Does anyone have any experience with this Grass. I interseeded this Grass with some Orchard Grass and Alfalfa into my Patsure. I'm in a rotational grazing program. I'll mow and Bale some of it early and graze it later.
Thanks!!
Thanks!!
Palaton Reeds Canary Grass
- Thread starter ronr
- Start date
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a farm we made hay off of this summer had a patch of Reeds Canary grass.We really didn't have a market for it and the owner bush hogged it off the first 2 cuttings.Some local horse people wanted to buy some round bales of it so we made it for 3rd cutting.I guess the horse people still wanted it even with the dead stuff mixed in it.It can really handle wet,flooding soils but it is very slow getting started.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
ronr":2958hoz1 said:
It is a not vigorus after seeding but can a very high yielder after two years. So I am not sure that you will get much of a stand by interseeding. If you do get a stand - - it will crowd out your current mix if you allow long rest intervals and high residuals.
Most grazers renovate, seed it as the only grass with a legume, and then hay it the first two years until it is well established and the legume % goes down a bit.
hayray
Well-known member
palatability really goes down for horses once it gets too large. Probably will crowd out your other planting, grows great in low wet areas.
businessbreed
Member
works great in low areas. slow the first year, but after that just fertilize
Saltydawg
Well-known member
I have 2 fields of canary grass.
Very important to not let it get old and go to seed. Cows don't like it then(i imagine horses won't either but have no experience there).
It's tough for me to cut it early enough cause I planted it in wet fields and by the time the fields are dry enough to get on with a tractor the grass is starting to seed.
It comes in VERY thick and will crowd out other grasses and it also prevents much sunlight from reaching the dirt so soil that is already wet just stays wet even longer.
You get good yield from it but you can't let it get old. Cows in the middle of winter will just stand there looking at a bale of old canary grass wishing they had something decent to eat.
They like to graze on it when its young though so that is my new plan for this grass.
Gonna turn it into pasture.
If they tear the field up cause its wet I don't care lol....I'll take them off the field and figure out something to dry those fields up.
The canary grass is ready to cut before my Timothy and Orchard Grass fields are.....makes getting good hay off those fields a pain in the rear.
Oh one other thing....Whitetail deer LOVE to use a nice thick field of canary grass for bedding.
Not uncommon to go out to the field and find a 40x40 section of it layed right over cause the deer were bedding in it.
Very important to not let it get old and go to seed. Cows don't like it then(i imagine horses won't either but have no experience there).
It's tough for me to cut it early enough cause I planted it in wet fields and by the time the fields are dry enough to get on with a tractor the grass is starting to seed.
It comes in VERY thick and will crowd out other grasses and it also prevents much sunlight from reaching the dirt so soil that is already wet just stays wet even longer.
You get good yield from it but you can't let it get old. Cows in the middle of winter will just stand there looking at a bale of old canary grass wishing they had something decent to eat.
They like to graze on it when its young though so that is my new plan for this grass.
Gonna turn it into pasture.
If they tear the field up cause its wet I don't care lol....I'll take them off the field and figure out something to dry those fields up.
The canary grass is ready to cut before my Timothy and Orchard Grass fields are.....makes getting good hay off those fields a pain in the rear.
Oh one other thing....Whitetail deer LOVE to use a nice thick field of canary grass for bedding.
Not uncommon to go out to the field and find a 40x40 section of it layed right over cause the deer were bedding in it.
AngusLimoX
Well-known member
Salty and the others about said it all. I have quite a few low fields with RC and getting it cut ( and dried ) while it's any good is a matter of luck. It must grow 7 foot high if left on its own and if you round bale it it is hell if you have to unroll it yourself ( like poly rope ). It will persist and dominate and the most frequent thing I have heard is guys saying now they cant get rid of it! As far as deer is concerned, I have a couple of friends who have hit fawns laying in the stuff. 
I have good regrowth here so you may get 2 or 3 cuts,or it would work in a grazing rotation. Very palatable and nutricious young,garbage if left. I use the tall stuff for bedding. Good Luck
I have good regrowth here so you may get 2 or 3 cuts,or it would work in a grazing rotation. Very palatable and nutricious young,garbage if left. I use the tall stuff for bedding. Good Luck
KMacGinley
Well-known member
The stuff shines in cell grazing, the cows attack it first and it is a real high yielding grass. It recovers for the next go around and if planted in a wet area, on our place will be a foot or more high after resting 25-30 days.
