OT - Purpletop - Grease Grass

Bill VA · Aug 13, 2015

In my earlier post, Round 2 - Mowing the Hay ( http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/ttalk/messages/1608773.html ) JD Seller noticed a purple tint
in the grass tops and inquired about it. Several chimed-in and said it was Greasy Grass or Purple Top (same grass - different name). I was
told last August it was broomsedge from what I thought was a knowledgeable person affiliated with a major ag university - but as often the
case, misinformed. I appreciate the eagle eyes on this forum!

So at some point this grass and the fields will be killed-off and replanted, but for now, I got what I got, just much less weeds this year thanks to
some 2,4-d and Pasturegard. Easier to sell weed free hay IMHO.

As was mentioned, broomsedge is not a desirable grass. Is purpletop any better?

From a forage standpoint, can't find much info on purpletop.

I like to explain to the customer what they are getting in our hay, good, bad and the ugly.

Tell me about purpletop / grease grass - the good, bad and ugly.

Any info is much appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill

Traditional Farmer · Aug 13, 2015

Its pretty good hay but for it to be at its best it needs to be cut before it heads out but its still good hay until the grassy bottom starts to die out.Generally a sign that
the land is lacking in lime and minerals in general when you see it growing.In VA almost all land needs lime and minerals as a general rule.

Richard G. · Aug 13, 2015

Gary, down here we call it greasy weed. I am sure the cows will eat it as you never see it growing in pastures that are grazed.
Richard in NW SC

Hogleg · Aug 13, 2015

I looked closely and I have broomsedge, not purpletop, in some of my fields. I cut it before it gets fuzzy tops. Have had horse folks complain if the fuzzy stuff is in the bale, because the horses tend to not want to eat it. They pick thru the bales and leave lots of waste.

Here is a pic of it - https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=broomsedge&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-005

Click on the first image to see a closeup...

John

3020jd2955 · Aug 13, 2015

What you had in your earlier pics was what I would call grease grass. But you also probably have plenty of broomsedge too as I've usually seen the two go hand in hand. And whoever identified what you had before as broomsedge may have been correct. Broomsedge can have a green, purple-ish color early in the season and then as fall approaches will turn completely brown and nothing will hardly graze or eat it. Both grease grass and broomsedge are as good as weeds in my opinion and I'd work to get rid of both if I were you - probably going to take fertility adjustments and/or killing and starting over, which you plan to do at some point anyway. I don't know from a technical standpoint what the quality is (protein and such), just my personal opinion, but the few bales I've fed with it the cows barely pick through it. Only experience I have with it is one small field we cut for a neighbor once a year just to clean up the field and we get the hay for cutting it. Cows will just barely pick through those bales.

JD Seller · Aug 13, 2015

Well I do not know anything about the "purple top or Grease Grass. I did learn that The Battle of the Little Bighorn was also called The Battle of the Greasy Grass. So when you Google "Grease Grass" the majority of the links are about eh battle not the grass. Learn something new every day.

showcrop · Aug 14, 2015

We have had what we call "red top" from time to time, here and there. I look at it as pretty much the same as most other weeds except that it can be hard on the mower. I have found that along with a little luck with the weather, good fertility enables the good "cool weather" grasses to crowd the weeds out. As has been said mowing early enough to prevent weeds from going to seed is also important

OT - Purpletop - Grease Grass

Bill VA

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Traditional Farmer

Well-known Member

Richard G.

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Hogleg

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3020jd2955

Member

JD Seller

Well-known Member

showcrop

Well-known Member

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