I'm going to sprig burmuda.

[JNA]

Is Jiggs best for Galveston County?

 

[kthompson]

I am guessing you are new to hay or at least Bermuda? Not an insult, I had my first sprigged only two years ago. My first suggestion is to really know what you will be doing with the crop. If pasture then you only have to suit yourself. If you are raising hay for sale know what people want to buy. It does not matter if a certain variety grows best or such if people are not willing to buy or it is a hard sale. Perception of what is best to buying may not be the best but to them it is what they will buy.

If selling as hay look for local ad on what is being sold. Talked with those who may be potential customers. BUT do talk with your county agent and use the on line info from the University in Texas that is the agriculture expert. Not sure which one in Texas, only guessing it is A&M. Just do a search even using the question you posted here.

If I may go past your question, you be sure you have your field in shape before it is sprigged and you know what chemicals you need to apply before sprigging and what you can use for weed control the first year. I have Coastal and the year it is sprigged very limited in weed control chemicals.

I am going to private message you for source to help you there.

 

[Tx Jim]

Jiggs hay sells well where I live but then any type grass hay sells well this Winter.

 

[joeu235]

Jiggs should work fine where you are assuming your soil conditions are suitable. Its pretty easy to get established. I've even had it spread where I've fed Jiggs round bales over winter. I disced an area up in early spring to work in the manure and hay left on the ground and a couple months there was an area of Jiggs!

 

[JNA]

I am now looking for Jiggs spriggs.

 

[joeu235]

This where I got my sprigs from. Probably a 3 hour drive for you though.

Hay Sprigging Service

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Is Jiggs best for Galveston County?

My buddy did some more of his property in Jiggs. He lives near DaCosta Texas. The guy who did it lives near Bay City.

The drought nearly killed it all. I thought it was dead,but shut my mouth hoping to not make him feel worse about it. Then some rains came late, and I couldn't believe it, but it took off.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

This where I got my sprigs from. Probably a 3 hour drive for you though.

Hay Sprigging Service

Thanks for showing me this. They are apparently in my backyard somewhere around here.

 

[JNA]

YEA. Thank you.Checked out Giddings Tx,close to my dad's place.I can visit with my Aunt Frankie.

 

[robbyr]

I’ve been told Jiggs can be sprigged or the tops planted.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm quite a bit North of you in Smith County, near Tyler. Most of our soil here is red clay with a high PH to it. Common to have to add 2 tons of lime per acre to get it down to ideal PH for hay pastures. I'm not sure if the pine trees cause the high acidic, high Ph levels, or if that's why the pine trees grow here. Either way, you should first do a soil sample to see if your soil is ready for planting.

If not, add what's needed and put it off for a year when the soil is ready for it.

Research what people want if you are going to sell hay. My neighbor, who is a pretty smart guy, over thought this and jigged his place in Tifton Bermuda grass. He figured that it would grow faster and give him more hay per acre then coastal Bermuda. This proved to be true, but what he didn't consider is who would buy it. Horses don't care for it, and the longer it sits, the worse it tastes to them. It's probably a better pasture grass then what you want to bale.

The people that I buy my round bales from all have coastal Bermuda. The horses love it and with the poor year that we had here last year, it was up to $125 a bale just a month ago, but the price is starting to come down as those that where holding on to it to get the most money are now dumping it to get ready for this year.

What's really nice about jigging is how quickly you go from disked up dirt, to lush green pasture!!!

 

[robbyr]

My preference when buying hay is Coastal or Jiggs. I have bought Common, Bahai, and ryegrass round bales too. It’s been my experience the cows like Coastal or Jiggs the best.

 

[joeu235]

Horses will eat Tifton if its baled at the right time. Tifton really needs to be cut every 4 - 5 weeks or it gets real stimmy. I chose Jiggs over Tifton 85 because it doesn't require the precise timing.

 

[Texasmark]

You may be a bit late this season. Around here Jan-Feb is the sprigging season....250 miles N. of you. Tifton 85 is the preferred Bermuda here in Houston Black Clay...and as I remember my early years down there that's what we had down there.

 

[joeu235]

You can do Jiggs through April