Is there any hope for ground that is a solid sheet of sage? I’ve always heard the ground would be too poor to even grow rye. I sprayed a couple of acres and was planning on trying throw and mow on it.

Needs lime. Soil test will tell you how much.

LIME as stated above.

It’s always been said that sage grass indicates low soil ph and requires lime. Science says different. It’s fairly easy to find huge fields of sage in Black Belt where ph is 7.5 +. Soil test is only way to know what to do. Otherwise you just guessing

Very true it's an indicator of PH issues. Can be high or low. But it's generally not between 5.8 to 6.5. Could be calcium or gypsum issues too

My experience is simply that sage grass grows on ground that’s been fallow at least 2-3 yrs. I’ve never had it grow where the ground had been cultivated in the previous year.

I've heard all the mumbo jumbo about bad soil. Truth is, its a native grass that grows on soil that has been fallow or it does grow in clear cuts. It does prefer acidic soils, like other weeds if you lime it and get the ph up, it will disappear. Soil in most of Alabama is acidic. New plots up my way are around a 5ph.

I wonder if the OP is using the word "sage grass" as a general term??…….There's several different native warm season grasses.....Their presence I believe is more of a sign of a climax ecosystem I think you would call it.....the opposite of early successional. It's the end product of a "prairie" ecosystem......like how after a disturbance a forest goes from sweetgums to oak/hickory over a long period of time.....a prairie goes from crabgrass, etc ….to big blue stem, indiangrass, etc.

I had a professor at Auburn who insisted that what we have in AL is broomsedge, and sagebrush was a plant that dominated out West. You will probably find more info if you look up broomsedge.

Broomsedge is the dominant plant under my burned woods. I don't think it's presence means anything except that the ground is open enough for it to grow. Recent clear-cuts are dominated by dogfennel and ragweed, but broomsedge seems to eventually take over before the canopy closes.

If I understand correctly, it’s actually the soil below that’s going from pioneer to “climax’ type conditions. This is what I’m seeing in my field here at home as well over time as I no-till…..I’m seeing less and less crabgrass and more and more broadleafs and NWSG’s. Take that same burned woods that’s growing broomsedge now and till it repeatedly to create pioneer conditions and I bet you’ll see the species change in that area as well over time. Underground soil conditions greatly effect specie composition.

I remember we use to make brooms with broomsage and a string. Worked well.

Well the sage is dying pretty good from being sprayed.Without being able to do much for the soil short term what do ya’ ll think would be my best chance at getting a green spot mowing the thatch over seed. Rye,wheat or oats??

Rye will grow in a porta potty. I would do a 3 way mix and throw in some clover and fertilize it until I could soil test it next year.

Cereal rye, diakons and clover. go heavy on the fertlizer. We grew this mix last yr on spots that were just old red dirt that nothing had really grown on in years.