Just a reminder, right now we have about as outstanding conditions as you could hope for to establish jiggs bermuda from tops. In established pastures there are very old tops that lost some of their leaves and are putting out a the tips, making for a solid mat of mature stems that will be ready to root out when planted.

Pile loosely into a manure spreader, throw out on prepared ground and follow with a light disk harrow with the disks running as straight as possible. If you do it right, the disk will simply push the tops down into the prepared soil. Follow with a roller and you WILL have a good stand of jiggs if the tops are big and stemmy.

Just a note, jiggs will grow in heavier/higher pH soils than Tifton 85, but coastal is more adaptable to heavier soils.

Tifton 85 will also grow from tops if they are mature. I've had infinitely better results with jiggs. Tifton is more palatable, but you have to have grass first, and jiggs is surpassed by no other bermuda in that dept., all things considered imo.

Planting invasive species on purpose.... I know it makes a lot of hay but I loathe Bermuda grass.

Best option here. Our success rate is night and day compared to the old way.

Jiggs and the related production methods have improved our profitability, reduced our erosion and improved our soils be reducing our major tillage.

After a flood it is one of the first plants to bounce back. If flood irrigation is used in production (old rice fields) Jiggs handles standing water better than any other variety.

Let me know when part of your livelihood is dependent upon rainfall. I'll consider your opinion then.

Sean98 said:

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Planting invasive species on purpose.... I know it makes a lot of hay but I loathe Bermuda grass.

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Truth.

SWCBonfire said:

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Let me know when part of your livelihood is dependent upon rainfall. I'll consider your opinion then.

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Native species are native species for a reason. "Rule Britannia" and it's legacy shouldn't be what we've latched onto just because. Colonialism has effed a metric shat ton of natural/native stuff up in a very detrimental way the last 300 years (which is being paid for today), and there's no reason to continue down the same path when science has finally caught up to and trumped (MAGA?) the Manifest Destiny horsecrap that has been fed to the populace.

Barack Obama said:

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Colonialism has effed a metric shat ton of natural/native stuff up in a very detrimental way the last 300 years (which is being paid for today)

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I'll just sit back and watch this one. Should be an interesting argument putting production agriculture against those who only want native plants.

SWC Bonfire planting Bermuda is like me planting Buffel...if you raise cattle in the Brush Country of S Texas, Buffel has been your choice for many years. Quail don't particularly like it, but I have seen plenty of whitetail utilizing it.

I get it & I agree native grasses are preferable. But if you have 300 head and don't have the luxury to wait 2-3 years on native grasses to establish, Bermuda is what you plant.

Current ranchers are doing what they can with the hand the older generations dealt them years ago. Time, money, rain and will are necessary to get those native grasses back. Ranchers are lucky to have one of those 4 at any one time.

That sounds great and makes you feel good. But the reality is that we just went through a period of drought from fall 2008 to 2014 broken up by irregular and inconsistent rainfall. At least in my area, this was as bad as the drought of the 1950's. The Guadalupe river turned into a trickle flowing between holes of deeper water. I had to build a fence down the middle of the river bed to keep cows from crossing. And every time we finally lucked out and got half an inch, the jiggs greened up and grew big enough for cows to pick and eat. Even in February.

I learned a lot about what they did in the 50's from my grandfather, who was still alive while we were in the drought and sharp as a tack. He was adamant that if they had improved grasses back then, more ranchers could have made it. The 50's drought decimated Texas, and destroyed the local economies of many small towns. I still remember seeing a pic of the attendance board in the local church from 1956, attandance was like 70+, collection plate total: $0.86.

Native grasses (at least in my area) don't withstand grazing pressure, require more time and moisture to get to grazing levels, produce less than half to 1/10th the amount of forage that improved grasses do, and don't have as long a growing season. You bet your ass I am planting improved grass in pastures. The deer and turkey like it just fine (deer especially love Klein grass). I also appreciate not being pelted in the face by 100- mesh sand every time the wind blows.

I would like to ask you and Sean to raise your input costs 300% while keeping your revenues flat in the spirit of asking ranchers to do the same. If I have to decrease stocking rates to establish native pastures, acquire more land or reduce herd size significantly, perhaps you could take a similar paycut in solidarity, comrades.

The karankawas never needed the evil white man's "improved" non native grasses. They did just fine eating each other.

SWCBonfire said:

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That sounds great and makes you feel good. But the reality is that we just went through a period of drought from fall 2008 to 2014 broken up by irregular and inconsistent rainfall. At least in my area, this was as bad as the drought of the 1950's. The Guadalupe river turned into a trickle flowing between holes of deeper water. I had to build a fence down the middle of the river bed to keep cows from crossing. And every time we finally lucked out and got half an inch, the jiggs greened up and grew big enough for cows to pick and eat. Even in February.

