Without question, Cogongrass is the most troublesome invasive plant that I (and my clients) deal with. Here in Northwest Florida, we have a lot of it, and it is very difficult to manage. With that in mind, I write about cogongrass control with some frequency. If you follow Panhandle Ag e-Newsand/or Panhandle Outdoors you’ve probably seen much of what’s included below before. That’s ok, a refresher never hurt anyone and, unfortunately, there are plenty of folks out there who are just realizing that they have a cogongrass problem.
It has been my observation that the difficulty of management and the corresponding limited early success often led to frustration and ultimately a loss of interest in control efforts on the part of landowners/managers. This is the absolute worst-case scenario, as diligence over time is paramount to successfully managing cogongrass. With all this in mind, optimizing the impact of the initial control effort is crucial both in terms of biology (efficacy on the plants) and psychology (keeping the landowner encouraged and motivated). If you have cogongrass to fight, take every step you can to get the absolute best results out of every treatment, especially the first one.
Cogongrass has no visible jointing, segmentation, or branching above ground. However, in the top 3-6 of the soil it forms a dense mat of white, fleshy, clearly segmented rhizomes which are a key identifying feature. Photo Credit: Mark Mauldin
The following is a discussion of some of the steps you can take to maximize the efficacy of your control efforts.
1) Timing Matters
Cogongrass is best treated with a fall-spring, one-two punch. Mid-summer and mid-winter treatments are not advisable. Based on my experience, the ideal time to treat cogongrass is October through November, before first frost, with good soil moisture. Spray now, during the fall window, and be prepared to spray again in the spring when you have at least 12 inches of green leaf and good soil moisture. I have mentioned “good soil moisture” twice… what exactly does that mean? It means there is sufficient moisture in the soil that the cogongrass is not experiencing any level of drought stress. Herbicide applications made to stressed plant are generally less effective than are applications to made to “happy plants”. It is very hard to see symptoms of drought stress in cogongrass. Generally, you need to look at the plants around the infestation for clues. If any of the plants in the surrounding landscape look wilted or crispy during the heat of the day, it’s probably best to delay herbicide applications. This concept is worth noting primarily because here in the central panhandle we tend to be dry during both the fall and spring application windows. I am writing this article on 10/9/24. At my house we’ve not had a drop of rain since Hurricane Helene came through on 9/27 and my trusty weather app say not to expect any for the next 10 days. While it will vary greatly by location and soil type, it loos to me like we are running out of hurricane moisture, and it is rapidly becoming too dry to spray. All this boils down to the fact that you need to be ready take advantage of the situation and spray when soil moisture is adequate.
With that one-two punch successfully delivered, you should see significant reduction in the size of the infestation by this time next year. Keep repeating the fall-spring process until you can no longer find any cogongrass. Be sure to look carefully, as the infestation retreats it can be easy to miss the less robust and more scattered remnants mixed in with other vegetation. These remnants need to be sprayed, if not rapid regrowth will occur.
Close examination of this cogongrass patch shows regrowth occurring in the patch and growth that was apparently missed by the prior herbicide application. Both of these scenarios are common and help to illustrate why it is important to scout diligently and be prepared for re-treatments. Photo credit: Mark Mauldin
2) Coverage & Leaf Area are Crucial
To make the most out of each treatment you must maximize the amount of chemical you get into the plant. This is done by getting thorough coverage on as much green leaf area as possible. Make sure you have plenty of green leaves (at least 12inches) and spray them like you’re painting a wall. You don’t want runoff, but you want every square inch of leaf covered with spray. Don’t mow or burn for at least 30 days after you spray. Cogongrass can be hard to spot when it is growing mixed with other grasses/green foliage. Look diligently to find the edge of the patch and then spray 10ft past the known edge on all sides of the patch.
