Planted clippings for the first time

[gabby]

On July 4 I planted 8 acres of Tifton 85 clippings on a field that had been sprigged twice and failed. We've had a near monsoon lately and it had rained the night before.

The field was wet and we made quite a few ruts but I was determined to get it done while the ground was wet. It rained again that afternoon and nearly every day since. One corner of the field was already established in Tifton 85 and that's where we got the clippings.

It's been less than 2 weeks and I've got green Tifton 85 sprouts all over the place. A few are already sending out runners. Now I'm wondering why in the heck I never planted clippings before!

I spread them with a manure spreader followed by a harrow, and then we made lots of tire tracks to pack the dirt. Will have to harrow and drag it in a few weeks to smooth the ruts.

 

[Jogeephus]

Reason you haven't done it before I suspect is we haven't had this type moisture in years. Sprigs will buy you a little time if it gets dry but there is nothing wrong with doing it from clippings. Did you spray any 2,4-D on the ground?

 

[CJohnson]

I would like to try to do the same next year. I do not have a manure spreader so what are other ways to spread the tops? How many acres of new pasture will one acre of tops plant? Are you supposed to lightly disc it in after spreading them? Thanks for any advice.

 

[Jogeephus]

The number of acres you can do is dependent on how thick you spread the tops so I can't answer that but an acre will do many acres. Less than a quarter acre will do 9 acres I know. Key is to do it when there is rain coming and set your harrow as straight as possible and have the dirt good and soft. You can cut a small strip and immediately rake it and put it on a trailer and have some people on the trailer to sling the grass into the field and have another person immediately harrow the sprigs in then pack them good. Don't cut more than you can rake. Key is to keep it from drying and get it in the dirt and packed as soon as possible and hope it rains as soon as possible.

 

[CJohnson]

Good info, thanks.

 

[Bigfoot]

Can my seeded variety be spread the same way?

 

[Jogeephus]

If when you let it get rank it forms nodes in the runners it should root fine. Letting these runners get rank is the key because the runners try to peg down at these nodes. Extremely fine stemmed Bermuda like Tift 44 would be terribly hard to sprig this way because it will dry out so fast. If you let an area of your field go rank you can test it by examining the runners and you will probably be able to see some little roots coming out of the nodes. If you see this, you are golden.

Just something else off the subject but sortof has some application here. Once its sprigged and has set firm roots you will see runners spreading and pegging down in the bare spots. To speed coverage you can turn your harrow blades straight as possible and lightly harrow the field. The intent of this is to cut these runner away from the mother plant. Once cut, the runner will become a plant itself and will spread giving you quicker coverage of the field. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Bigfoot]

Thanks Jo,

Several of my plants are making runners, and the runners are making roots. I've been experimenting with spreading them around the field. They root, and do fine if you water them.

 

[gabby]

Can my seeded variety be spread the same way?

How do you like the seeded varieties? I don't have much use for them. That's why I'm establishing T85. The stuff grows so fast and thick it's freakish.

 

[gabby]

Reason you haven't done it before I suspect is we haven't had this type moisture in years. Sprigs will buy you a little time if it gets dry but there is nothing wrong with doing it from clippings. Did you spray any 2,4-D on the ground?

I tried sprigging the same ground with T85 twice before. First time it never rained, and second time was May 1 this year and it did rain but the sprigs died anyway.

I didn't use 2, 4-d because I didn't decide to plant the clippings till early that morning, and it's been too wet since then to get into the field. My big harrow is still bogged down there, I was using its 4 wheels to pack the ground with it raised up. Weeds are coming on strong and I will spray them when it dries out enough.

 

[Jogeephus]

We cut some then immediately baled it in a loose small bales and hauled them individually to another location and spread them that way and got a good stand. From my experience packing the soil is very important.

 

[Bigfoot]

I have no experience with either variety. The seeded varieties are my only option, there are no spriggs in my area.

 

[gabby]

I agree 100% on the importance of packing. I pack it hard with tractor tires and anything else I can pull behind the tractor that makes more tire tracks.

 

[Jogeephus]

This is what I use to pack with. Its a devil to move to the field but once you get it there it will pack, smooth, fill, squash and do about anything you want. The culvert is filled with concrete so its extremely heavy. While she ain't pretty she sure does do a good job and not many people want to borrow it and you don't have to chain it down to keep it from disappearing. :lol2: