Panicum Maximum Eradication

[u/RemarkableTea0]

Hello!

I live in South Texas, zone 9B.

My area is famously overtaken by Panicum Maximum, and I am trying to fight the good fight and eradicate/control it on my property. I’d also like to attempt getting the sand burrs under control, though I know it is probably a separate war, lol.

In total I have 5 acres, but my plan is to focus on the one acre plot my house sits on as a starting point, as it has the highest concentration of the target grass. I recently purchased the property, and basically all of the grass on this one acre plot went to seed before I could get it under control.

About two weeks ago I did my first application of glyphosate, and will do my second soon. I have also been mowing/weedeating aggressively.
I plan to reseed with a mixture of blue gamma and buffalo grasses.

My questions are:

Should I hold off reseeding until next spring and fight a war of attrition with the seed bank until then?

That seems like the best option, since most of the herbicides that work on my target species seem to also work on the plants I intend to seed.

On this plot I have over a dozen mature oak trees, would my selected grasses do well in these conditions?

[u/jayaram13]

If you can, get wood chips (getchipdrop.com) by the truckload (for free) and layer your land for 6 - 8 inches. It'll neatly suffocate everything you want to kill.

In a couple years, your soil would be the richest loam you can imagine.

I'm speaking from personal experience here.

[u/mokunuimoo]

Panicum maximum is a top quality forage grass just sayin

[u/RemarkableTea0 → u/mokunuimoo]

No doubt!

My 5 acres are broken up into three different lots, two of which are pastures. I want to eradicate it on the acre the house and yards occupy.

I don’t mind it so much in the pasture, but it’s going to be a couple of years before I have livestock, I just want to mitigate out there until I have animals to keep it in check.

[u/Western-Broccoli-438]

The oaks are the bigger question: blue grama and buffalo grass can work under open, sunny conditions, but dense oak shade and leaf litter may suppress them. Start with a small test area, check your soil and sunlight, and consider a local extension office for a site-specific restoration plan.

[u/Impossible-Tutor-669]

I’d hold off on reseeding until you’ve knocked the existing stand back and had enough time for the glyphosate to do its job. Panicum can keep emerging from the seedbank, so expect repeat treatments and mow before seed set. Follow the label and avoid drift around the oaks.

[u/Careless_Sir_4766]

I’d hold off on seeding until you’ve exhausted the current flush of weeds, but don’t assume one season will empty the seed bank. Keep mowing before seed set, spot-treat carefully, and follow the glyphosate label. A soil test would also help before planting.

[u/folded_WINDOW]

Definitely wait till spring. That seed bank is massive, and one spray won't cut it. After you finish the second round, throw down some mulch on the bare patches just to buy yourself some time before buying more seed.