Questions for the Bermuda experts

[callmefence]

So I've got after several years of chipping away at it. Approx 30 acres of what used to be a cedar break ready.
The last two years I've raised haygrazer and oats on it. Grazed it and plowed in the residue. The clay has gotten a little lighter. The creeks and seeps are running. I think I'm going to pull the trigger on it.

If I do the prep and fertilizer ,and spread and disc in the spriggs myself.
Coastal springs 30.00 per acre in bales

Tifton 70 per acre by the bushel

Hiring a professional with a spigger ,roller etc . Includes sprigs , I still do prep and fertilizer

Coastal 70 per acre
Tifton 120.00 per acre
I'm kinda thinking when you figure hauling and spreading. Plus the right equipment. I crazy not to hire the pro. ??

I'm being told coastal can be done right now as spriggs are dug dormant.
Tifton must wait until April and May.
Which imo rules out Tifton.....does that sound right?


I appreciate any advice

 

[bird dog]

In our area which is 150 miles North, we wait until February on Coastal. March on Tifton. I would hire a pro to provide them and put them in and do the rest yourself. Spreading them by hand is not easy.
My best stand was done that way. The field was prepped, the pro did his stuff, I came in right behind him and cultipacked them. It was mid February and the soil wasn't muddy but wasn't dry. I believe it is better to hold off on the Fertilizer until the sprigs are up and strong, otherwise the fertilized weeds may smother or shade out the sprigs. This might mean early summer.

I also sprayed which a lot of folks don't recommend. It was April I think. I used a 2 4 D product at about half strength and then fertilized a few weeks after that. About mid summer with the sprigs spreading I sprayed again.

All the prep work and control all summer of the weeds let a lot of grasses that were already there, reestablish themselves. I was surprised to see a large batch of B Dahl come up.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I planted many an acre of coastal with sprigs on a trailer. Pitchfork them off and disc in. Coastal loves the N in the fertilizer.
I gave up on the coastal due to Bahia invasion years ago.
An old cattlemen that has gone said son your fighting Ma nature. That was before many of the chemical remedies offered today.
Bahia doesn't seem to be as invasive in your area when I have drove through.

 

[TN Cattle Man]

Five years ago I planted my first Bermuda... I went with a Hybrid (Vaughns) that was developed in our area. Mr. Vaughn himself came out and sprigged it for me and that was one of the best decisions I made. He gave me first rate information and also guaranteed the planting. Like CB said above, Bermuda loves the Nitrogen... every time you cut it you should apply more! For what its worth, it took probably 3 years for the field to develop fully... after the first year, I questioned if I made the right choice because it looked so bad. Spray it as late as you can in the Spring (Roundup full strength) while the Bermuda is still dormant and all other weeds are pushing and you will have a nice field.

 

[Texasmark]

I planted my first Coastal patch. Got a single bottom moldboard and cut some furrows. Had fresh baled sprigs in the back of the truck (produced by farmers locally) and commenced to pull the flakes off the bale and walk down the furrows separating the flakes and dropping the individual sprigs in as I walked...these are wet, muddy, freshly baled springs.

When finished came in with a blade at about a 45 degree angle and rolled the sod back in the furrows. One more trip with the tractor tire packing and was done.....almost......had to get back in the house....this was around January-February time frame, wifey-poo said "No way you are coming into MY house looking like that"......you can pretty much figure how that turned out.......They did come up and had a good field and got over my potential pneumonia.

 

[JMJ Farms]

So the only variable costs total $40/ac on coastal or $50/ac on Tifton. (X) 30 acres = $1200-1500, and you're not gonna save all of that bc you will have expenses even if you plant it yourself (fuel, labor, opportunity costs) I'm pretty conservative and I'm notorious for trying to do it all myself. But my personal opinion is that you'd probably be better putting up fence that day while they are sprigging. Not being a smart butt I'm just saying you'll probably come out ahead on the money.

FWIW, I helped a good friend of mine
plant some and this is how we done it. We cut green Bermuda grass during the spring and baled 1/2 size rolls right behind the cutter. Then we hauled it to the field and loaded it into a Vermeer bale processor and blew it onto a harrowed field. Then disked it in with a 6' 3pt hitch harrow. The green bales were heavy but it worked excellent. BUT, he already owned all the equipment and the fields were only about 3 miles apart. If you had the resources I might say go for it. Idk. Only you can weigh the worth.

 

[M-5]

I will plant another 12 acres this spring in Tifton 85. I will spray and disk the field and wait for a window to cut and bale the tops . Hopefully the clover will be mature enough, then I will unroll the rolls , then use Tedder to scatter it and then disk it in and roll it. My aunt has a turn table that scatters the hay but idk if I will go that route. Biggest factor is rain . In 80s and 90s we planted fields in a drizzling rain.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I will plant another 12 acres this spring in Tifton 85. I will spray and disk the field and wait for a window to cut and bale the tops . Hopefully the clover will be mature enough, then I will unroll the rolls , then use Tedder to scatter it and then disk it in and roll it. My aunt has a turn table that scatters the hay but idk if I will go that route. Biggest factor is rain . In 80s and 90s we planted fields in a drizzling rain.

Dash, I like the technique. But you can't even depend on the drizzling rain around here anymore. Well, I guess you could have this year. The Tedder sounds like a good idea. And I think the roller is definitely a good idea.

 

[M-5]

I will plant another 12 acres this spring in Tifton 85. I will spray and disk the field and wait for a window to cut and bale the tops . Hopefully the clover will be mature enough, then I will unroll the rolls , then use Tedder to scatter it and then disk it in and roll it. My aunt has a turn table that scatters the hay but idk if I will go that route. Biggest factor is rain . In 80s and 90s we planted fields in a drizzling rain.

Dash, I like the technique. But you can't even depend on the drizzling rain around here anymore. Well, I guess you could have this year. The Tedder sounds like a good idea. And I think the roller is definitely a good idea.

With nearly 90" last year it's probably going to be a wet spring with the weather patterns in place now. All it needs is a few weeks to set roots and your good unless you go months without rain.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I will plant another 12 acres this spring in Tifton 85. I will spray and disk the field and wait for a window to cut and bale the tops . Hopefully the clover will be mature enough, then I will unroll the rolls , then use Tedder to scatter it and then disk it in and roll it. My aunt has a turn table that scatters the hay but idk if I will go that route. Biggest factor is rain . In 80s and 90s we planted fields in a drizzling rain.

Dash, I like the technique. But you can't even depend on the drizzling rain around here anymore. Well, I guess you could have this year. The Tedder sounds like a good idea. And I think the roller is definitely a good idea.

With nearly 90" last year it's probably going to be a wet spring with the weather patterns in place now. All it needs is a few weeks to set roots and your good unless you go months without rain.

I would love to try some 85. I've heard some horror stories from a few who had a hard time getting a stand, even under a pivot. But I've also heard some success stories with 85 of yields that are virtually unattainable with any other variety.

 

[Lucky]

Tifton and Jiggs are both good grasses but require allot of fertilizer to make them grow. It's kinda like breeding your cows to a top Angus bull and wondering were those high weaning weights are..... You gotta feed them to get the benefit.

 

[5S Cattle]

Tifton and Jiggs are both good grasses but require allot of fertilizer to make them grow. It's kinda like breeding your cows to a top Angus bull and wondering were those high weaning weights are..... You gotta feed them to get the benefit.

Yep. I can't afford to fertilize like they call for. I've been looking into ww b Dahl. Twice the cost in seed but way, way less inputs after its established.