So after some research and YouTube videos I’m going to conduct an experiment to rid a field of broom sedge. Going to apply 120 lbs of phosphorus and .5 ton of lime per acre. I’m sure it’ll be needing more lime but trying to add a little, buildup soil, add a little more. Looking to turn area into native grasses in the long run. Help the deer, turkey, and quail. I’ll post along as experiment progresses

Good luck. I’d say you have a good plan. Broomsedge is an indicator of poor soil fertility/pH. It is a native grass, however.

Hey yellow line hunter, broomstraw bluestem is likely what you’re calling broomsedge. It is a native grass that grows on a variety of soil types and fertilities. It’ll literally grow anywhere. It often establishes itself in fallow fields due to poor management (if you’re trying to grow pasture grasses), and does not always indicate poor soil or pH. It grows on everything from sandy lower coastal plains soils to Midwest heavy loams and prairie soils with high pH. It does so well on acidic soils because it can outcompete other natives. I’m not sure you’ll get the desired outcome by liming and adding phosphorus. It will promote other species by providing them with better soil fertility, but it won’t control the broomstraw. If you want to decrease it’s prevalence, I’d suggest a late summer to early fall fire, followed by very light discing.

I am rather curious if you have any other native grasses you have in mind to replace it with, because it’s providing the structure needed by quail and turkeys alike to allow poults/chicks easy travel and clumps of vegetation to escape to from avian predators. So what’s the problem with having it there if you’re trying to promote native grasses?

My thought process is that I believe I can help other native varieties to establish. The deer and quail were using it but I don’t notice any seed bearing plants or much diversity at all for that matter. Going to talk with the usda dept in down and tell them what I’m looking to have and see their recommendations. I’ve seen native seed mixes that are for west Tennessee, and was going to work them into the area. Was definitely going to go the burn and disc method. My hope is that reducing the broom sedge will lessen the competition. My soil is a terrible hard clay. Going with just 1 acre out of 20 to see what difference it makes and probably do a fire/ disc plot the same size to compare.

I think fall discing will certainly help.

That's what ive had good luck with. Good advice!!

Dumb question but I’ve seen several place people mention fall discing. What does that help?

if i pick up a new yard and it has broom sedge in it, i immediately recommend (almost demand) they get a soil sample otherwise it will be a multiple year process to “build the soil” and get it looking good. they almost always need lime and have a very low cec #