Keystone Krops

[Mennoniteman]

Overseeding brassica into existing soybeans works great for forage, but I've noticed that the beans have very little pods hanging, which is going to be the downside of this experiment. The main reason to plant beans is for mid-winter pods. The only reason to do this is to rescue a sparsely populated beanfield so that you have something there for your deer without totally replanting. So in this respect it met my objectives. I would do this again, but only to rescue a sparsely populated beanfield.

 

[Bowhunter]

View attachment 13165
My favorite 1-2-3 punch for clover.

Was wondering if you would mind sharing how many oz/acre your using for the different herbicides, and if your using any crop oil with it as well?

 

[j-bird]

I don;t broadcast my brassica into my beans until later in the year. I did mine this year into some corn edge a bit earlier than normal. I typically wait until labor day. The row planted beans here will start drying down and thus the needed sunlight will become available. This gives the beans a chance to fill pods for the winter grain component. I focus on the bean grain and the brassica are just a bonus for me. if you want the brassica for feeding the deer later in the winter than planting them earlier like you have would be the way to go. I think it depends on your goals and what your deer want. My deer pretty much ignore brassica and thus why I focus more on the beans filling pods.

 

[Mennoniteman]

My overseeded GHR, DER, and PTT brassica in soybeans was a huge success for the brassica, but caused the remaining beans to slowly disappear. The deer were chomping down both greens and bulbs well into late fall and are still chewing on the roots as of this week. Planting brassica in mid-June allows for bigger plants that lasted longer into the winter than fall planted brassica. A June brassica patch will definitely be in my plans for next year.

 

[Mennoniteman]

It's been a snowy winter in Pennsylvania, even with no snowfall in December we are on track to surpass our yearly average, so I've been doing some supplemental feeding all winter. I usually start in slowly around January 1st to ensure that the deer are acclimated to the grain because of rumen acidosis, watch the severity of the winter and feed accordingly.

 

[Baker]

It's been a snowy winter in Pennsylvania, even with no snowfall in December we are on track to surpass our yearly average, so I've been doing some supplemental feeding all winter. I usually start in slowly around January 1st to ensure that the deer are acclimated to the grain because of rumen acidosis, watch the severity of the winter and feed accordingly.
View attachment 14992

Corn? How do you feed? In spite of what others say I think its smart if you want to maximize the health of your deer.

 

[dogghr]

It's been a snowy winter in Pennsylvania, even with no snowfall in December we are on track to surpass our yearly average, so I've been doing some supplemental feeding all winter. I usually start in slowly around January 1st to ensure that the deer are acclimated to the grain because of rumen acidosis, watch the severity of the winter and feed accordingly.
View attachment 14992

I agree, especially with bad winters like this I supplement corn as well. No need to acclimate much here as there is a corn pile behind every tree on most land in the state. Only illegal to bait on public land. My plots are pretty decimated by this time of year but greenup of the grains and some clovers were showing this past weekend. Bad week coming then I'm hoping for spring dang it.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Corn? How do you feed? In spite of what others say I think its smart if you want to maximize the health of your deer.

I mix corn and oats, with supplemental minerals. In Pennsylvania especially, people see a hungry deer that's been living off of browse for two months in big woods in the middle of the winter and throw it a bag of corn, which is a death sentence for that deer. This gives feeding a bad name for everyone and is the reason for the PGC telling everyone that will listen not to feed deer.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I agree, especially with bad winters like this I supplement corn as well. No need to acclimate much here as there is a corn pile behind every tree on most land in the state. Only illegal to bait on public land. My plots are pretty decimated by this time of year but greenup of the grains and some clovers were showing this past weekend. Bad week coming then I'm hoping for spring dang it.

I'm so ready for spring as well. Three quarters of the year, when the zone 8 guys are struggling to grow something in the heat, I feel like us northerners have the better climate for deer. But the other three months the southerners definitely have the nicer climate, with green winter plots while we have snow. January, February, and March isn't good for anything outdoors except cutting wood in PA. Two years ago I planted oats March 15 in heavy corn stubble and it gave a beautiful crop. Bring it on!

 

[Mennoniteman]

Turkey in the Rye. In northern zones winter rye is the most valuable winter crop, as this February 28th picture shows. Our snow was all melted at that point and we were thinking spring, then winter came back with a vengeance. 8" on plots today, more coming tomorrow.

