KUDZU, A FORAGE CROP FOR THE SOUTHEAST 





appears to do best on a good clay loam but makes good growth on 

 sandy soils, except pure sands, on which, while it will make some 

 growth, it does not do well enough to be profitable. It also fails to do 

 well on certain heavy soils, such as the black prairie of Mississippi, 

 and on soils with a high water table. Soils a few inches deep, under- 

 laid with rock or hardpan. are also unsuitable for kudzu. As with 

 nearly all plants, the better the 

 soil the better the growth. 



Spacing and Number of Plants 

 Required 



The best Tvay to establish a 

 field of kudzu is to set out 

 rooted plants 2 years old or 

 more. This is a relatively ex- 

 pensive process and makes the 

 cost of setting out a large acre- 

 age at one time practically pro- 

 hibitive. If quick results are 

 wanted the plants mav be set 

 31/2 .by 3i/ 2 feet. With this 

 spacing no other crop can be 

 grown on the land during the 

 season of setting. If roots are 

 spaced 3% by 7 feet, one row 

 of some cultivated crop can be 

 grown between two rows of 

 kudzu the first season. This 

 plan will help to pay the cost 

 of the cultivation necessary to 

 keep down the weeds. In some 

 cases even wider spacings are 

 made. One grower in southern 

 Georgia grows three rows of 

 corn between two of kudzu the 

 first season, and two the next 

 season. 



A spacing of 3% by 7 feet requires 1,800 plants to the acre. The 

 cost of roots varies with their age and size, and growers do not 

 always charge the same price for roots of the same age. A mini- 

 mum cost for 2-year-old roots is about $10 a thousand, making the 

 cost of roots $18 an acre for a 3% by 7 foot planting. 



Setting the Plants 



Plants may be set in furrows opened with a plow or in holes made 

 with a posthole digger or a spade. If the plants are set in furrows, 

 the furrows should be deep enough for the roots to be placed upright, 

 or nearly so, with the " eyes " about 1 inch below the surface, al- 

 though some growers set the plants so that the eyes are at or just 

 above the surface. Care in planting will pay. Kudzu roots must 

 be dug and set before new growth begins; therefore the time for 

 setting will vary with the latitude. It is best to set the roots soon 



99166°— 32 



Figure 1.- 



-Root showing buds for the 

 next season 



