Decision on Grasses

[slick4591]

My local feed store and the least expensive of anywhere around carries Oregon and Tamtbo ryegrass seed. My thought is to mix one of the ryegrasses with the wheat, but I don't know anything about Tamtbo. Anyone knowledgeable about it? Also, what is a good ratio of wheat to ryegrass? I don't have access to a drill so I'm going to have to spread the seed and run a harrow over it.

 

[callmefence]

I generally use oats at a full seeding rate of 100 pounds and 10 pounds ryegrass.
I IRC wheat would be about 60 pounds.

I have found little difference in the improved and triploid ryegrass. And the Oregon seems to establish seed better for future volunteer stands.
I would disc in the wheat. And wait for a stretch of rainy weather to sling the ryegrass out ahead of. On worked ground the rain will settle it in without getting it to deep.

 

[slick4591]

Thanks. Never messed with wheat in a pasture before. Where I'll plant it is open to free choice grazing and I wasn't sure if it would be to hot for that if I laid down a lot. I already have some type of volunteer ryegrass that shows up in February.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I just mowed my pearl millet and alyce clover down and no-till drilled a mix of oats, wheat and rye at 125 lbs to the acre in my back hopper. And in my front hopper I planted Boss rye grass at 12-15 lbs to the acre. I'll run the cows through those fields in 2 weeks and that'll be it for the cows till after Thanksgiving. Wheat grows real good where it's wet, and doesn't winter kill.

 

[BC]

Slick, I am on sandy ground so I use cereal rye plus ryegrass at the rate of 100 lbs or rye and 20 lbs ryegrass. I would bet that ratio would work for you and wheat and ryegrass.

As to the difference between Gulf and Tamtbo. Gulf is an old diploid variety. Tamtbo is a tetraploid ryegrass (has an extra set of chromosomes). It has a wider leaf than Gulf and has consistently out yielded Gulf in forage trials at Overton and at the Nobles Foundation in Ardmore,Ok.

The only time that I have seen Gulf be as good as the improved varieties is when both are planted late and it was a dry year.

 

[slick4591]

Slick, I am on sandy ground so I use cereal rye plus ryegrass at the rate of 100 lbs or rye and 20 lbs ryegrass. I would bet that ratio would work for you and wheat and ryegrass.

As to the difference between Gulf and Tamtbo. Gulf is an old diploid variety. Tamtbo is a tetraploid ryegrass (has an extra set of chromosomes). It has a wider leaf than Gulf and has consistently out yielded Gulf in forage trials at Overton and at the Nobles Foundation in Ardmore,Ok.

The only time that I have seen Gulf be as good as the improved varieties is when both are planted late and it was a dry year.

Thank you. My feed store called me and said they had a rye/wheat pasture mix coming in next week. That sounds like the way to go for me. I heard a few stories about cattle getting the bloat while they were on wheat and it concerns me a little. Also, when is the better time to plant for this area?

 

[BC]

Slick, you need to be getting your ground ready. I no-till my winter grazing in after mid-October but I have to fight competition from my summer pastures. If you are disking, broadcasting and then harrowing the seed in to get a stand, you can do that starting at the end of this next week. If the ground is ready, you may want to wait until just before a good chance of rain and then plant just ahead of it.

Once up, watch for armyworms. Good luck.

 

[slick4591]

I knew I was getting close but wasn't sure. Back in '12 I planted rye I had a really pretty stand coming up when it stopped raining. That green turned brown pretty quickly. I appreciate the info!

 

[Texasmark]

Slick, I am on sandy ground so I use cereal rye plus ryegrass at the rate of 100 lbs or rye and 20 lbs ryegrass. I would bet that ratio would work for you and wheat and ryegrass.

As to the difference between Gulf and Tamtbo. Gulf is an old diploid variety. Tamtbo is a tetraploid ryegrass (has an extra set of chromosomes). It has a wider leaf than Gulf and has consistently out yielded Gulf in forage trials at Overton and at the Nobles Foundation in Ardmore,Ok.

The only time that I have seen Gulf be as good as the improved varieties is when both are planted late and it was a dry year.

Thank you. My feed store called me and said they had a rye/wheat pasture mix coming in next week. That sounds like the way to go for me. I heard a few stories about cattle getting the bloat while they were on wheat and it concerns me a little. Also, when is the better time to plant for this area?

Farmersville Grain and Hardware? I have some Jumbo rye that will go in as soon as I see rain on the horizon......may be mid Oct. per OFAlmanac. Field has been ready since I pulled my Gotcha Plus SS 2nd cutting off this summer; just waiting for cooler temps and some water.

