Plotting in old fescue grass field

[LetThemGrow]

I’m hoping to add a plot in a field that’s been fescue/grass for decades. It hasn’t been mowed for 2 years, and is currently 12-24” high across the 3 acres.

Looking for suggestions on preparing for no-till drill planting of summer blend in early June. Thanks!

 

[T-Max]

I’m hoping to add a plot in a field that’s been fescue/grass for decades. It hasn’t been mowed for 2 years, and is currently 12-24” high across the 3 acres.

Looking for suggestions on preparing for no-till drill planting of summer blend in early June. Thanks!

Can you burn?

 

[KSQ2]

We've began plots in many such areas. It's not very complicated, let the fescue get growing and burn it down with gly. Then soil test and you're good to go.

 

[Native Hunter]

Like KSQ said, it's easy to kill with gly. If you have any to come back from the seedbank, you can kill that with clethodim and not hurt your broadleaf plot species. And - If you could burn like T-max said, that would stimulate new green growth and could make your gly even more effective.

Fescue is not all that invasive. The reason there is so much of it everywhere is because farmers have been planting it all over the nation like crazy for about 90 years. I killed 60 acres of it and have had no issues since.

PS - It is the best thing you can put on a pond dam.

 

[T-Max]

Like Native said, it isn’t too hard to kill. I think getting rid of the thatch really helps get your herbicide to the green growing plant. Whether that is mowing or burning (I have done both) it really helps the effectiveness.

Edit: I think adding AMS really helped me too.


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[LetThemGrow]

Wow some great feedback already. Fire is not an option, landowner won’t allow.

I wasn’t sure if mowing was a good or bad thing prior to spraying?

 

[T-Max]

Maybe not immediately prior, but when I did it and allowed a few weeks for regrowth, I had great results.


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[KSQ2]

Wow some great feedback already. Fire is not an option, landowner won’t allow.

I wasn’t sure if mowing was a good or bad thing prior to spraying?

Yes, I like to mow first to help “see” the plot. Grass goes in shock after mowing for a couple days, so wait a bit like T-Max said, then hit it with gly. Also, about the AMS, if you have farmers around and spray gly without AMS, you’ll have them upset with you. AMS greatly improves the effectiveness of the gly, by taking away anything in the water that the gly might bond to. ALWAYS add AMS before adding the the glyphosate.

 

[yoderjac]

Good spraying advise. I think fall is the best time to kill grasses like fescue, but it should not be a long-term problem if you are not planting a perennial plot. You will get a lot of it with you first spraying of gly. Depending on what is in your summer mix, it will be advantaged when you no-till drill. You will be planting this plot again and burning it down with gly, so cool season grasses should not be a long term problem.

It can be more of a problem if you are immediately converting a field to something like perennial clover. If one wanted to do that, I would burndown with gly and plant a smother crop like buckwheat for the summer and then spray again in the fall and plant the clover with a nurse crop of winter rye.