# need help in Johnson County Tx



## steinbam (Dec 11, 2010)

We have some land that we have planted Sudan grass for the last 20 years.

Next year we would like to try a native grass for our horses. We are plowing now to get the soil ready for next year, but I am looking for someone who could help advise and possibly plant this for us. The hay person we are currently using only sprigs Sudan grass for cows.

I live in Johnson County near Alvarado Tx.

Hope this makes since, don't know much about hay, any advice or list of people who plant hay in this area would be very helpful.

Thanks
Stephen


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Stephen, perhaps you already have contacted the local Natural Resources Conservation Service- 516 East Jefferson Avenue, Whitney - (806) 237-2624. If not, these USDA employees usually know about native grasses and may know of people who have equipment to seed them. Also, your Johnson County Extension Ag Agent may be of assistance with your question.


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## haybine (Nov 24, 2010)

Just curious.....but if spending the money on having grass planted for horses, why plant native grasses. Seems you would get more benefit from planting a bermuda grass such as coastal. And there are sure to be several people in your are that deal in it. Only possible plus i can see on native grass is low maintenance maybe.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I've got a book on native grasses in Texas. Growing up in South Texas with range cattle, that was all they had to eat (unless we burned cactus during a drought), but I can't think of any that I'd knowingly plant. I'm with Haybine....go with bermuda. Now I use the book to identify weeds in my fields so I can get rid of them.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Native forages are a whole lot different than Sudangrass.
First off it establishes a Whole Lot Slower than sprigged Coastal bermudagrass. 
They do not respond at all well to abuse. 
They require a higher level of management to persist. 
You may need to defer grazing a native forage planting for an extra few years for it to become well established. 
Native grasses require three things. Heavy grazing. Long periods of rest. Controlled Burning. 
Bermudagrass also responds well to the above but it will establish quicker, and recovers faster from abuse. 
This coming season may not be all that great for establishing Tifton 85 but that is probably the best grass for grazing in our country. It responds well to forage stockpiling, possibly eliminating the need for Hay. 
Seeing that I am a Hay farmer I probably should not be saying that.

*But *IF your are set on native grasses, one grass you will want to plant is Texas Sue Eastern Grama Grass.

This Friday at the Blackland Research Center there will be session looking at their newly established native forages. Starting at 9 AM and with a bring your own food lunch. 
You may want to contact DR Dennis Hoffman [email protected], or DR Tracy Baker [email protected] on the Extension side or DR Kiniry [email protected], or DR Mari-Vaughn Johnson [email protected] on the USDA side at Blackland just south of Temple.


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## steinbam (Dec 11, 2010)

I think I mispoke, (being new to all of this) What I ment to say was some type of "native" costal hay that can be grown in this area.(Johnson County). Summers are very hot and sometimes we dont get a lot of rain in this area. The soil has a lot of black clay in it, and on the back side there is lot of red clay. I have seen costal grown in this area so I know it can be done, but I need to find someone who knows a lot more about this than I do. My grandfater tried to plant costal a long time ago without success, but my guess is that he did not prep the soil correctly.

So in short, I am looking for someone to plant costal and help me with soil preperation - in Johnson county

Thank you for all your help. This is a great forum!
Stephen


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Reclaiming the Blackland Region

The team of Researchers and Extension Specialist committed to showing and demonstrating an easy process of reclaiming land by reseeding back to its original prairie grass is in place at the BlackLand Research and Extension Center in Temple on Friday December 17th at 9:00 a.m.

This effort has been a vision of Dr. Tracy Baker upon her arrival in our county approximately a year ago. Dr. Baker focuses her work on the rapidly changing landscape across the highly populated areas of Central Texas. She is also an expert on the spatial analysis of watersheds using GIS and remote sensing tools. She employs a variety of decision support methods to work with communities and policy makers in managing multiple competing interests such as agriculture, economic development, and ecosystem services. She has worked extensively with communities in the United States, as well as East Africa and West Africa.

This event is an prime example of how Dr. Baker will be working with the County Extension programs along the IH35 corridor on the issue of land fragmentation and the common challenge Extension Agents have in assisting the new small acreage landowner understand the importance of land management and methods of reclaiming acreage back to native grasses. Bell County, with its growth and development of the last 20 years is experiencing these exact challenges.

She has brought several researchers, extension personnel and USDA NRCS experts to the table to collaborate and develop this on site demonstration effort. The ultimate goal of the three hour event will be to showcase and demonstrate a simple how to approach on reclaiming blackland prairie.

The program will start in the classroom with a short welcome. The Dr. Dennis Hoffman with explain the demonstration effort and its short and long term goals. He will be followed by Dr. Bill Fox who will discuss the Prairie Reclamation efforts currently underway on Ft. Hood and its impact on the region. We will have additional speakers discussing forage production, and biofuel research effort with switchgrass at the station.

We will be providing three hours of CEU's in the general category for Private Licensed applicators as well as those with commercial or noncommercial applicators license.

For more information feel free to contact our office at 933-5305.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

If you can make it to Waco on 8 February at the Heart of Texas Fair Grounds there will be an all day seminar and equip-ment show. Try Beef Cattle in the Morning and Forage in the afternoon.

Check with the County agent for Johnson &/or Hill County for more details.


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