straight to the young JG first…it's almost like watching a video game. And as you can see, some folks like it and some don't (I fall into the "don't like" category but that's just me).

 

[Hpacres440p]

I don't think so, my cows have got out on a county road in the summer time and ate some, they didn't die, but got shaky and went down.
They didn't eat that much before I got them back in or it might have killed them.
The affects wore off after a while and they were ok.
I was going down the road and the neighbors cow was laying in the middle of the road really shaking, I thought she might have got hit, but it was nitrate poisoning.
I know if people that had it tested before grazing it.

We had a good rain after a drought last year, I waited the recommended 2 weeks after the rain. I let the cows out into an area with a little patch of Johnson grass. One took about 5 bites, started drooling, staggering, labored breathing-Prussic acid poisoning. Got her into some shade, tried to give her other hay to dilute. Called the vet, they said if she was alive in an hour she would be ok. She made it and had a nice calf. Not a Johnson grass fan…