You guys know which one of those types you mentioned is sold under the Jumbo name?

On wheat and bloat, I only know of one instance. Friend of mine was over zealous with his fertilizer, had no dry matter available, and the wheat had a hefty head start. Turned out a bunch of "weaners" on it and lost quite a few. Sad, sad. I think it could have been avoided but hind sight is 20-20 as you know.

 

[BC]

"Jumbo" is a tetraploid ryegrass produced and sold by Barenbrug USA. It has rust resistance, supposed to have cold tolerance and a higher sugar content.

I have used Jumbo, TamTbo, Marshall, Prine which ever I can get the best price on. All have outyielded Gulf.

 

[slick4591]

Farmersville Grain and Hardware? I have some Jumbo rye that will go in as soon as I see rain on the horizon......may be mid Oct. per OFAlmanac. Field has been ready since I pulled my Gotcha Plus SS 2nd cutting off this summer; just waiting for cooler temps and some water.

You guys know which one of those types you mentioned is sold under the Jumbo name?

On wheat and bloat, I only know of one instance. Friend of mine was over zealous with his fertilizer, had no dry matter available, and the wheat had a hefty head start. Turned out a bunch of "weaners" on it and lost quite a few. Sad, sad. I think it could have been avoided but hind sight is 20-20 as you know.

I'm doing business with Feagin's Feed south of town. That's good to know about the wheat as it kind of had me a little leery. They get their product from the co-op at Greenville.

 

[callmefence]

I have used jumbo. It does out yield gulf. But not enough to justify the added expense.
Possibly in a haying situation. But in pasture. Stick with gulf it will perform just as good and reseed better.
It doesn't come in a snazzy yellow bag.
Which is what your paying for with jumbo.

 

[Texasmark]

Farmersville Grain and Hardware? I have some Jumbo rye that will go in as soon as I see rain on the horizon......may be mid Oct. per OFAlmanac. Field has been ready since I pulled my Gotcha Plus SS 2nd cutting off this summer; just waiting for cooler temps and some water.

You guys know which one of those types you mentioned is sold under the Jumbo name?

On wheat and bloat, I only know of one instance. Friend of mine was over zealous with his fertilizer, had no dry matter available, and the wheat had a hefty head start. Turned out a bunch of "weaners" on it and lost quite a few. Sad, sad. I think it could have been avoided but hind sight is 20-20 as you know.

I'm doing business with Feagin's Feed south of town. That's good to know about the wheat as it kind of had me a little leery. They get their product from the co-op at Greenville.

Continuing on wheat, I ran cows on it several winters, usually turned them in Dec. timeline giving it time to get some growth. I quit it because I did all this work in soil prep and all, bought seed and fertilizer and what'd they do......take a bite and walk 10 steps stomping it in the ground, etc......that's after they ran all over the place checking the fences like cows like to do. Then after a rain or two it was just a quagmire since the patch was flat, and they'd stand at the fence bawling and rolling their eyes at me to let them out and feed them some hay.

When I first moved out here I shopped Feagin (and their grocery store....guess the same Feagan or Feagen or Feagin....don't know which owned the store) for some of his well picked over antiques. I had no idea as to what, how, where, or anything about farm implements....well farming in general. Don't recall if I bought anything or not.

Bates Machine shop, across the street does all my farming breakdowns and wild idea machine work. Really nice folks, premium quality workmanship, great prices, and I think they enjoy the onesey twosey drawings I bring them. Breaks the monotony of the big jobs that pay the bills and we kick around the what and whys of the job.

Nice chattin.

Mark

 

[slick4591]

Well, I'm going to try some wheat this year and see what happens. Can't do anything but throw away money. Ray ran the grocery store and when Brookshires opened that put him out. Johnnie and Cindy run the feed store, which was passed down from their dad. Not sure what kin they are. Justin is my niece's husband. Small town, huh?

 

[greybeard]

I had pretty good luck with wheat/ryegrass mix in 2014, but on most of the pastures, I disced the ground, broadcast the wheat and drug to cover in the wheat and just top broadcast the ryegrass a few weeks later. Just for grazing..nothing baled. The wheat did good as did the ryegrass, but on the parts I did no ground prep, the wheat barely came up.

In 2015, I mixed wheat, oats and ryegrass all at the same time on prepped ground, dragged to cover and hardly any rygrasss came up. I think I got it in too deep.

 

[slick4591]

I'm just going to scratch the surface and broadcast it, then run back over it. I found out the pasture mix was actually cereal rye and wheat, so I bought that and some ryegrass. I also broke down and bought a three point spreader so I can get a more even broadcast. Would rather have no till but the cow account wouldn't allow that.