Gett'n Rid of Brome

pheasantaddict

pheasantaddict

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Going to convince some farmers to get rid of the brome grass and replace with praire grasses. What do you use to spray brome to get a good kill and can it be done from May-June in SW Iowa? How long do you have to wait to reseed? Thanks.
 
Let the brome green up in the Spring. [growing]
Spray evenly with Glyphosate.
Let the brome wilt down good.
Then replant.
 
Plateau and Journey are also used to kill brome. Journey is a mixture of Plateau and Roundup. There is residual action with the Plateau in the mix which is beneficial over time.
 
It does have some broadleaf action. It's use description is as a preemergent herbicide for planting NWSG. Many forbs are resistent to it and go ahead and become part of the population with the grass seedlings.
 
Remember that you need both the grass and the forbs to satisfy the requirements of pheasants. You'll find time favors the grass and you'll need to set back the grass eventually to retain the forb component. Also, the grass cannot be maintained without the use of fire. Plan that in when you are planning the planting so you can make the management easier when it's time for it.
 
I dont see why you wanna kill the bromegrass completely. bromegrass is a pheasant heaven to them. ive seen farmers let switchgrass grow with bromegrass and wheatgrass and get a good outcome.

Roundup with some brimstone or something if youre serious about killing broamgrass.

if you know of a farmer nearby, have him hay the bromegrass, then spray the roundup and brimstone for a good kill.
 
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Prairie Drifter said:
Remember that you need both the grass and the forbs to satisfy the requirements of pheasants. You'll find time favors the grass and you'll need to set back the grass eventually to retain the forb component. Also, the grass cannot be maintained without the use of fire. Plan that in when you are planning the planting so you can make the management easier when it's time for it.
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I have flowers in the mix. Is that what you mean.
 
In general, brome is a poor cover for pheasants. It is fair until the first significant snow, then it is flattened and rarely comes back from being smashed down. Switch and most of the other NWSG species have a lot stronger stem strength and tolerate heavy snow much better. As for forbs, there are any number that are beneficial to game birds. Some can be planted, others come up in the planting on their own. You have to remember that the "crops" that so many people stress as game bird food are only available at certain times of the year. Other times of the year birds have to have something else to eat. It's not always seed. For the first 12 weeks or so of their lives they eat mostly insects. Insect populations don't thrive on grass. They thrive on forbs, especially legumes. The high protein that the insects provide are necessary for growing broods. I don't know what you're calling flowers, but if your consultant is recommending they be included in the grass seeding mix, they are probably forbs. The added diversity broadens the benefit your planting will have. It extends the benefits beyond just cover and beyond any one season of the year. One other thing. Haying the brome before spraying reduces the leaf surface that you need to get a good kill from any contact herbicide. It would be better to wait after haying or burning until the brome has regrown a good top before spraying. If the spray is a residual, the haying may well aid in killing. By using Journey or mixing Plateau and Roundup in the tank, you are using both contact and residual and getting a better control.
 
Prairie Drifter said:
In general, brome is a poor cover for pheasants. It is fair until the first significant snow, then it is flattened and rarely comes back from being smashed down.
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Agreed, brome does not work well once the weather gets crappy.
 
if you cut brome yearly, it wouldnt be matted or crushed down during snow.


i cut hay every year, i will leave strips in fields for hunting.. but i will cut one side one year and leave the other side then cut the other side the next year and leave the other strip alone... this gives brome grass a strong growth and it does withstand snow. it does even collect snow to catch moisture. this will give the standing strip more brome grass to grow thicker. works every year and no problem. if you leave brome grass grow year after year... then yes, it does get matted and pushed down that it looks so flat its no use anymore. if you get a farmer to cut one side this year and then cut the otherside next year.. you'll see better results.
 
birdman652001 said:
if you cut brome yearly, it wouldnt be matted or crushed down during snow.


i cut hay every year, i will leave strips in fields for hunting.. but i will cut one side one year and leave the other side then cut the other side the next year and leave the other strip alone... this gives brome grass a strong growth and it does withstand snow. it does even collect snow to catch moisture. this will give the standing strip more brome grass to grow thicker. works every year and no problem. if you leave brome grass grow year after year... then yes, it does get matted and pushed down that it looks so flat its no use anymore. if you get a farmer to cut one side this year and then cut the otherside next year.. you'll see better results.
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Brome grass is also some of the worst grass for chicks. Birds hate to nest in it. I see more duck nests in it then pheasants. It was put in as a cheap pasture grass most places. Are you sure it's brome you are thinking of. Because if mowed it does not grow very tall either. And I have never seen any where that it holds up to snow. Heck heavy rain will flatten it.
 
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FCSpringer said:
Brome grass is also some of the worst grass for chicks. Birds hate to nest in it. I see more duck nests in it then pheasants. It was put in as a cheap pasture grass most places. Are you sure it's brome you are thinking of. Because if mowed it does not grow very tall either. And I have never seen any where that it holds up to snow. Heck heavy rain will flatten it.
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ive been in a tractor since i was 11 years old putting up hay with my dad. of course i know what brome grass is and switch grass along with wheat grass.. yes we get majority of our pheasants out of our brome grass strips that we leave. ive never complained about the numbers we get out of the brome grass... and yes brome grass will grow tall if you cut a year prior. leave it and the new brome will grow short. we've tested cutting one side of the grass and leaving the others resulting more hay when cutting the second side since it gives it room to grow and not matted and pushed down if you had left it for 4-5 years straight.

im an experience farmer and still do put up hay yearly.
 
Not saying you aren't a farmer. I was born on a farm as well. But. Even brome we mow never holds up to snow. Ever. You must have a different varity of brome I guess if it will provide cover with 2' of blown snow. I have some in the front yard I mow but it is always covered and always flat.

Our brome is more like a crab grass or lawn grass. Even mowed it will never get much higher then knee high. Ever.
 
FCSpringer said:
Not saying you aren't a farmer. I was born on a farm as well. But. Even brome we mow never holds up to snow. Ever. You must have a different varity of brome I guess if it will provide cover with 2' of blown snow. I have some in the front yard I mow but it is always covered and always flat.

Our brome is more like a crab grass or lawn grass. Even mowed it will never get much higher then knee high. Ever.
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are we talking about brome grass in lawn or field? if youre talking in the lawn, then thats a whole nother topic. maybe i read the thread title wrong. if you were talking about field, hay can be cut once in a field, then it'll be maybe 6-11 inches depending how much it rains... then it'll be full growth by june year after.



remember, i did say i will cut one side of the field and leave the other side... thats the grass that will collect snow and thats what provides hunting strips as well which i never fail to find pheasants burrowed down hiding.
 
What do you want 10 birds or 30 birds? If your happy with 10 keep your brome and if you want 30 get some praire grass and forbs. Its that simple.
 
I think I would go with the advice of PF, USDA, and Prarie Drifter, the only guy that I know of here that makes pheasant habitat for a living, and kill the brome.
 
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