Purpletop grass
- Thread starter G3 Ranch
- Start date
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
That is Grease Grass (Tridens flavus) (aka Purple Top)
It is a native warm season grass, and seed heads show up well about this time of year.
It is a native warm season grass, and seed heads show up well about this time of year.
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G3 Ranch
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the conformation Native. Learning to ID plants & trees is a slow process, I've just begun.
Purpletop tridens is a common NWSG in the southern great plains on well drained gravely loams. It is a mid-grass of low yield but high palatability to cattle. Makes good cover for wildlife on thin soils where not much else will grow. Turkeys eat the seed heads. Stands well until snowfall is appreciable. I have posted many pictures of it in the past. On soils with higher moisture content, you may see longspike tridens....native mid-grass of lower palatability but better standability.
According to some, Grease grass supposedly led to General Custer's demise on 'Grease Grass Ridge' just off the Grease grass River (Little Big Horn). Warriors used it is ambush cover and Custer reported it as tall as saddle stirrups. The old timers speak of grease grass in that area which is now gone due to poor grazing management. Grease wood is also a common shrub in that area. Neat history but we may never know the true story of grease grass and Custer's demise!
According to some, Grease grass supposedly led to General Custer's demise on 'Grease Grass Ridge' just off the Grease grass River (Little Big Horn). Warriors used it is ambush cover and Custer reported it as tall as saddle stirrups. The old timers speak of grease grass in that area which is now gone due to poor grazing management. Grease wood is also a common shrub in that area. Neat history but we may never know the true story of grease grass and Custer's demise!
G3 Ranch
Well-Known Member
I may throw & mow the area with rye, also have sericea lespedeza, Johnson grass in the same field.
G3 Ranch
Well-Known Member
Interesting, I've never heard that.
My Father wrote a song titled "Custer's last stand", according to the song it was smoking the peace pipe that took him out.
Adding some hairy vetch with should help smother serecia. Don't till the johnson grass or it will spread.
Actively growing purpletop near maturity inhibits growth of other plants. Wait until frost time to plant into it. I think it has alleolopathic effects while maturing.
https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_trfl2.pdf
G3 Ranch
Well-Known Member
Thanks Doug.
Hairy vetch seed is expensive, what seeding rate would you use if seeding with rye? you say to wait for frost, is rye the best companion at that time? Do you have a source for vetch at a reasonable cost? I will ask my contact if he can order some.
Wait CLOSER to frost date...let the purpletop seeds harden on the stalk....then plant your seed....purpletop will be going dormant at that time even though is hasn't frosted. Yes, rye does really well when late fall planted....very cold hardy....just don't fall fertilize with N and it will get cold hardy sooner.
Most legume seeds are expensive period! But with vetch, we get such tremendous biomass in spring that cost becomes moot....and is sets hard seed so will volunteer over a couple years (if you let some seed set).
For vetch seed over the net....greencoverseed or weltersseedandhoney....with shipping should work out to $2-2.5 per lb. You might check with the Farmers COOP in Tahlequah and Westville.....usually well under $2/lb at the one in Fayetteville (if you are a COOP member, then price is real close to wholesale). GreenSeed in Springfield is the COOP wholesaler...quality seed and it will be coated.
Small grains are around 70-85 lb in our mixes. We use about 8lb/ac vetch in the mix when smothering is the goal. 4 lb/ac for general purpose fall/winter/spring grazing mixes. 2 lb for winter graze/spring hay mix (hay guys really don't like thick vetch).Terminate vetch no sooner than mid-bloom in spring if planting something else.....or let it go to full maturity for full smothering effect. It does set hard seed so expect volunteer plants the next couple years. Those rates are general for my area.....you may need to go a little heavier or lighter for the same goal in your area.
Most legume seeds are expensive period! But with vetch, we get such tremendous biomass in spring that cost becomes moot....and is sets hard seed so will volunteer over a couple years (if you let some seed set).
For vetch seed over the net....greencoverseed or weltersseedandhoney....with shipping should work out to $2-2.5 per lb. You might check with the Farmers COOP in Tahlequah and Westville.....usually well under $2/lb at the one in Fayetteville (if you are a COOP member, then price is real close to wholesale). GreenSeed in Springfield is the COOP wholesaler...quality seed and it will be coated.
Small grains are around 70-85 lb in our mixes. We use about 8lb/ac vetch in the mix when smothering is the goal. 4 lb/ac for general purpose fall/winter/spring grazing mixes. 2 lb for winter graze/spring hay mix (hay guys really don't like thick vetch).Terminate vetch no sooner than mid-bloom in spring if planting something else.....or let it go to full maturity for full smothering effect. It does set hard seed so expect volunteer plants the next couple years. Those rates are general for my area.....you may need to go a little heavier or lighter for the same goal in your area.
G3 Ranch
Well-Known Member
CLOSER...got it
Thank you for the advice.
8lb wouldn't hurt too bad.
Would it be ok to throw & mow without spraying at that time?
G3 Ranch
Well-Known Member
Excellent, thanks again.