3) Get the Spray Mixture Right
Notice, I didn’t say pick the right chemical. There’s more to it than that. The following recommendations will be based on managing cogongrass with the active ingredient glyphosate. (Imazapyr is also very effective on cogongrass, but due to its soil activity it is inherently more complicated to use and ensure the safety of desirable plants near the treatment area. I am not comfortable recommending imazapyr without first seeing the site where it is to be applied and discussing the risk to other vegetation with the landowner. Glyphosate must enter a plant through a green leaf making it much easier for applicators to ensure the safety of desirable vegetation.)
Generally speaking, the efficacy of glyphosate will increase if a water conditioner and surfactant are included in the spray solution. To clarify, this means there would be three separate products going into the spray tank – one herbicide and two adjuvants. The preferred water conditioner would be a 34% liquid Ammonium Sulfate (AMS) product and the surfactant would be an 80/20 Non-ionic surfactant (NIS). These products should be available anywhere ag chemicals are sold (not the garden center at a big box store) under many different name brands. Selecting a glyphosate product can be somewhat confusing, simply because there are so many different products on the market. The product amounts listed below are based on a 41%, 3lbs acid equivalent (ae) per gallon glyphosate product. This is a relatively common formulation, but there are many others available. All can be effective; it is just a matter of value and correctly adjusting the rate to match the formulation you are using.
For a broadcast application using a tractor mounted sprayer or other similar equipment, mix a spray solution such that 1 gallon of 41%, 3lbae glyphosate herbicide is applied per acre. Ideally this would be delivered in 10-20 gallons of water (be sure spray equipment is properly calibrated). Add a liquid AMS water conditioning product at 2% v/v before adding herbicide to the tank. Add a non-ionic surfactant (80/20 NIS) at 1qt per 50-100 gallons of spray solution after the herbicide has been added.
I understand that nobody likes to have to deal with all the numbers, especially the various formulations of glyphosate. Unfortunately, that’s just part of it… There are so many different products out there that the numbers are necessary to communicate the recommendations in a way that is widely applicable. Please don’t hesitate to contact me (850-638-6180) or your local UF/IFAS Extension Agent for assistance sourcing vegetation management products or tailoring the recommendations to match the specific products you have on hand. The most important thing is to get the mixture right and make the application be as effective as possible.
More than any other weed I manage, Cogongrass penalizes the applicator for not paying attention to the details. It is a very difficult plant to control; partial efforts are essentially a waste of time. I encourage you to take the extra time, effort, and expense and make the most of every application.
All graphics and information included are courtesy ofmyfwc.com.
Here in the Panhandle (FWC Zone D), we are just under 3 months away from the October 26 opening day of archery season. As we move through summer and into the home stretch of hunting season preparations it is important to be sure all hunters understand the current regulations related to deer hunting in our area – it’s more complicated than it used to be.
Deer Management Unit map. From: https://myfwc.com/hunting/season-dates/dmu-d/ Click on image to make larger.
Following last summer’s discovery of Chronic Wasting Diseasein Holmes County, the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone and its modified regulations will remain in place for the 2024-25 hunting season, but with some notable changes. The entirety of the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone lies within Deer Management Unit (DMU) D2. DMU-D2 is the portion of Zone D which lies north of I-10. As such, there are now some considerable differences in the hunting regulations north and south of I-10. For those of us who live along the I-10 corridor and who have opportunities to hunt on both sides of the interstate this could prove a bit confusing. The following is a discussion of the new regulations and how they differ by DMU.
New for the 2024-25 Hunting Season
The feeding of deer within the CWD Management Zone shall be allowed only during the deer hunting season (October 26, 2024 – March 2, 2025). This regulation is specific to the CWD Management Zone, not all of DMU-D2. Anywhere in Florida outside of the CWD Management Zone feeding stations must be continuously maintained with feed for at least 6 months before they are hunted over. So, unless you are hunting inside the CWD Management Zone, I hope your feeders have already been up and running for quite a while.
Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone From: https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/health/white-tail-deer/cwd/ Click on image to make larger.
