Easiest fastest way to get rid of it. Simply turn your cows on it! They will eat it down to nothing and it won't last long enough to set seed. Won't hurt cows if it's not REALLY stressed. Don't believe it? Simply look in any cow pasture with native grass and try to find any. Don't go straight Bermuda if your wanting a real year round pasture.
That's what I was thinking, but due to small sample size, I lack sufficient evidence. Neighbors place is is solid Johnson, other side of fence were our cows are is Bermuda and stray natives. I do fight Johnson in the asparagus and garden.
The above info is excellent.
If it were me, where I’m always short on free time, I’d turn cattle into it every 2-3 weeks and graze it to nothing, and while they’re pulled off I’d get a fertilizer spreader and add in crabgrass and clover seed, and let the cattle walk it in for you. Both are excellent grazing and will help choke the Johnson grass out, and what does grow will just add pounds on the hoof. Arrowleaf clover in particular will choke almost anything out given enough time, and it’s a nitrogen fixer also.
I’m a big fan of native grasses but they only succeed when grazed hard for shorts amount of time, with plenty of rest time in between. High intensity rotational grazing with long durations allowed for growth is your best bet for it.
If it were me, where I’m always short on free time, I’d turn cattle into it every 2-3 weeks and graze it to nothing, and while they’re pulled off I’d get a fertilizer spreader and add in crabgrass and clover seed, and let the cattle walk it in for you. Both are excellent grazing and will help choke the Johnson grass out, and what does grow will just add pounds on the hoof. Arrowleaf clover in particular will choke almost anything out given enough time, and it’s a nitrogen fixer also.
I’m a big fan of native grasses but they only succeed when grazed hard for shorts amount of time, with plenty of rest time in between. High intensity rotational grazing with long durations allowed for growth is your best bet for it.
Correct me if I’m wrong but… isn’t Johnson grass poisonous to cattle and horses at a certain time of year?
After extreme drought and frost yes
So that’s why it’s such a problem in my part of the state. Lol
Thanks for the responses, and I’m going to readjust my plan. I was already planning on a deep tilling, and I’ve also considered the grazing option. Eventually this pasture will be used primarily for equine and possibly for finishing off a couple of steers at a time. I think that I’m going to temporarily divide the pasture in half. I’m going to heavily graze one half, and till and seed the second half. I’ll also be doing some more research on the prairie grasses mentioned in a couple of the posts. After coming up with a list of possible grasses that I think will work for my area (SW part of the state), I’m going to talk with a seed consultant and finalize the plan before getting started. Thanks for the ideas/advice guys. I’ll try to take some pictures of the progress as I go along.
Your County Extension office should rent out a no-till grass seeder for cheap. I planted 320 acres back to native grass 3y ago. 12', took forever but it's nice equipment. All the ones I've seen are new or newer JD.
