My Alicia Bermuda here at home is in good shape. The soil test reccomendation was only 100 lbs. of nitrogen per acre. PH is 6.2 here but has not always been that way. Allowing the cattle to graze has really helped. There was a time when we applied lime at a ton per acre every year. Nitrogen was 4 or 5 hundred per acre. We cut it for horse hay square bales then.

The new bermuda will be on a new leased field. It needed some help, been abused. I need to pull another solid sample. Applied 2 tons per acre of basic slag last spring. Hopefully the new tests will show some improvement.

 

We struggle to keep ph above 6.....tough when applying that much N

 

We struggle to keep ph above 6.....tough when applying that much N

It is only since grazing that we have been able to sustain 6.0 or better. Could not make it happen when cutting 4 times a year. The soil tests would always call for at least 1,000 lb. of lime per acre. We would put a ton, may as well since we were going over the ground any way.

The next year the test would call for another 1,000 lb. of lime. Never quite figured that one out.

I bring most of the cows home to winter. I believe all the hay they are converting has helped replenish what we have removed all those years.

 

Hope no one minds that I'm bumping an old'ish thread.

Tim/South,

I saw where you stated Cheyenne II would cost $100 / ac. Do you mind sharing your planned seed rate and how you'll be seeding it? I'm about to plant this as well and I'm looking at ~$150 / ac seed cost. Buying seed for $255 / 25 lb and seeding at 15 lb / ac. Did I pay too much for the seed?

Thanks!

 

I paid $235 for a 25 lb. bag of seed. I am planting at 10 lb. per acre. I believe that comes out to just under $100 per acre for seed. I was told 10 lb. per acre would be ample. Some said 7 lb. per acre would be adequate.

Hulled seed are supposed to have two million seeds per pound (1.5 million with unhulled). At 10 lb. per acre I should be putting out 20 million seeds per acre.

I will be dropping the seeds with a drill on a prepared seed bed, then cultipacking. I was advised to plant no deeper than 1/8 inch. This is why I am not actually drilling into the soil. Just too much room for error.

With the seed drill I can use the small seed attachment to monitor the seeding rate. As expensive as the seeds are and as tiny as they are I did not want to risk broadcasting.

I have knows people who mixed the seed with dry sand and broadcast it that way. Have known of the seed to be mixed with fertilizer and spread. Both the sand or fertilized will help carry the seed farther.

 

Thank You Sir for the info. Good luck with your grass.