How to Grow Switchgrass
- 1). Mow the area where you plan to plant switchgrass in the fall, then allow the existing grass to grow to a height of about 6 inches.
- 2). Treat the entire area with a glyphosate herbicide to kill any weeds that might otherwise rob switchgrass of needed nutrients.
- 3). Check your soil pH using a testing kit available at any home and garden store. Switchgrass prefers soil with a pH of 5.0 or higher. If your soil pH is too low, add a lime-based fertilizer to the lawn to help raise the level.
- 4). Measure your lawn in feet, once vertically and once horizontally. Convert the feet to inches by multiplying by 12. Multiply each measurement by 2.54 to get a centimeter reading. Multiply the two measurements to get an area for your lawn. For instance, if your lawn measures 12 feet by 12 feet, you have an area of approximately 130,000 square centimeters.
- 5). Purchase switchgrass seeds from a gardening store. You will sow the seeds 30 centimeters apart (approximately), so divide the area of your lawn by 30 to find out how many seeds you should buy. In the example above (12-foot by 12-foot lawn), you'd be buying around 4,500 seeds.
- 6). Plant switchgrass seeds between April and mid-June, when warm growing conditions will help the grass to root and thrive.
- 7). Sow the seeds about 1/4 inch into the soil, no deeper than 1/2 inch, spreading seeds approximately 30 centimeters apart.
- 8). Water switchgrass with a garden hose as often as you provide water to perennial flowers: at least once a week when natural rainfall doesn't offer enough moisture.
- 9). Mow switchgrass down to 6 inches in the late winter. Many farmers use switchgrass as fodder for animals, and may harvest the crop in late fall or early winter instead. If you prefer to keep your grass short, you may mow switchgrass when it begins to grow too long for your personal aesthetic.
- 10
Fertilize switchgrass beginning in the second year, using 60 pounds of nitrogen to each acre of grass.
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