The take of antlerless deer shall be allowed during the entire deer season in Deer Management Unit D2 on lands outside of the WMA system. For all of DMU-D2 there are no “doe days”. If it is hunting season (October 26, 2024 – March 2, 2025), it is legal to harvest antlerless deer in DMU-D2. This is quite different south of I-10, in DMU-D1, where antlerless deer may only be harvested during archery /crossbow season (Oct. 26 – Nov. 27), youth deer hunt weekend* (Dec. 7–8), and specific dates during general gun season (Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, Dec. 28–29).
Up to three antlerless deer, as part of the statewide annual bag limit of five, may be taken in DMU D2 on lands outside of the WMA system. Outside of DMU-D2, there can be no more than 2 antlerless deer included in the annual bag limit of five deer. Event if you hunt outside of DMU-D2 you still have the opportunity to harvest 3 antlerless deer in the 2024-25 season, but at least one of them must be harvested in DMU-D2. The bag limit of 5 total deer remains in place for all DMUs.
All CWD management related regulations can be found here.
Antler Regulations
While it is not new this hunting season, it should be noted that there are different antler regulations north and south of I-10.
DMU-D1 (south of the intestate)– To be legal to take, all antlered deer (deer with at least one antler 5 inches or longer) must have an antler with at least 2 points with each point measuring one inch or more. Hunters 16 years of age and older may not take during any season or by any method an antlered deer not meeting this criteria.
DMU-D2 (north of the interstate) – To be legal to take, all antlered deer (deer with at least one antler 5 inches or longer) must have an antler with 1) at least 3 points with each point measuring one inch or more OR 2) a main beam length of 10 inches or more. Hunters 16 years of age and older may not take during any season or by any method an antlered deer not meeting this criteria.
In both DMU-D1 & D2 as part of their annual statewide antlered deer bag limit, youth 15-years-old and younger may harvest 1 deer annually not meeting antler criteria but having at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length.
Another somewhat new concept that some hunters still might not be accustomed to is Logging and Reporting Harvested Deer and Turkeys. All hunters must (Step 1) log their harvested deer and wild turkey prior to moving it from the point where the hunter located the harvested animal, and (Step 2) reporttheir harvested deer and wild turkey within 24 hours.**
**Hunters must report harvested deer and wild turkey: 1) within 24 hours of harvest, or 2) prior to final processing, or 3) prior to the deer or wild turkey or any parts thereof being transferred to a meat processor or taxidermist, or 4) prior to the deer or wild turkey leaving the state, whichever occurs first.
Hunters have the following user-friendly options for logging and reporting their harvested deer and wild turkey:
Option A – Log and Report (Steps 1 and 2) on a mobile device with the FWC Fish|Hunt Florida App or at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com prior to moving the deer or wild turkey.
Option B – Log (Step 1) on a paper harvest log prior to moving the deer or wild turkey and then report (Step 2) at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or Fish|Hunt Florida App or calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA (888-486-8356) within 24 hours.
Without question, Cogongrass is the most troublesome invasive plant that I (and my clients) deal with. Here in Northwest Florida, we have a lot of it, and it is very difficult to manage. It has been my observation that the difficulty of management and limited early success often lead to frustration and ultimately a loss of interest in control efforts on the part of landowners/managers. This is the absolute worst-case scenario, as diligence over time is paramount to successfully managing cogongrass. With all this in mind, optimizing the impact of the initial control effort is crucial both in terms of biology (efficacy on the plants) and psychology (keeping the landowner encouraged and motivated). If you have cogongrass to fight, take every step you can to get the absolute best results you can, out of every treatment, especially the first one.
Cogongrass is highly invasive, difficult to control and widespread in Northwest Florida.
Phot Credit: Mark Mauldin
The following is a discussion of some of the steps you can take to maximize the efficacy of your control efforts.
1) Timing Matters
Cogongrass is best treated with a fall-spring, one-two punch. Mid-summer and mid-winter treatments are not advisable. NOW is the time to treat. As I write this it is mid-October with rain on the way – by the time this is published the front will have passed and the timing will be perfect. If you ask me the absolute best time of year to treat cogongrass, I will tell you, without hesitation, “October through November, before first frost, with good soil moisture”. Spray now and be prepared to spray again in the spring when you have at least 12 inches of green leaf and good soil moisture. With that one-two successfully delivered you should see significant reduction in the size of the infestation by this time next year. Keep repeating the spring-fall process until you can no longer find any cogongrass.
