# Well I did it, Teff in the ground



## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

I got my Teff planted today. I put 14lbs to the acre. And on that note holly smoke, that's a lot of seed. I used the Moxie Teff with the yellow jacket coating. I will try to put some pics on to show what I started with. My soil ph was 6.1, and ECEC 8. I will keep the thread going all season to keep yall up to date on my experience. We are forecast 5-6 days of 85-90 degree weather with rain on the 6th. I used a notill drill to plant, that's all I could get. So let the games begin.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

Here is my field.


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

Yarnamurt 
Good luck on the teff. I will very interested in your trial. O would like to try some myself next spring.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Really nice looking fields and worked down nicely.....only thing in Tennessee as flat as your fields is the lakes when the wind is not blowing.

Regards, Mike


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## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

Can Teff be grown in MS? I have a small 5 acre field that I can't grow anything on. I'm very interested.

Bo


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

From what I have found it can grow just about any where. MS is the same as here it should do great. I have found people growing in all but 4-5 states.


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## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

Awesome, thanks


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

The local seed supplier in Buffalo also has Teff now. Another farmer in near me is giving it a try this year. I have yet to stop by and see how it's going for him, but it is still real early in the year, the stuff probably hasn't even germinated yet, if the guy has even gotten it planted.

Good luck, Yarnammurt. I'm interested to see how it works for you. Might try some myself in a year or two when I reseed my next field.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

We got right at 3/4" of rain last night. It was a slow rain lasted for 12+hr, really excited to se how it affects the teff. It was just starting to germinate.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

The field is turning green, I will get some pics of the field in the next day or so. Hard to believe that this stuff will be ready to cut in 45 days or so, and be 3-4' high.


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## eth555 (Apr 9, 2014)

Thanks for the update look forward to see how it turns out.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

yarnammurt said:


> The field is turning green, I will get some pics of the field in the next day or so. Hard to believe that this stuff will be ready to cut in 45 days or so, and be 3-4' high.


it will really grow fast when it's a hot day.


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

Anxious to see your pics


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Well if you were HERE it would be dead this morning.My weather station is now at 30.6 degrees.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Update need pics????????????


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

Ok, sorry about the delay. It has been right at 3 weeks. Some of it looks great and some not so great. some of it is 10" tall and some barely 1".We had 3 days of cold weather 2 weeks after planting, highs in the 60s lows in the 40's. When i planted that wad not focast. When i plant next year it will be with a brillion or i will broadcast it. I will never plant with a drill I think it anted to deep. I had the drill where it was just droping on top of the ground, and it still went to deep. I think the cold stunted it leason learned.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

How many inches between rows on your drill? It seems wide.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

That looks a lot like what my teff looked like last year.....small and thin in places and other places it looked good. I no till drilled mine and I also feel the drill may have got some seed too deep even though I had it set shallow as possible.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Looks pretty good to me but I have never seen any Teff. Could have planted cross ways to maybe.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

It doesn't look like very many plants per acre at all.It appears it was dropping into the furrow made by opener vs all over


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

swmnhay said:


> It doesn't look like very many plants per acre at all.It appears it was dropping into the furrow made by opener vs all over


It isn't suppose to fall in the furrow made by the opener???? As you can tell I know jack shit about a drill.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

Yea, i did go crossways. I think thats how some of it got to deep. And the drill had 5" spacers.


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## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

Can it be broadcast? I wasn't aware that it could be planted that way.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

It apparently depends on the drill, soil and the depth planted. I planted my Teff last year with a grain drill last year and had a very good stand. I just used the alfalfa settings for it.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I think the brillion works best, both because it is spread out and not too deep. I noticed that my field was slow this year coming up and greening up. We have had really cold nights and probably the ground was not at 60 degrees when planted. No frost but still it is a hot season plant and it wants 60 degree nights-then it goes. I also did not put the tines up all the way when I rolled the field preplant and I should have. Teff wants tight seedbed-probably rained on post roll, but preplant is best scenario.

