Thoughts, seed mix

So, I have my seed and will be planting my fall plots in the next week or so. I’m in south eastern Indiana. All my areas are limed and fertilized. I’m gonna hit them all again with some more fertilizer then I just gotta till and sow the seed. Kept the plot areas sprayed and dead all spring/summer.

So I’m planting 6 fall plots ranging from 1/2 - 2 acres. My thought is to use a little bit of all my seed as one big mix on one of my smaller plots.

Plot size 22,568 sq feet. Just over 1/2 acre. PH 6.8

Seed:
Bob Oats 7lb
Triticale 4lb
Austrian Winter Peas 2lb
Purple Top Turnips 1/2lb
Daikon Radishes 1/2lb
Chicory 1/2lb
WI Ambush 1 1/2lb
WI Beats and Greens 1/2lb
WI Wintergreens 1/2lb

Thoughts?

I would add some wheat in the event of winter kill of the oats.

You’re a late planting brassicas/beets. If your winters are so mild that they are unnecessary, it will provide a buffet. Personally, I’d prefer strips of different timely planted seeds as deer will move from one to another when feeding. Just my 0.02.

I would swap out the brassicas for winter rye, and red clover if it was available.

Also; if you have more oats I'd add quite a bit more to your mix as that's quite low of an application rate. On the low end its around 25lbs for a half acre.

what do you want to do with the plot next spring/summer? I think that will greatly affect your suggestions. Your oats, peas, and triticale are all to low to actually contribute to the plot. Chicory is a deep rooted perennial which wont contribute much this year, so it may just be a waste since all the other seeds are more of an annual type and the chicory won't shine till next late spring/summer.

What's left is various combinations of brassicas, which may be late in the season for your area, but i can't say for certain. The seeding rate also looks about half to low on those, but since some are already a WI mix i can't be 100%.

Basically the mix doesn't seem right. I would suggest reducing or even take out the brassicas and jack up the rates on the oats, peas, and triticale and have a more typical fall plot mix with some brassicas top growth (no bulbs) for added variety.

Your brassica still have time to produce. I would plant all the brassica mixed together in half the plot. In the other half plant the cereal grain component with the peas. Unless you are going to turn one of the plots into a permanent clover patch, I wouldn't waste your chickory seed on an annual plot. Also, your seed rates for the grains isn't near enough for a half acre. Even if you did 1/4 acre in brassica and 1/4 acre in cereal you don't have enough. I would want at least 15# oats and 25# of tritacale or rye, a couple # of peas isn't really going to do much either. Your brassica rate are about right for 1/4 acre, still a tad light IMO. I have a farm in Ohio Co...

A thing to keep in mind for next year, like the other guys said, try to get your brassicas and peas out a little earlier, in Southern Indiana they will just be getting going then the frost will shut them down. Cereal grains will still do great. Either keep your plots separate with the different planting times required, or then do layered plots, overseeding the earlier plots with oats, wheat and rye about this time.

I would think youll have enough time for your brassicas to produce well enough. I haven't even planted mine yet. I would also split them up a bit if they are fairly close together as in all in the same farm. For me most of my plots are really split up with almost 10 miles in between, so I shoot for a complete mix. The Triticale will over winter but Id just let it do its thing all summer, it will feed some Turkeys and other birds and the deer will nibble some as well then you can till it under or just plant into it and you can use it as free seed next year.

I would up your grains quite a bit I wouldn't be afraid to put down at least a 1/2 bushel of each and then throw about 5lbs of peas in and a couple pounds of mixed brassicas in with them. Might think about getting rid of the chicory and substitute it with some red clover. That would give quite a bit of feed for next summer, but still easy to till under or plant into next season.

I think everyone's covered everything. I definitely wouldn't mix this into one mix though. And some of the mixed bags your using, is probably the same as the other seeds. Rethink it and don't try to do too much. Also by dividing ther plots up, you can see which the deer prefe over the other and at what time. I'd use grains as nursery crops on every plot, except maybe the brassicas. You should definitely consider clover, winter oats and chicory. You also need to consider the condition of your soil and if your capable to grow food stuff effectively. Even if it grows, if your soil is acidic, then whatever grows will be bitter/ sour to the deer too. So they won't eat it. You need lime and fert