# Identify this plant in timothy field



## crhay (Jun 19, 2010)

Planted some new Timothy fields last fall, things "i thought" were looking good untill i noticed that there is a plant that is just as or if not more thick as the timothy. To me it looks like some kind of wild oats or wild rye grass. I'm guessing that conditions where just right for the wild seed to take off this spring.. So now i'm stuck. for one, if i wait till the timothy heads out and ready to mow, this plant will be more ripe and and look like straw in the hay, also when i mow, the ripe seed will all fall to the ground and chance having the same issue next year.. Do i have round up and start over? Any help on this? Anyone know what this plant is?


----------



## ANewman (Sep 20, 2012)

Looks like some sorta wild oats to me too. I think I would probably cut them and hope the Timothy comes on for the next cutting.


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

It's either cheatgrass or wild oats. Both are very similar (some people think the are the same thing, but there is, IMHO, a slight difference in the seed heads). They are winter annuals and do their best in the spring.

Mow it and get it off the field before it goes to seed. From the looks of what is in your hand, there is some timothy there.

Ralph


----------



## crhay (Jun 19, 2010)

Yes, There is Timothy in there. Most of the time around our area, we only get a heavy 1st cutting from our timothy once it heads out nice.. The horsey people gotta see the heads in timothy hay. So my concern is cutting it now, the timothy is so immature it will be very hard to dry with the head not out yet, and make very poor hay..I may just have to take my loss try mow it now and mow whatevere comes up later.. I guess if it is wild oats, and that thick, it would be worth mowing for cattle hay. I do have a neighbor that has dairy cattle, thought about seeing if he would want it for silage?


----------



## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Worst he could do is say no. Best case, he might give ya a little $ for yer trouble & get it off the field.


----------



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I would say mow it now before the seed has time to mature and cause a problem for next year and I would think the wild oats should have some nutritional value while they are still green. I am a bit confused when you said that if you mow now while the Timothy is immature it will be very poor hay, it will actually be the opposite the more mature the Timothy gets the lower the quality of the hay but the tonnage will get higher.


----------



## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

That young timothy should make milk, it 's not poor quality yet.


----------



## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

FarmerCline, from what Crhay said, he's running into the same problem I once had with hay customers... if they don't see the seed head, then it isn't timothy to them. I remember beating my head against the wall trying to get them to understand that when timothy is cut younger, it's better nutritionally than mature timothy and also tends to be softer and more palatable to the horses. There can be a big difference in putting up hay that is good for a horse and putting up hay that an uninformed customer will buy.

As far as what I would recommend, mow it before it goes to seed and bale the hay up. You should be able to move it to a dairy farm at the least and possibly move it for horses if the hay supply tightens up like last year.


----------



## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

Cheat grass needs to be harvested early for best feed value. It will mature before the timothy and take on a distinct color that will make it undesirable for sale as a high quality hay. Mel


----------



## crhay (Jun 19, 2010)

That's what i'm worried about, by the time the timothy heads out, the wild oats or cheat grass or whatever it is, is going to look like straw.. Like Josh said, Most timothy buyers need to see the timothy heads, then, its timothy hay.. I've mowed immature timothy in the past, with the head still in the stem, not popped out yet, it makes it very very hard to dry.. kinda why i'm thinking silage maybe the best. if I mow it now, what are the chances of this wild oats coming back next year?


----------



## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

Mowing now and catching it before it seeds will go a long way towards cleaning up the field.


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Definately looks like wild oats to me. Cut her down and get it out of the way. It will make decent feed now. What area of the country are you in? Do you get second cuttings on Timothy. We only have one cutting in Va. Mike


----------



## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

By looking at the pictures of the seed heads, I'm guessing that it is already to late to eliminate viable seed production on the wild oats if it is cut for hay.


----------



## crhay (Jun 19, 2010)

I'm in the midwest so, we only get one cutting on timothy. The weather has not cooperated for us here, but yes i agree, i am thinking it may be too late, the seed is too far along!! Not sure what to do, but i guess i need to mow it off soon as i can and take my losses,,


----------



## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

Better yet, harvest for haylage or baleage if you can. That will take care of most of the seed production on the wild oats.

Cutting for hay at this stage will only encourage the wild oats problem, but if that is your only choice, cut ASAP.


----------



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Baled mine today, re-tedded the heavy spots of alfalfa this AM, then raked and baled. Went a consistant 17-18% and from what I could tell all the damn seeds on the wild oats stayed on the stems.


----------



## crhay (Jun 19, 2010)

Finally calling for few days of no rain, may try and mow this afternoon. Looks good untill sat. I hope most the seeds stay on.. We'll see, I run a big square baler so i'll need to get it a bit dryer.


----------



## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

looks like downy brome.


----------



## t becker (May 29, 2013)

Here in North Idaho the Ventanada, google North Africa grass, is taking over as an invasive annual. Yours looks a little like it. Its all over the Northwest and spreading fast. Its even pushing out the Cheat grass (Downey Brome) . In a timothy stand you can spray with OUTRIDER in late fall. Early November after the perenials have gone dormant. Nice thing is that the seed bank is only 2 years on it. The seeds are chevroned up a single shoot and then when they mature they are all out on little hairs in all directions. Yours doesn't look totaly like it. Looks like another trash grass, so cut early, spray late and see what happens next season.

Timothy stands come on in the second to third year. Remember not to cut timothy to short as the bottom 4 to 6 inches is where it stores sugar for next season. Cut short and the heads will be short next year.


----------

