# Anything grow in blow sand?



## rjbaustian (Oct 16, 2012)

So I got a pretty good crop 2nd cutting, part of that was the "extra" grass that came up in my blow sand. Out of 38 acres, about 5-6 is just blow sand, and nothing worth much is growing there now that the rain stopped. I'd like to drill something in there, even though it mixes up my 70% alfalfa 30% OC mix. Thinking Timothy, or Brome? Thoughts?


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Dont plant timothy. Timothy likes things on the wetter side. Plant something with a deep root so when the rain stops it can keep growing.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

On your sand I'd try alfalfa again. Might take a few trys till you get the moisture you need to get it established. A little brom mixed in wouldn't hurt, but I think brome has a pretty shallow root system that might burn up quick if it gets real dry. Certain kinds of wheat grasses can have a long root system that might reach down to the moisture and help hold that blow sand in place. Even oats for hay might work but again moisture at the right time is key.

All we have here in McHenry county is blow sand. We raise pretty fair alfalfa as long as we get the moisture to get it established and get its roots down. Really fine gray sand here around the homeplace that crops do well if the moisture is there. In a drought not so much. Pretty much everything is classified HEL by the FSA.

South of the homeplace it turns into the Sandhills. Coarse red sand but with a high water table. Most shallow root grasses burn up pretty quick there but again alfalfa once established will do well in it once it gets its roots down to that high water table. Can take a few trys though to get the right weather to get it established. Strangest country in the Sandhills, can drive a sandpoint down 15ft anywhere and get water but the sand ontop will be bone dry.


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## rjbaustian (Oct 16, 2012)

Would u replant the alfalfa maybe late sept to hopefully take advantage of the snow moisture for the spring?


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## rjbaustian (Oct 16, 2012)

And thanks for the advise on Timothy


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

I think a late sept planting might work. If its a cool wet fall could work out to your advantage, then with the snow moisture should get it going in the spring.

I've never done a fall seeding of alfalfa but have wanted to try it. My NRCS guy has about got me talked into trying a dormant seeding of alfalfa on some prevent plant ground. But I think I'd rather try a sept seeding also.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

IHCman said:


> I think a late sept planting might work. If its a cool wet fall could work out to your advantage, then with the snow moisture should get it going in the spring.
> 
> I've never done a fall seeding of alfalfa but have wanted to try it. My NRCS guy has about got me talked into trying a dormant seeding of alfalfa on some prevent plant ground. But I think I'd rather try a sept seeding also.


What is dormant seeding?


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

well according to the NRCS up here, its when you seed alfalfa in the fall and it doesn't germinate till spring. I don't know all the details to it yet, but I think you have to wait to plant until you have so many days of a certain temp. Probably below whatever temp alfalfa will germinate at. Then the seed just sits in the ground till spring and begins growing as soon as the soil warms enough. I might try to do a little bit this fall like that but I have concerns about in the spring if it warms up enough to germinate and then gets cold again to fast could kill the new seedlings.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

What kind of soil prep and how to seed for this method? I have a saddle of sand that wont grow. All my manure goes there. And reg fert. Last time I seeded alfalfa on it it all washed into neighbors bean field. He had a nice alfalfa stand where I was very surprised it went to.

I just threw some turnip and radish on it. Probably throwing good money after bad again. It now grows a short grass (crabgrass?) And at least it is holding the soil together. Would be nice for some production though.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Moisture may be key but a lot of stuff; especially oats and wheat won't grow in sand cause it's not stout enough.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

There is plenty of blow sand around this area, we grow about anything in it. With it getting close to fall I would plant it to wheat . btw this area is the epic center of the dust bowl days........


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## rjbaustian (Oct 16, 2012)

I don't want to plant it to wheat because it's a sand vein that runs through the middle of my hay field, and then spotted throughout the field. I plan to just use an old grain drill. And drive around out there with the neighbors looking at me funny, and talking. May just investigate this dormant seeding angle.


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## NebTrac (Aug 12, 2014)

Another opiont might be to put in a native grass adapted to that soil. I raise Sand Bluestem for Arrow Seed out of Broken Bow Nebraska. It does well on very coarse sand, will spread with rhizomes and makes good hay as well.

You can use herbicides like Plateau on establishment and Bicep II and Dual II when established and they do well on annual grasses and broadleafs. I really like it, as we can still get a crop on a very limited amount of moisture.

Other options on the natives side would also be Prairie Sandreed and Sand lovegrass (cattle love this).

Troy


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Great post Troy....and welcome to haytalk!

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I think Nebtrac might be on to something, or try planting it back to alfalfa, once established it has mighty deep roots.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

There isn't nothing wrong with native grass... I wish we had a few hundred acres of gardo and bufflegrass


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Get some quackgrass. It grows just about anywhere. Spreads by the roots. Very hardy. Makes pasture or hay. Just not good if your trying to grow grain cause its aggressive.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

hog987 said:


> Get some quackgrass. It grows just about anywhere. Spreads by the roots. Very hardy. Makes pasture or hay. Just not good if your trying to grow grain cause its aggressive.


That is terrible advice....Quackgrass is a night mare and will take over a haying operation and spreads like wildfire. It is almost impossible to eliminate after it gets started. I would not grow anything if Quackgrass was the only option.

Mike


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## rjbaustian (Oct 16, 2012)

I think I'm gonna seed it with alfalfa again mid October. 2 bags ought to cover it. If it works, great, if not, I'm only out 4-500 bucks...again lol


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