Attached are two pics of the seedbed at plant on the 18th. Lots of shoots at about 1/2" two days ago when I checked. 1/2' rain last night and hot today so things should get going now.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Can we get a shot of that brillion roller Hayman?? I have one located and it has the tines in front otf the roller but wasn't sure if it could be pulled across a pasture or if the field needed cultivation first. asking $6,900.00


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I think Hayman was referring to a seeder more like these.The rollers are desighned differently and put the seed in at 1/2"

http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx?catid=1122&Manu=BRILLION


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

I was reading more of this statement...



> I also did not put the tines up all the way when I rolled the field preplant and I should have.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

rajela said:


> Can we get a shot of that brillion roller Hayman?? I have one located and it has the tines in front otf the roller but wasn't sure if it could be pulled across a pasture or if the field needed cultivation first. asking $6,900.00


Yours is prettier than mine but then I only paid 2200 for mine-did have to redo the roller bearings this year at a cost of 1k nearly. Pics of the roller harrow and seeder I use. Need better pic of the seeder but you can see it on the internet if you google it. You really don't want to put those tines down in a pasture or at least I would not-real use is tilled ground. Can't tell from your pic if your tines can be set to not contact the soil (so you can just use it to roll in things. I would not get it if you can not adjust the tines. I can run mine at multiple depths or out of the ground entirely. The till and seed has spines on a roller that loosen the soil considerably and allow for bare soil-seed contact. The roller on the rear of the till and seed is like other brillion seeders but is just not heavy enough for my tastes thus I follow all seeding with the roller.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks Hayman...Just what I thought about the tines and untilled ground. Looks like I would be better served with just a roller. I can rent a drill at the local conservation office and they say they have a seeder but have never looked at it. I guess I am going to have to make a trip by there and see what they have.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

rajela said:


> Thanks Hayman...Just what I thought about the tines and untilled ground. Looks like I would be better served with just a roller. I can rent a drill at the local conservation office and they say they have a seeder but have never looked at it. I guess I am going to have to make a trip by there and see what they have.


If you ever work ground, the roller harrow is the equivalent to a tedder making hay. You wonder how anyone ever did the task without it. The roller harrow can take the roughest disked ground and make it a table top with the right operator. I think if you are going to grow teff consistently, you are working ground. JMHO


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## BPatrick (Aug 30, 2013)

My teff is up and going! I've got some volunteer corn in it.... Gonna use a wick with roundup tomorrow to get as much of it that I can....oh yea, I broadcast seeded my stand, I put it on a little heavy...have great emergence, should make good hay in a few weeks


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## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

bpat64 said:


> My teff is up and going! I've got some volunteer corn in it.... Gonna use a wick with roundup tomorrow to get as much of it that I can....oh yea, I broadcast seeded my stand, I put it on a little heavy...have great emergence, should make good hay in a few weeks


That's the answer I was looking for. bpat64, you said you put it on a little heavy, if you had to guess, how many pounds to the acre did you plant it.

Thanks,

Bo


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

I put in 14lbs to the acre. I just got to much to deep.


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## BPatrick (Aug 30, 2013)

I put a good 20lbs/ac... I knew some of it would go deep.......


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

bpat64 said:


> I put a good 20lbs/ac... I knew some of it would go deep.......


how about posting pics of what 20#/ac looks like when if is greened up. Guessing best time is about 2-3" tall. Just curious about lodging potential at that rate. I used 10 last year and did not have any lodging problems but did not get the yield I had hoped for. Used about 13 this year. It has green fuzz on the field now so I will post a pic about Monday.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

Well its up to 15-20" tall. I think it is a little slow but we have had a LOT of rain and not much sun.


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

Pics?


