crabgrass in central Texas

[fenceman]

I hope I'm not repeating a topic don't think so.has anyone used seagrass in central Texas. I'm about 40 miles north of austin 15 east of i35.hill country type terrain but some backhand type clay in flats. Crabgrass appears to be exactly what I need to provide summer grazing on my winter annual fields. I 've been using pearl millet and it's great. But having to disk up oats before their finished to drill millet is not ideal. Any experiences or opinions greatly appreciated

 

[Kingfisher]

What do you mean by seagrass? You might search Red River crab grass or Quick and Big
Ever thought about Sudan?

 

[fenceman]

Should be crabgrass. This new phone thinks it knows what i want to sa y before i even type it.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm not from Texas, but I've planted crabgrass. Red River is not all it's cracked up to be. Volunteer crabgrass is just as good.

 

[fenceman]

I have considered sudan and haygrazer but like millet they must be replanted every year. With normal rain oats and ryegrass keep going uuntil may and need to be replanted in September. If i disk up oats in march to plant sudan or millet i waste 2 months os oats, right? Then in late august i disk up sudan to plant oats im doing lots of work for only maybe a month of actual grazing. My understanding is once crabgass is established it reseeds very well. When the field is worked for oats in late summer you are also working in crabgrass seed for the next summer. I have spoken with mr. Dalrymple of estell farms (the crabgrass people). It seems ideal. But i have found little history of it being done in my area. I have received somewhat of a cold shoulder from local (certified crop advisor) on this. Maybe due to lack of knowledge, but i think more likely fear of crabgrass ending up in his coastal.

 

[Kingfisher]

What variety of coastal does he suggest? Reminds me I need to call a dude about some Tifton sprigs

 

[Brute 23]

I don't have any experience growing crab grass only paying people to kill it. What about some of the seed Bermudas like Cheyenne? They don't mind being disked up. Might even try no tilling your oats in and double dipping a couple years in between disking.

Just throwing ideas out because I, too, hate seeing some one plant crab grass.

 

[anewcomer]

If R.L. Dalrymple tells you it will work, plant it.

 

[M-5]

Love the crab grass. I just disk up a spot and it volunteers thick

 

[fenceman]

Kingfisher i haven't ask about Coastal. I meant fear of my crabgass seed ending up in local coastal fields. I dont sell hay only feed my small heard of around 45 mommas. I've. Noticed crabgrass and the hated johnson grass only do well volunteer in ungrazed areas, because THE COWS EAT THEM FIRST...........brute you have my attention. will Cheyenne reseed in a few weeks everyyear like a annual? What is double dipping. I do notill oats in native pasture..might be a option there . have you looked at feed value of crabgass.? Compare it to bermuda. I dont understand hatred for crabgrass, but again i dont sell hay... I TRULY APPRECIATE EVERYBODYS ADVISE AND OPINIONS

 

[fenceman]

Hope you receive reply kingfisher. I dont no what the h....... Im doing. If i was good with tech stuff i wouldn't be building fence for a living

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

The red river will grow like heck.

 

[CJohnson]

I am trying to do the same thing with double cropping Quick and Big crabgrass, and Oats in the winter. I have had some success but limited. The biggest limitation is rain. If May is dry then the crabgrass is slow to come on. With rain and fertilizer it will do good. Must control weeds (goat weeds for me).

One thing that I have experienced is that if you disk in late summer to plant Oats in early fall, you will have crabgrass to germinate after disking in the fall if it rains. If frost holds off then you can get this to seed out but if it frosts before seed heads set then you don't have as much crabgrass seed to come up for the spring. I don't have a good answer for this because if you wait too long on preparation / planting the oats then you lose the late fall / early winter grazing.

 

[hurleyjd]

Best way to establish crab grass is to plant it and immediately try to get rid of it. I will really take off if you do this.

 

[greybeard]

I keep trying to get rid of it--it takes over Bahia pasture and that ain't an easy thing to have happen, and my cows don't seem to like crabgrass anyway---they might have to learn to like it tho.....

 

[BC]

Crabgrass can work into the situation that you have laid out. The Noble Foundation, where Mr. Dalrymple worked for years, used crabgrass in combination with cereal rye for years. You have to let the crabgrass go to seed in August/September and when you disk to plant the oats you plant next years crabgrass crop. It transitions in as the oats play out.

 

[anewcomer]

If R.L. Dalrymple tells you to plant it, do it.