New Project

[GRTiger85]

This is how I have spent most of my spring break, getting this field ready to sprig with Tifton-85. I am going to try and take pictures as I progress with it, I'll try to post some.

 

[Jogeephus]

Looks like you got good soil moisture. Good luck with it.

 

[jack1234]

How many acres? My guess: 50.

 

[GRTiger85]

Pretty Close the field is a little over 40 acres, theres alot you can't see in the pictures. Hope to get it sprigged the first part of April.

 

[GRTiger85]

Well, Got it all sprigged earlier this week, now if everybody could just send some rain this way that would be great.

 

[Jogeephus]

After sprigging did you spray anything or run the packer good?

 

[GRTiger85]

Well I had a guy sprig it for me, pretty new sprigger and then he pulled a roller behind that. We still had some decent soil moisture so they should be ok for a week or so.

 

[Jogeephus]

I normally pack behind them and I also like to spray 2,4-D on the dirt to keep the crabgrass from becoming a problem. Always had good luck doing these two things with tift 85.

 

[GRTiger85]

it doesnt set back the tifton any?

 

[Kingfisher]

That looks like a super nice piece to work. What was in that field? How long does it take that TIfton to be able to turn some
cows loose on it? I suppose you have a lot of cows or will you cross fence that size of a field?

 

[Jogeephus]

it doesnt set back the tifton any?

No. My good friend and grass mentor helped develop T-85 and this was in his prescription to me. As long as I followed his prescription I've never had trouble establishing it. He always told me to pack and repack then spray with 2 pints of 2,4D. The 2,4D will somehow mess with the crab grass and texas millet so it will not form a proper root and will be unable to compete with the bermuda. Prior to his death, he walked me through the establishment of my first field and I got three cuttings off it the first year. I was pleased, amazed and sold on it ever since. I have his handwritten prescription somewhere put up safe just wish I could find it.

 

[dieselbeef]

wow..thats awesome..thats just for pasture..wow

 

[GRTiger85]

Jo-What you do go over it with to pack it?

Kingfisher-The field was a coastal field about 30 years ago, but due to neglect it was mostly just native stuff now. It's pretty good bottom land located next to a good sized creek. It is going to be used for hay production and some grazing, hopefully we get a few cuttings off of it this year if the rains cooperate.

 

[Jogeephus]

I use a cultipacker or this homemade rig but anything with a little weight will do.

 

[GRTiger85]

Well the sprigger he used was pretty heavy, and had two sets of tires that ran over where the sprigs are dropped down, but the roller he pulled dragged more than it really rolled. It did leave a few ridges in the places in between the tires, do you think these will level out or should I drag something over it? the sprigs were put in pretty deep.

 

[Jogeephus]

I wouldn't drag anything over it for fear of distubing the sprigs. When you say the sprigs were planted deep, how deep do you mean. Ideally you want to see one end of the sprig sticking out of the ground or at least be able to scratch them up with your finger tip. This shallow planting is why packing is so important. Its just been my observation but I have found most spriggers don't spend the time packing the grass like they really need to that's why I always follow them. Of course most spriggers around here don't like planting t-85. (the roller in the picture is filled with concrete and it will pack like no tomorrow)

 

[novaman]

Don't mean to jump in on your conversation guys but I know nothing about tifton 85 or anything like that, just a bit curious. Is sprigging the only way to establish it? Also curious why you would use 2-4,d to try and control grass weeds. Wouldn't it work better to burndown with Roundup prior to sprigging? Just some thoughts going through my mind as I was reading this thread.

 

[GRTiger85]

Well not deep deep, it packs pretty good under those tires. This guy does alot of sprigging both for T-85 and coastal and had good references so hopefully with some rain I'll get a good stand going.

 

[Jogeephus]

Don't mean to jump in on your conversation guys but I know nothing about tifton 85 or anything like that, just a bit curious. Is sprigging the only way to establish it? Also curious why you would use 2-4,d to try and control grass weeds. Wouldn't it work better to burndown with Roundup prior to sprigging? Just some thoughts going through my mind as I was reading this thread.

No problem, I question everything too. Sprigging is the only way to establish it. Also, its important to understand that T-85 is unlike any bermuda I've ever seen in that it does not form a thick root mat but forms mother plants. These mother plants are really evident in the winter and only occupy may 2 per square foot. What it does is send out runners that peg down and send up vertical growth.

As for roundup, yes I always prekill the site good but this doesn't prevent texas millet seed from germinating later. I didn't quite understand how the 2-4d deal myself till I did a trial where I only sprayed half the field. Personally I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact I was spraying dirt but made a marked difference in the texas millet. In the area where sprayed the texas millet was not a competitor but it was in the area not sprayed. Now I'm not saying it will eliminate it completely but it will reduce your weed mowings considerably. Keeping competition down is important since T-85 needs freedom to run. If it doesn't get this freedom it will grow vertically which is not what you want during the first year of establishment. These runners will peg down and hopefully become other mother plants. I often run coulters in a checkerboard fashion to force the formation of mother plants but they will form naturally if you give them time.

I think if Tiger keeps a close eye on the plants he will agree that once the sprigs become rooted these plants - given rain and fertilizer - will grow amazingly fast but his optimum results will occur if they are free to spread. Some people will just keep the new fields shredded to help them but the D can eliminate a lot of that.

 

[CJohnson]

Once you sprig, what is considered a 'good stand'? In other words, 2-3 weeks after sprigging how many green growing 'mother plants' should I see say in a 10ft x 10ft area? What is a minimal amount that is needed to eventually cover the pasture? Last year we sprigged and did not get rain, had a few that took but decided that it was not enough and turned it under and planted winter pasture. I am now plowing this under to try sprigging Tifton again. I will be much earlier this year and hopefully have more moisture.