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

yarnammurt said:


> Well its up to 15-20" tall. I think it is a little slow but we have had a LOT of rain and not much sun.


at 20" it should be just before boot. I cut mine last year at 20-22 inches, practically no seedheads showing. lose cp and palitability with seed head emergence and slower regrowth after cutting.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

Pics.not to bad


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

When you cut here's a suggestion. All the teff literature says to cut leaving about 4 inches of stubble so it will start growing right away. I say cut it down to 2-3 inches so it DOES delay regrowth a little bit so you have time to get the hay you cut cured and baled. Because curing is a whole other adventure and the stuff grows so fast if it gets hot.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Teslan said:


> When you cut here's a suggestion. All the teff literature says to cut leaving about 4 inches of stubble so it will start growing right away. I say cut it down to 2-3 inches so it DOES delay regrowth a little bit so you have time to get the hay you cut cured and baled. Because curing is a whole other adventure and the stuff grows so fast if it gets hot.


I was wondering about that as well. Had to bale my first cutting too green last year because rain was coming for too many days and I was afraid that the stubble would grow through the down hay and it would never cure.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Hayman1 said:


> I was wondering about that as well. Had to bale my first cutting too green last year because rain was coming for too many days and I was afraid that the stubble would grow through the down hay and it would never cure.


I found out this when I cut my 3rd cutting last year. I didn't think I would get a 4th so I cut the 3rd to about 2 inches. It started growing again after about 4 days. Which was just about the right time needed to get the cut teff cured. I got a nice 4th then. Also I think it might be good to let it head out a little more then is suggested also so that it will cure faster. I don't think it would affect food value that much.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Teslan said:


> I found out this when I cut my 3rd cutting last year. I didn't think I would get a 4th so I cut the 3rd to about 2 inches. It started growing again after about 4 days. Which was just about the right time needed to get the cut teff cured. I got a nice 4th then. Also I think it might be good to let it head out a little more then is suggested also so that it will cure faster. I don't think it would affect food value that much.


Not sure. Several people here said that they had horses that would not eat teff, like not even touch it and indicated it was headed out. The other issue for us and 4 cuttings is that we are barely able to eake out 4 if we plant May 15-25 and cut first cutting at 35-40 days and each cutting thereafter at 30-35 days.


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

It looks good Yarnamurt. Post more pictures when it's baled. Congrats


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Teff is bumping now with mid-80s plus. Attached pic from today-26 days from plant and the first 10 were really cold-night temps in the 40s. Averages about 14" high.


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

Looks great hayman


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

I cut today. What makes it grow uneaven? I have some 3' tall and some 7" tall. If I cut it all back will it grow back even?


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Field fertility?


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

yarnammurt said:


> I cut today. What makes it grow uneaven? I have some 3' tall and some 7" tall. If I cut it all back will it grow back even?


don't know, mine was fairly even both last year and this. However the fertility was up on both fields.


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## Lewis Ranch (Jul 15, 2013)

yarnammurt said:


> I cut today. What makes it grow uneaven? I have some 3' tall and some 7" tall. If I cut it all back will it grow back even?


 I've got a field of grazer this year parts of it 5' tall others 2'. The whole field is sporadic.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

well, after the first cut it is all back up 12-14" in 13 days. It has all come back even I think it was the cold weather after it came up. I put 450lbs of urea on 12 acres after first cut, and can tell the difference. I put 30lbs acre at time of planting. Should cut in 14-16 days.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

yarnammurt said:


> well, after the first cut it is all back up 12-14" in 13 days. It has all come back even I think it was the cold weather after it came up. I put 450lbs of urea on 12 acres after first cut, and can tell the difference. I put 30lbs acre at time of planting. Should cut in 14-16 days.


just a clarification- you put 450 # of (46% N) urea on per acre? 200# n for top dressing-just asking because I am getting ready to topdress mine but would have thought that was way too much.-also, did you use a stabilizer on the urea?


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

Yea, that would be to much. That was the total for the entire field, about 30lbs to the acre. and I just spread the urea with out a stabilizer.


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## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

So hows it doing now ? FYI TEFF and depth of planting is a real issue . anymore I wait till you get a little shower in late may to dampen the ground . put the seed in a load of fert and just culti pack it in . on non worked up ground . big culti mulcher with teeth up . and I get the best stands know. . been messing with teff for about 10 yrs now and once it gets going it really makes a lot of and good hay . but nice stands are hard to get but doing it like this has really worked well .


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