What is your chufa planting process?

[Josh1997]

Last year I planted too late and also didn’t spray. This year I’m hoping to get it right. I hit with glyphosate first before harrowing, i planted my plots in middle of May, and just recently hit my plots with 24db to get the weeds out of the stand of chufa. Wondering if I need to spray another time or if what I have done should be enough for them to produce? Let me know what y’all’s process is for a successful chufa plot

These are pics of my plots a couple weeks ago before I sprayed

 

[Gut_Pile]

We always plant late July or early August. Get a lot less grass that way.

Your plot looks good

 

[buckpasser]

I’ll plant in around two weeks. Harrow in fertilizer, grain drill seed in, wait for weed pressure then spray with 24Db and Poast herbicide with surfactant as needed (usually twice before fall). There is likely something we could use for pre-emergent application that would work good, but I haven’t researched it.

 

[tr21]

ours is in the ground and already coming up. we normally plant it right after turkey season

 

[antharper]

I planted some a couple weeks ago and replanted them yesterday , turkeys about ate all my seed

 

[Squeaky]

I like to plant mine in June to take advantage of early summer rain. This has worked best for me on timing over the last few years. Most folks plant in July and this can be hit or miss depending on the amount of rain we get. I have started using a pre-emergent before planting and it has helped control weeds and grass. Prowl or Treflan are good pre-emergent and safe for chufa. Prowl does not require it to be incorporated into the soil but will need a timely rain after application. You will need to incorporate Treflan in the soil if using it.

Broadcast plant 50 pounds of seed to the acre and 300 pounds of 17-17-17 per acre and cover. Pray for rain and keep an eye on your plot. Once you start seeing weeds and grass spray with Clethodim and Milestone for grass and broadleaf control. Around the 60 day mark top dress your chufa with 200 pounds per acre of Ammonia Nitrate ahead of rain. At that point you need rain and keep an eye on the weeds. You might have to spray again before your chufa mature.

I like to use 10 oz of Clethodim per acre and 2 to 4 oz per acre of the milestone. Use 16 oz of 80/20 Non Ionic Surfactant in this herbicide mix.

The below pictures are of my chufa plot last year. These are planted on 30” rows rather than broadcast planted. This plot is 1.4 acres. I made so much Chufa from this plot that would have fed every turkey within miles.

 

[tr21]

WOW THATS A BEAUTIFUL CHALUPA PLOT !!!!!! you sir are the Chufa master !

 

[Josh1997]

I like to plant mine in June to take advantage of early summer rain. This has worked best for me on timing over the last few years. Most folks plant in July and this can be hit or miss depending on the amount of rain we get. I have started using a pre-emergent before planting and it has helped control weeds and grass. Prowl or Treflan are good pre-emergent and safe for chufa. Prowl does not require it to be incorporated into the soil but will need a timely rain after application. You will need to incorporate Treflan in the soil if using it.

Broadcast plant 50 pounds of seed to the acre and 300 pounds of 17-17-17 per acre and cover. Pray for rain and keep an eye on your plot. Once you start seeing weeds and grass spray with Clethodim and Milestone for grass and broadleaf control. Around the 60 day mark top dress your chufa with 200 pounds per acre of Ammonia Nitrate ahead of rain. At that point you need rain and keep an eye on the weeds. You might have to spray again before your chufa mature.

I like to use 10 oz of Clethodim per acre and 2 to 4 oz per acre of the milestone. Use 16 oz of 80/20 Non Ionic Surfactant in this herbicide mix.

The below pictures are of my chufa plot last year. These are planted on 30” rows rather than broadcast planted. This plot is 1.4 acres. I made so much Chufa from this plot that would have fed every turkey within miles.

Unreal, that’s a chufa plot right there ??

 

[Gut_Pile]

Beautiful plot Squeaky

 

[antharper]

Squeaky you should of harvested that to sale ! Mighty fine , I’ve grown some nice chufa before but it never looked that good , I’ve always broadcast my seeds

 

[Squeaky]

I should have harvested half of this plot. I have no idea what equipment is needed to harvest chufa. I know of a couple guys that use to grow chufa locally to sell. I’m going to reach out to them to see what they used.

 

[tr21]

Squeaky you should of harvested that to sale ! Mighty fine , I’ve grown some nice chufa before but it never looked that good , I’ve always broadcast my seeds

funny because thats what i asked him in a p.m., i would think the same equipment for peanuts would work. squeaky everytime i look at them pic's i get more envious

 

[antharper]

I should have harvested half of this plot. I have no idea what equipment is needed to harvest chufa. I know of a couple guys that use to grow chufa locally to sell. I’m going to reach out to them to see what they used.

If nothing else you could sale them to us Gon folks ! At a discount of course ?

 

[UFG8RMIKE]

Wow man, that’s how you do it!

 

[UFG8RMIKE]

Chufa plot updates. Here's 2 out of 3 of our plots. Forgot to grab a pic of the best one. Just sprayed 24d-b and clethodim this wknd. And put out 200lbs/ac 34% nitrogen.

The turkeys are already in it. I dont believe they are eating the chufa, maybe bugging. But we caught a dozen of them scrambling upon driving up.

 

[Gut_Pile]

Lookin good

 

[buckpasser]

I scrapped my Chufa plots for the year. They were too wet to plant on time and would have lost all the fertilizer prematurely anyway. Not to mention not being able to spray. Maybe next year...

 

[UFG8RMIKE]

Cleth/Butyrac and the shot of Nitrogen working! Chufa does not do well getting run over with an ATV. Not sure if I did more damage driving over it spraying or if I should have just hit it with nitrogen and not worried about spraying

Many of these plants we're thigh high.

 

[Gut_Pile]

It will be fine

 

[UFG8RMIKE]

Soo, now that the chufa is all brown, do you just let them be and let the turkeys find it?

What's the best strategy going forward to get it to come back up in the spring?

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