Getting good herbicide coverage over all of the characteristically lime green foliage of cogongrass is essential for good control.
Photo Credit: Mark Mauldin
2) Coverage & Leaf Area are Crucial
To make the most out of each treatment you must maximize the amount of chemical you get into the plant. This is done by getting thorough coverage on as much green leaf area as possible. Make sure you have plenty of green leaves (at least 12inches) and spray them like you’re painting a wall. You don’t want runoff, but you want every square inch of leaf covered with spray. Don’t mow or burn for at least 30 days after you spray. Cogongrass can be hard to spot, especially if it is growing mixed with other grasses/green foliage. Look diligently to find the edge of the patch and then spray 10ft past the known edge on all sides of the patch.
3) Get the Spray Mixture Right
Notice, I didn’t say pick the right chemical. There’s more to it than that. The following recommendations will be based on using the active ingredient glyphosate. (Imazapyr is also very effective on cogongrass, but due to its soil activity it is inherently more complicated to use and ensure the safety of desirable plants near the treatment area. I am not comfortable recommending imazapyr without first seeing the site where it is to be applied and discussing the risk to other vegetation with the landowner. Glyphosate must enter a plant through a green leaf making it much easier for applicators to ensure the safety of desirable vegetation.)
Generally speaking, the efficacy of glyphosate will increase if a water conditioner and surfactant are included in the spray solution. To clarify, this would be 3 separate products going into the spray tank – one herbicide and two adjuvants. The preferred water conditioner would be a 34% liquid Ammonium Sulfate (AMS) product and the surfactant would be an 80/20 Non-ionic surfactant (NIS). These products should be available anywhere ag chemicals are sold (not the garden center at a big box store) under many different name brands. Selecting a glyphosate product can be somewhat confusing, simply because there are so many different products on the market. The product amounts listed below are based on a 41%, 3lbs acid equivalent (ae) per gallon glyphosate product. This is a relatively common formulation, but there are many others available. All can be effective; it is just a matter of value and correctly adjusting the rate to match the formulation you are using.
An example mixture for treating a small patch with a hand-held single nozzle sprayer:
Fill spray tank ½ – ¾ full of water (run agitation if available)
For each gallon of spray solution you are making add:
3.2oz of 34% AMS water conditioner (add this first and let it completely mix before proceeding)
5oz of 41% 3lbs ae glyphosate herbicide
0.5oz of 80/20 NIS
Finish filling spray tank
For a broadcast application using a tractor mounted sprayer or other similar equipment, mix a spray solution such that 1 gallon of 41%, 3lbae glyphosate herbicide is applied per acre. Ideally this would be delivered in 10-20 gallons of water (be sure spray equipment is properly calibrated). Add a liquid AMS water conditioning product at 2% v/v before adding herbicide to the tank. Add a non-ionic surfactant (80/20 NIS) at 1qt per 50-100 gallons of spray solution after the herbicide has been added.
I understand that nobody likes to have to deal with all the numbers, especially the various formulations of glyphosate. Unfortunately, that’s just part of it… There are so many different products out there that the numbers are necessary to communicate the recommendations in a way that is widely applicable. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or your local UF/IFAS Extension Agent for assistance sourcing vegetation management products or tailoring the recommendations to match the specific products you have on hand. The most important thing is to get the mixture right and make the application be as effective as possible.
With the recent discovery of CWD in Florida and the subsequent prohibition of feeding deer within the CWD Management Zone there has been some additional motivation applied to hunters/land managers to establish new food plots. Moreover, the timing and unexpected nature of the discovery have hunter/land managers somewhat in “scramble mode” to make the shift away from feeders to plantings before archery season starts (10/21 in the Panhandle). Whether or not you are in the CWD Management Zone or if you have been contemplating establishing food plots for a long time the following comments are worth considering as you work through the process of establishing a new food plot.