 

[deer patch]

I'm thinking about buying the same New Holland that you have. Have you had any issues with it?

 

[Mennoniteman]

I'm thinking about buying the same New Holland that you have. Have you had any issues with it?

New Holland T4.75 tractor has been trouble free thus far. I'm a green tractor guy at heart, but blue got me way more tractor and options for the money. I just wish small tractor manufacturers still had a 2 speed t/a, hi/lo, multi-power, or similar power shift option like they all had years ago. Synchro shift on 50-80 hp tractors is 1970's technology, you're often trying to compromise between 2 ranges, like this tractor, hi-range, gear 1 is just right for mowing downslope, but to fast for upslope, which takes a full stop and double shift to get to mid-range, gear 4, which is the next gear lower. About all new tractors in this size are built that way, and Hydro is not a good option for doing field work either. If they ever make an affordable fully power shift in 75 hp, then I will trade up. But for the reasonable price that you can get one of these new I can drive a gear slower.

 

[deer patch]

Thanks for the reply. I work for a company that takes low bid on tractors, so I could give pros and cons on 4 of the major brands. I agree with the transmissions not being geared right for terrain changes. I have the same issue with the Kubota I own now. i may have mine sold, so I will have to make up my mind soon.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Here's a fun challenge, guess this nightime picture.

 

[massey]

Coal mine fire??


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

 

[Mennoniteman]

Coal mine fire??


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

That's a good guess, it's hot coals from dumping wood ash on my garden. Wood ash has about the same values as lime for soil, which is why burning off a plot, or burning a pile of wood slashings on it when you clear a new one can be valuable for the soil.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Was wondering if you would mind sharing how many oz/acre your using for the different herbicides, and if your using any crop oil with it as well?

SPRAYING CLOVER PLOTS I use Clethodim 2EC as my grass killer (also called Select), and I often use AMS in my tank mix to make the active ingredient more potent (always add the AMS to your water first before the herbicide) and have mostly had good results using a 25 gallon ATV sprayer, 13' boom nozzles, remember, the spray is only as good as the application, and Clethodim needs a more consistent application to work, a fog or fine mist on the entire leaf. Glyphosate is very forgiving, hit a plant with a drop of gly and it's dead. I generally spray 2 acres with one 25 gallon tank, depending how fast I drive, 4 to 7 mph according to how bad my weed problem is. Mix 25 gallons as follows; 64 oz spray grade AMS & 16 oz of crop oil per 25 gallons of water, then add 6-16 oz Clethodim2EC (26.4%) per acre for grass control (Label Note: Do not exceed 16 fl. oz./A of CLETHODIM 2 EC HERBICIDE in a season on clover, if I have a grass problem I usually do 2 applications, 8oz. each). Certain Cleth labels say not to add the AMS tank mix for clover, you can skip the AMS and use 32oz. of crop oil instead per 25 gallons of water. If I have a lot of broadleaf weeds I will add 4- 6 oz of Thunder (Pursuit/Slay) but at $270 a gallon I am starting to experiment with 2 quarts per acre of Butyrac 200 for broadleaf control in clover, it's only $23.75 a gallon, but there's different opinions about whether it's labeled for clover. Sometimes I will add 2 quarts per acre of AlfaPower MP micronutrient fertilizer to the tank mix as well. sometimes I will add 11 oz. of glyphosate per acre for clover but I have burned clover in the past by adding to many things to one tank mix, if you do use gly it is best to apply it separately. Some guys will have a fit about using 11 oz. of Powermax on clover but it's on the label, and really works on some tough weeds that don't respond well to other herbicides.

Note; a lot of guys don't realize that herbicide labels recommend killing weeds at 1-3" tall. If you are trying to kill 2' tall weeds it's not going to work well. If your crop can be mowed, like clover for instance, mow the clover high then wait several weeks until new grass growth has just started emerging and spray with herbicide, this will get much better results than trying to spray something like mature cattails in seed heads already.
Also, don't spray when it's too hot or cold, the plant leaves close their pores and you have poor results. Spray in the morning on hot summer days, preferrably when the leaves are moist from dew. Once the spray mixture has dried, plant leaves don't absorb any more active ingredient. Mid-summer it's harder to kill grass in clover than spring or early fall.