I learned a lot about what they did in the 50's from my grandfather, who was still alive while we were in the drought and sharp as a tack. He was adamant that if they had improved grasses back then, more ranchers could have made it. The 50's drought decimated Texas, and destroyed the local economies of many small towns. I still remember seeing a pic of the attendance board in the local church from 1956, attandance was like 70+, collection plate total: $0.86.

Native grasses (at least in my area) don't withstand grazing pressure, require more time and moisture to get to grazing levels, produce less than half to 1/10th the amount of forage that improved grasses do, and don't have as long a growing season. You bet your ass I am planting improved grass in pastures. The deer and turkey like it just fine (deer especially love Klein grass). I also appreciate not being pelted in the face by 100- mesh sand every time the wind blows.

I would like to ask you and Sean to raise your input costs 300% while keeping your revenues flat in the spirit of asking ranchers to do the same. If I have to decrease stocking rates to establish native pastures, acquire more land or reduce herd size significantly, perhaps you could take a similar paycut in solidarity, comrades.

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How far are you from Seguin as I'd love to talk to you regarding Jiggs Bermuda

In Belmont between Seguin and Gonzales. You can come see what established jiggs that wasn't even fertilized this year looks like (I fertilized heavy last year).

SWCBonfire said:

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In Belmont between Seguin and Gonzales. You can come see what established jiggs that wasn't even fertilized this year looks like (I fertilized heavy last year).

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Very nice I'm south of Seguin on 123 by 5 miles. How much do you think it would cost to have 4-5 acres done with Jiggs Bermuda?

SWCBonfire said:

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In Belmont between Seguin and Gonzales. You can come see what established jiggs that wasn't even fertilized this year looks like (I fertilized heavy last year).

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How long did it take for the jiggs to establish?

Big bump.

I had great conditions in the fall (+ chicken litter worked into the soil) and little competition. It covered by the next spring. IIRC I took a cutting of hay off the more marginal part (actually that shown in the pic) and grazed the better part with 1st calf heifers that next spring.

It spreads much faster in more well-drained, sandy loam soils. I made marks on the ground and the runners would grow 4-6+" per day. Pretty exceptional stuff.

Will grow slower in heavier soils, too, but it is slower and doesn't have the same production. Another field planted in silty loam in riverbottom didn't spread as robustly, bud did cover (had a lot of competition from common bermuda). Can confirm it will also grow in pure caliche.

I am wanting to get a small new pasture planted with bermuda jigg. I know nothing about it so any pointers would help. I am in the Winnie area. Would like to pay someone to do it since I dont have all the equipment.

Log said:

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SWCBonfire said:

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Let me know when part of your livelihood is dependent upon rainfall. I'll consider your opinion then.

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Native species are native species for a reason. "Rule Britannia" and it's legacy shouldn't be what we've latched onto just because. Colonialism has effed a metric shat ton of natural/native stuff up in a very detrimental way the last 300 years (which is being paid for today), and there's no reason to continue down the same path when science has finally caught up to and trumped (MAGA?) the Manifest Destiny horsecrap that has been fed to the populace.

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I'm glad Dr. Borlaug didn't think this way when it came to wheat crops.

Thanks for this thread...planting Jiggs on a 26 acre "hard ground" pasture that has been very unproductive in the past. Could not find chicken litter in my area (Rockdale) so went with a blend granular fertilizer. After planting, planning on fertilizing 2 more times before June with high Nitrogen fertilizer this year. Hoping for good production AND drought resistance.

Log said:

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Sean98 said:

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Planting invasive species on purpose.... I know it makes a lot of hay but I loathe Bermuda grass.

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Truth.

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I purposely let it take over my st Augustine at my rent house after college. Neighbors all spent money on trying to keep the inferior St Augustine alive and I just watered my Bermuda and it eventually took over. Beautiful grass.

Aggie Hunter said:

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I am wanting to get a small new pasture planted with bermuda jigg. I know nothing about it so any pointers would help. I am in the Winnie area. Would like to pay someone to do it since I dont have all the equipment.

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I would probably start with the local NRCS office, they may even have an active program related to pasture improvements and a list of contractors.

I know they have planters now, but I can't tell you the timing of when they can plant with them. I would imagine fall would be preferable from an establishment and moisture demand standpoint, but if you're irrigated that may be another story.

General Omar said:

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Thanks for this thread...planting Jiggs on a 26 acre "hard ground" pasture that has been very unproductive in the past. Could not find chicken litter in my area (Rockdale) so went with a blend granular fertilizer. After planting, planning on fertilizing 2 more times before June with high Nitrogen fertilizer this year. Hoping for good production AND drought resistance.

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Disk in your fertilizer during your last seedbed prep operation - you'll never have another chance to get phosphorus in the root zone. Go light on the N (no more than 40#/ac) at planting, then topdress with another 40# when runners start. Wish you'd have taken a soil sample. If there are pH issues, you could have disked in lime prior to planting.