CWD Management Zone Map. Feeding and/or baiting deer is no longer allowed within the management zone (red area on map). Courtesy myfwc.com
First, food plots are not corn feeders. That is to say that food plots should be viewed as habitat improvements, not attractants (even though they may well improve the likelihood of seeing deer and other game species at a specific location) and their success should be evaluated accordingly. Food plots have the most positive impact when they are maintained year-round with cool and warm season plantings. They are long term investments.
When it comes to food plots, size really does matter. Food plots need to be no less than ½ acre in size, preferably between 1 and 5 acres. Maximum habitat benefit being reached when food plots make up approximately 5 percent of the managed acreage. The kinds of plants in food plots are, by design, ones that wildlife find highly desirable (because they are highly nutritious). Considering this, it is easy to understand why plantings smaller than ½ acre struggle to establish – the plants simply don’t get a chance grow past the seedling stage.
After a location is identified, it is crucial to manage unwanted vegetation prior to preparing the soil and planting the food plot. If it is not eliminated, existing vegetation will compete tremendously with food plot plantings. Even if mechanical disturbance (disking, tilling, etc.) appears to remove the existing vegetation, much of it will regrow. This regrowth from established root systems will be more than a match for new seedlings. Apply herbicide before you begin soil preparation. Equally as important, give the herbicide sufficient time to do its work before mechanically disturbing the site (weeks, not days). Specific herbicide recommendations will vary depending on what vegetation you are trying to manage, but most food plot site prep applications will involve fairly high rates of glyphosate. Don’t hesitate to call me (850-638-6180) – we can discuss your site and dial in an herbicide recommendation. You do not want to skip this step; get in front of weed pressure before you plant.
If you want a food plot to be productive and successful you must effectively address soil fertility. First and foremost, soil pH must be corrected. Any needed applications of lime/dolomite need to take place first, well before any other fertilizer is applied (ag lime can take months to go into soil solution and alter soil pH). If fertilizers are applied before the soil pH is corrected the nutrients may still be unavailable to the plants. Once a food plot site is determined, collect a representative sample of the rooting zone soil and submit it to a lab for analysis. This is the best way to get the information needed to make informed choices regarding lime and fertilizer applications. Talk with the folks at your local Extension Office for more info on how to collect and submit soil samples. Take and submit soil samples now. Apply any need lime soon, during land preparation. Apply recommended fertilizer (N, P, K, and micros) at planting or soon after emergence. Fertilizer applied when there are no plant roots present to adsorb it is wasted.
By far the most common food plot question I receive is “what should I plant?”. I intentionally held this until last because if the topics above are not addressed properly plantings will not be successful. I included the table below to help answer the “what should I plant?” question. To accompany the table, here are some additional statements to help guide your crop selection.
Note the exclusion cages in the plots of forages being evaluated at the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center. Photo Courtesy of Holly Ober
Forage varieties matter. Use varieties that will work in Florida (see table for specifics). There are lots of forages sold that will not grow well locally. Sourcing seed can be challenging, start now.
The concept of blending forages is great, and highly recommended. That said, be careful with pre-packaged mixtures. You’ll generally get more of the “good stuff” by putting together your own blend. When making your own blend, use ½ of the high end of the seeding rate for each forage you include. Don’t go crazy, 3-5 different forages is plenty.
Try to utilize forages are well adapted to your site. The table shows varieties that are adapted to Florida and includes comments on site preference as it relates to drainage. You need to account for your site’s drainage characteristics when selecting forage varieties. Excessively well drained – deep sands; Moderately well drained – good soil by FL standards; Poorly drained – stays damp and/or will stand water seasonally.
If deer are the primary game species you are managing, focus on broadleaf plants (legumes and brassicas), not grasses. Hunters like grasses because they come up fast and are relatively easy to grow, deer like broadleaf plants because they are generally more digestible and higher in nutrients. Some grass in the blend is fine but don’t skimp on the broadleaves.
