From lflondon@worldnet.att.net Fri Aug 20 21:17:47 1999 Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 21:08:42 -0400 From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." To: london@metalab.unc.edu Subject: Re: Kudzu - planting [ The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] Re: Kudzu - planting mike richardson (mrichardson@tn.nrcs.usda.gov) Wed, 18 Aug 1999 12:19:17 -0500 Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ] Previous message: Glenn: "Re: Why Do Farmers Keep Farming When It's Hard?" Okay children, draw near and listen well. For those that do not mind incuring the ridicule and wrath of neighbors, here are planting instructions for establishing kudzu. One point at the beginning ... it is actually somewhat difficult to get started, but once going...well, you all know what can happen. Kudzu does not do well on extremely heavy clays, or on poorly drained soils. Pick a field that has deep, well drained soils. Kudzu is very tolerant of a wide variety of soils, but obviously the better the soil the faster the establishment and the better the production. It must be set in prepared ground with a minimum of competition present. Liming is necessary, especially on very acid soils. Apply lime during ground preparation to bring the soil pH to 6.5 to 7.0. Alternately, mix about 0.4 lbs. ag lime in the soil used to plant each crown. Fertilization to begin the stand: Broadcast about 500 lbs. 0-20-20 per acre just prior to planting. Alternately, apply one handfull of 0-20-20 in separate holes about 3-4 inches from each seedling or crown planted. This prevents the fertilizer from burning the roots. Remember, that the broadcasting method will also be fertilizing weeds that will compete with the new kudzu growth. Whichever method is used, repeat each spring at least until the kudzu is well established. Do not use any nitrogen fertilizers since the kudzu is a legume and will provide for itself. Set seedlings or crowns in a hole opened with either a tree planting bar, mattock, or similar device, about 6' apart. Buds on the crown or seeling stock should be set at or just below the ground surface. Firm the soil around the plant. Stand failures frequently result from too deep or too shallow setting, or from setting plants upside down. After vines have started propagation can be hastened by placing soil on vine nodes, which will then cause new crowns to develope. Do not mulch. Do not mow kudzu during the growing season during establishment, until after a killing frost. Annual mowing, hand cutting of runners, grazing or use of herbicides can control growth of vines into unwanted areas. I do not know how to harvest kudzu for hay, but an old farm management textbook might have that info. With that all said, I would appreciate it if you would not bring up my name when someone asks "What the devil were you thinking by deliberately planting this stuff?" ;-> Son of Richard