Burned off old Bermuda, now what?

[bearcat]

I’ve got about 30 acres of old Bermuda. There saplings, greenbrier, bromegrass, and some species in there that I’m not too familiar with. Last year about this time we burned off half of it. You ca that it definitely has more native grass in there than the hog we didn’t burn.
This year, the NRCS was going to put into a grasslands restoration but I decided against at when my new pond site and 2 best food plots had to be included due to minimum acreage requirements. It was going to be burned, sprayed 2-3 times and then seeded in the fall.
We decided to burn the other half this weekend. My question is, what can I do now to provide the most benefit. Should I worry about spraying or just see how the natives do after a few burns?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[jteeen]

I'm not sure what part of the country you are in, but burning bermuda just made it happy and it will come back with a fury. You'll need to spray 2 or 3 times and even then it will come back. You'll have to get native species established before it can take back over.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

 

[bearcat]

I'm not sure what part of the country you are in, but burning bermuda just made it happy and it will come back with a fury. You'll need to spray 2 or 3 times and even then it will come back. You'll have to get native species established before it can take back over.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

I’m in SC OK. There was so much thatch, it hadn’t been grazed in years or burned. The NRCS suggested we do just what you said. They wanted to burn and then said it would take about 3 rounds of spray. I was just worried spraying and having having nothing through the summer. But I guess that is what it will take to get rid of it and get natives going


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[jteeen]

I'm in NE OK. If it's on a big slope yes you will have some erosion. But there will also be large roots from many different grasses still in place. You'll also probably have a ton of nutsedge pop up as it laughs at roundup.

Bermuda may not be the best for deer, but having a little isn't bad. The cool season clovers and fescues just can't handle our summers. Bermuda and Johnson are the only weeds feeding cows during a drought.

I'm not familiar with warm season foodplots but if you can find something that can handle the heat and shade the bermuda you will win. Plant some cereal rye and clover in the fall, and it will really set the bermuda back in the spring. Unfortunately for me i have an 8" high pressure gas line running through my field and a tap at the edge of it that leaks, so I cant do a huge burn.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

 

[bearcat]

Luckily, it not a big slope. It’s actually fairly flat. Being that it will take a few treatments, I could probably plan on doing a treatment in late may and again in August. Then I ours try and seed in September. I have read that chopper would be effective for what I’m trying to accomplish, but I know it’s got a residual effect


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[THE LLC]

I wouldn’t kill it, I’d hay it. Pretty good money in Bermuda hay.

 

[bearcat]

I wouldn’t kill it, I’d hay it. Pretty good money in Bermuda hay.

I’d have to get it cleaned up pretty good. Quite a bit of other species creeping in. I bet it’s been 5-6 years since it’s been maintained/sprayed. Quite a bit if greenbrier, saplings and other stuff in there


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[THE LLC]

Spray pasture guard on it and mow. Burning DEFINITELY helped. I like to manage for wildlife, but if I got an asset to fund that management I want to use it. Know what I mean?