Tifton 9

[rgood]

Anyone know how Tifton 9 spreads - Does it spread via the seeds it grows or does it send runners. I know mowing is sposed to thicken it by stimulating it, but didn't know if that is partly cause you are mowing off the seeds.

I know some of you are going to say "Contact your extension agent" - I don't find them to be very helpful.

 

[tanglefoot]

I am not familiar with Tifton 9. I have some Tifton 85, and I'm familiar with some of the other strains. Most are Coastal crosses and hybrids, so they spread from sprigs, not seeds.
Butch

 

[Mike120]

Tifton 9 is a fine leaf Bahiagrass that you can grow from seed. Tifton 85 is a hybred Bermuda that you have to sprig. Hay-wise Tifton 9 will produce about 50% of Tifton 85.

Tifton 9 has deep roots and thick rhizomes, spreads pretty quickly, and makes much better hay than Pensacoloa or Argentine Bahia. Yes, mowing it will make it thicker. The down-side is that mole crickets love it and you'll see lots of them.

You didn't say what you were wanting to do with it. If you are looking for hay, it's pretty good but you are probably better off going to a seeded Bermuda like Cheyenne, or even better Coastal or Tifton 85 which you'll have to sprig. I've got a field of Tifton 85 and a field of mixed Bahia....The Tifton 85 makes much better hay.

 

[tanglefoot]

That's good info. Mike, thanks. You're in an area that normally gets more rainfall than this northeast part of Texas. That should be good for the Tifton 85. I've noticed that mine seems to need more moisture than my coastal meadows. It never dies out or freezes, but it doesn't thrive unless it gets some rain in the summer.
Butch

 

[rgood]

Thanks Mike - I planted it 2 years ago - I use it for horse grazing - Just wondering how it spreads - I planted it with seeds - You are saying it spreads by runners - Correct?

I'll research the cricket info.

 

[Mike120]

Thanks Mike - I planted it 2 years ago - I use it for horse grazing - Just wondering how it spreads - I planted it with seeds - You are saying it spreads by runners - Correct?

I'll research the cricket info.

Yes, underground "runners". Rhizomes are underground nodes that produce roots and shoots to spread the plant. They are called stolons when the nodes are aboveground and produce only shoots.

Bahia is pretty good grass and is fairly drought resistant. My bahia field is quite productive....just not nearly as much as the Tifton 85. I rely more on the Tfton 85 for my horses as it has a much higher digestability.

I put Cheyenne into some of my horse paddocks a few years ago and was very impressed with the results. It's been hard to find for the past few years so I haven't done more.

 

[Mike120]

That's good info. Mike, thanks. You're in an area that normally gets more rainfall than this northeast part of Texas. That should be good for the Tifton 85. I've noticed that mine seems to need more moisture than my coastal meadows. It never dies out or freezes, but it doesn't thrive unless it gets some rain in the summer.
Butch

Rainfall?????? What's that????? We're hurting down here. How are you guys doing? I know guys a little farther North in the Cleveland area that have just shut down haying for the year. I got about a 1/2" last week and it was the first rain we've had in over a month.

After I cut last time I hit it with 300# of liquid 33.0.0 (Tifton 85 loves fertilizer) and didn't get a drop of rain until last week. It burnt the grass but it recovered with the night time humidity. I'm going to cut it today and expect to get about 70% of normal. I normally cut every 27-30 days to keep it from getting stemy..this time I gave it an extra 10 days just to get some more growth.

 

[tanglefoot]

Mike,
Rainfall is something we usually see very little of in the summertime. But this has certainly been an odd year. I read newspaper and magazine articles by county agents and extension service specialists that say you should cut your haymeadow every 28 days, like you said. But most years, I'd just be stirring up dust, there wouldn't be anything to cut. This summer, though, we can make 4 cuttings easy. We just have to try to dodge the rains. I had 500 square bales on the ground last night when it started to rain(it wasn't in the forecast). Twice that much is windrowed and ready to bale. I can't picture the Cleveland area this time of year not being lush and green. My son lives in Waco, and it's dry there, too. I'll bet next year will be back to the normal routine.
Butch

 

[Mike120]

I just cut yesterday and it was much better than I expected, but not stemmy yet. I'll rake it today and have a better idea. This is my third cutting on the Tifton 85 this year. I'll probably do my second cutting on the Bahia in the next week or so.

For us, this is typical SE Texas weather.....it's either too hot and wet, or too hot and dry. A few years ago it was so wet that I didn't get my first cutting until July. This year I've been going since May.

I've been watching the radar more this year. The cells seem to be forming around Bryan and then heading SE toward me. They disapate right before they get to me and then reform South of me and go into Houston. The ones that are coming from out West seem to pass North of us and head up your way. I grew up in South Texas where we joked that there was a square hole in the clouds over our place.....I think it's followed me here.

 

[tanglefoot]

Normally, I feel the same way about our area, as far as that square hole goes. But this year has turned out to be a good one so far. The fronts that bring us rain usually move in from northwest to southeast. But in the summer they usually stop at the Red River.
This year they have managed to make it to us and not much farther south. I was in Waco last weekend. It sure is dry and dusty there.
Butch