How do you convert a mixed fescue field to a native warm-season grass meadow?

Question

How do you convert a mixed fescue field to a native warm-season grass meadow?

I'm actually looking for information on a few of options:

1. Anything goes option.
2. Minimal soil disturbance option.
3. Minimal soil disturbance no herbicide option.

Answer 1

1. Mow, (precede with herbicide if you go that way and give it a few weeks to work), till (or plow, then cultivate) every 3 weeks for several months, seed. Could insert step of smother crop (buckwheat traditional, possibly rye over the winter) in there, then till a few more times. Basic idea being to sprout as many weed seeds as possible and THEN put in your desired seed.

2. Your traditional no-till is herbicide based - spray and then seed with a no-till drill. Or spray, wait, spray some more, etc. and finally plant. Herbicide choice (or choices) is probably best done with local information to get your local weed issues, resistant varities, etc.

3. Probably have to go with solarizing (plastic) for the kill step for non-traditional no-till. Drill seed with no-till drill, same as 2.

Answer 2

1. In mid spring: Mow, wait 4-5 days, when the grass is growing at it's fastest, and spray with a glyphosate solution of 1 1/2 - 2 oz. of 41% glyphosate concentrate to a gallon of water. Spray until wet, but before runoff. You can add a surfactant if necessary. If you use Roundup promax, decrease the rate, as this is based on a smaller molecule, built on potassium salt. This means less mass will cover more area effectively. The concentration is also usually higher (49%), and the surfactants are always present in this product.

   Once the grass is dead, mow it off as low as possible, and haul off the clippings. Use a preseeder if possible (I rent one), to loosen the top layer of soil, and even out the grade. You don't want to loosen it too much, or make it super soft. You can then broadcast seed right away. You can use a tiller to loosen the top layer, with the depth stake set quite shallow, but this takes longer.

2. As above:

   In mid spring: Mow, wait 4-5 days, when the grass is growing at it's fastest, and spray with a glyphosate solution of 1 1/2 - 2 oz. of 41% glyphosate concentrate to a gallon of water. Spray until wet, but before runoff. You can add a surfactant if necessary. If you use Roundup promax, decrease the rate, as this is based on a smaller molecule, built on potassium salt. This means less mass will cover more area effectively. The concentration is also usually higher (49%), and the surfactants are always present in this product.

   Once the grass is dead, mow it off as low as possible, and haul off the clippings. Use a slicer overseeder (set to the specified rate for the mix), and go over the area.

3. Mow the grass as short as possible. Use a sod cutter (I rent one) at a shallow depth to slice the grass off just under the surface. You can then either:

   • Pile it, cover in a tarp, wait for decomposition, and respread it
   • Pile it, bring in the same yardage of screened topsoil, and spread that
   • Pile it and use the ground as is

   The next step: For least disturbance, use a slicer overseeder to sow. If you want to broadcast, you can run over it quickly with a preseeder to rough it up without disturbing the soil much.