 

[Mennoniteman]

SPRAYING ROUNDUP POWERMAX (48.8% glyphosate) For 2 acres of roundup ready corn and beans with light weeds I mix 25 gallon ATV sprayer, 13' boom nozzles, drive 4 to 7 mph, mix as follows; add 64 oz spray grade Ammonium sulfate & 16 oz of crop oil per 25 gallons of water FIRST, then add 11-16 oz of glyphosate per acre. For a burndown mix I use about 32oz. per acre, for something tough to kill, like terminating a clover field I use the maximum recomended rate of 48oz. per acre.
Ammonium sulfate is a relatively cheap fertilizer that will make the gly work better so you can get away with using less of the more expensive and more hazardous chemical, and pays you double because you get the full value back in fertilizer as well. To simplify things, I have a 16 oz. measuring cup, so 4 cups AMS, 1 cup crop oil or "Hot Mes", MIX WELL, then, add 1 cup gly.

Hot MES is the same price as crop oil, and is a superior blend of special emulsifiers, surfactants and methylated seed oil, designed to enhance pesticide performance when compared to standard Methylated Seed Oil (MSO) or Crop Oil Concentrate (COC).

 

[Mennoniteman]

SPRAYING TRICLOPYR TO KILL INVASIVE TREES; Basal bark treatment is way less work than cutting or hack and squirt if you have large area to cover, but hack& squirt getting a better kill on bigger roughbark trees. cutting trees and spraying the stumps is another option. I buy Agristar 61.2% Triclopyr for about $65 a gallon (same product as garlon4) and mix 1/3 triclopyr & 2/3 diesel fuel by volume to end up with about a 25% triclopyr mix as recommended. Spray the base of the tree on all sides from the ground up about 1 foot high. I like doing this work with about 1" of snow, you can see around for the target tree species much better, your footprints and the red dye in the diesel fuel shows you the trees and areas where you've already sprayed.

There are university studies that show a good kill ratio on smooth bark sapling species with rates as low as 5%, which I'm contemplating for some red maples in my oak stands, just to save money, but up to now I've only been using the 25% mix, which can get costly. Cross contamination is not an issue if you don't hit the bark of another tree. Triclopyr is neutralized in the soil within 30 days and is not prone to leaching. I like to use the 25% mix to kill invasives like tree of heaven.

Crossbow is another option that I've never used , it's 2/3 24D, I'd rather have the mix stronger on triclopyr for my $, triclopyr is sure death on woody species.
Cross contamination is not an issue if you don't hit the bark of another tree. Triclopyr is also neutralized in the soil within 30 days and is not prone to leaching.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Permethrin SFR 36.8% is a handy insecticide to keep around, it kills almost any insect; Ants, Armyworms, Bark Beetles, Bees, Beetles, Borers, Box elder Bugs, Carpenter Ants, Carpenter Bees, Centipedes, Chinch bugs, Cockroaches, Crickets, Earwigs, Elm Leaf Beetles, Fire Ants, Fleas,Flies, Firebrats, Ground Beetles, Gypsy Moths, Lantern Flies, Millipedes, Mole Crickets, Pillbugs, Scorpions, Silverfish, Sod Web worms, Sowbugs, Spiders, Ticks, Wasps etc. and is a good choice to spray in crawl spaces and on exterior wood siding. I use it in our carpentry work on structural rafters and ceilings to repel carpenter bees. It will also eliminate deer ticks along walking trails, or Japanese Beetles and other pests on trees.
Recomended mix is .5%, 1% & 2%. A 1.0% mix concentration(6.5oz of Permethrin SFR + 2gal. Water) works well for spot spraying with a hand sprayer; For boom sprayer application mix 0.4 – 0.8 fl. oz. of Permethrin SFR in 4 to 25 gallons of water per 1000 square feet. For indoor spray – 3 floz-2 gallons of water.
There are currently more than 1400 registered products containing Permethrin. Permethrin is used in a number of ways to control insects, and may be used on food and feed crops, on ornamental lawns, on livestock and pets, in structures and buildings, and on clothing. Permethrin may also be used in places where food is handled, such as restaurants. Some products are used to treat scabies and head lice on people. Cats are more sensitive to Permethrin than dogs or people because it takes their bodies a long time to break it down. Permethrin SFR is toxic to fish, exercise care when making applications near ponds, lakes& streams. Not for human consupmtion, do not apply when food, feed, or water is present. Do not apply directly to animals except as prescribed.