Some of the broad-leaved plants, particularly clovers, are highly preferred by deer but somewhat slow to establish. This combination can make it appear that the clovers don’t come up at all or preform very poorly. Before you jump to those conclusions, I would encourage you to use an exclusion cage or two in your plot. The cage will show you how the plant performs without grazing pressure. A few years of observation can really enable you to dial in what your deer prefer the most and adjust your plantings accordingly.
Don’t forget about planting date and depth. To keep life simple, let’s say that everything included on the table should be planted between October 1 and November 15 (ideally, triticale, wheat, and rye would be held until after October 15). Planting depth is very important and is a major factor in determining which forages can/should be planted together. It is perfectly acceptable to plant the deeper seeded grasses first and then come back over the field to plant the shallow seeded broadleaves. To achieve a target planting depth of ½” or less the soil will need to be packed prior to planting.
Food plots are not simple, but they can be very rewarding. There are way more factors to consider than what I included here. See the additional resources linked below and contact your local Extension Office or myself to discuss further.
A buck chases a doe through plots of wildlife forages being evaluated at the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center. Photo Courtesy of Holly Ober
When I sat down to start writing this article, I was thinking it would be a rewrite of an article I posted back in 2016, Don’t Rush Wildlife Plantings – Wait for the Rain. The prolonged period of dry weather which the Panhandle has been experiencing and the time of year made the topic appropriate. However, I am happy to report that it has rained almost two inches at my house in Chipley in the past 24 hours. This changes things a bit – at least for those of us who were fortunate enough to have received rain. For those who did not get rain, see the aforementioned article. If you did get rain, it’s time to start getting some seed in the ground.
All that said, instead of just focusing on dry conditions I am going to share some highlights from recent conversations I’ve had regarding the establishment of cool-season food plots. For the sake of brevity, I may not elaborate fully on each point, feel free to call of email me if you have any questions or would like to discuss further.
Check your pH. Collect a good representative sample from each of your food plots and have it analyzed by a reputable lab. Contact you County Extension Office for help with this. Food plots are notorious for being planted on marginal sites (not good farmland) where the pH needs to be modified. Poor pH will inhibit plant performance and reduce plant response to really expensive fertilizer applications. In general, food plots perform the best with a pH of 6 – 6.5.
You’re gonna have to make those really expensive fertilizer applications if you want to see real plant performance. See the comment above about marginal sites. Even good soils require fertilizer to make a good crop. A lab analysis is the only way to know exactly what you need. Just for the sake of reference, applications of 300lbs of 13-13-13 per acre as soon as the plants are up good is a pretty standard starting point and generally multiple applications are needed during the season.
Deer like broadleaf plants considerably more than they like grasses. Cool-season grasses (oat, wheat, triticale, cereal rye) are relatively inexpensive and easy to grow. Deer will utilize them some and game birds will feed on seed heads in the spring.
Brassicas (Kale, Rape, Radish, Turnip, Swede) are broad-leafed and grow very quickly on a wide variety of soil types. Unfortunately, deer preference for them is somewhat hit-or-miss and they are not readily utilized by other game species.
Cool-Season legumes (clover, winter peas, vetch) are generally what deer show the greatest preference for and, when properly inoculated, do not require any nitrogen fertilizer. Cool-season legumes are somewhat finicky about what soil types they will perform well on. They all like moderately well drained heavier soils with some clay content (good upland farm ground) and they all struggle in deep, excessively drained sands. For sites on the wetter side (more poorly drained) look at white clovers. For sites on the drier side (well to excessively drained) look at the vetch, peas, and maybe crimson clover.
In general, seed size dictates optimum planting depth. Large seeds (grasses, vetch, peas) can be planted deeper (1-2 inches). Small seeds (clover) need to be planted very shallow (0-0.5 inches). This variation in planting depth likely will necessitate separate techniques for large and small seeds as small seeds planted too deeply will fail to emerge. Small seeds, like clover, need to be planted into a firm seed bed. To achieve a firm seed bed, prepare soil and wait for the tilled soil to settle and preferably become rain packed. If waiting is not an option soil should be firmed with a cultipacker or roller.
Much more information on cool-season planting options is available in the document:
