3/4 Acre Plot

[yoderjac]

I spread some clay from a pond dig in early august. I'm way up north, like 5 weeks away from first frost at this point. That being said, I was still very worried about seed laying on the surface to bake. As soon as I had my dirt spread out, I gave a hot dose of gypsum to help mellow out the clay, and then sprayed on my seed. Then I covered it all in hay as an introduced thatch layer to keep that seed moist, covered, and to keep that clay from sealing up.

I'm glad I did, because I got a gully washer of a rainfall, and had that seed been exposed, it'd have all washed away, and i'd been left with new concrete.

Yes, I have heavy clay soil. I had been doing traditional tillage for years. It wasn't until a soil scientist friend of mine sent me a recipe for creating a good solid dirt road. It was exactly what I had been doing. Clay soil, especially exposed, will crust or glaze and rain will become runoff and you are left with concrete.

For quite a few years, when I converted to no-till techniques, I had to use a tiller heals very high on a 3-point hitch. It barely touched the top inch but was just enough to break up the clay crusting.

Over the years, a smart mix of C based crops and N based crops (legumes) and avoiding tillage, built my OM to the point my clay no-longer crusts. I never leave the soil uncovered and the improved nutrient cycling has allowed me to avoid the use of commercial fertilizer for over 5 years now. When combined with much greater weed tolerance, my plots are now benefitting deer even more at a much lower cost which allows the saved resources to be used for other habitat improvement.

 

[MarkDarvin]

Yes, I have heavy clay soil. I had been doing traditional tillage for years. It wasn't until a soil scientist friend of mine sent me a recipe for creating a good solid dirt road. It was exactly what I had been doing. Clay soil, especially exposed, will crust or glaze and rain will become runoff and you are left with concrete.

For quite a few years, when I converted to no-till techniques, I had to use a tiller heals very high on a 3-point hitch. It barely touched the top inch but was just enough to break up the clay crusting.

Over the years, a smart mix of C based crops and N based crops (legumes) and avoiding tillage, built my OM to the point my clay no-longer crusts. I never leave the soil uncovered and the improved nutrient cycling has allowed me to avoid the use of commercial fertilizer for over 5 years now. When combined with much greater weed tolerance, my plots are now benefitting deer even more at a much lower cost which allows the saved resources to be used for other habitat improvement.

I wouldn't have it any other way. It's tricky getting it going, but once I do, I've got fertility for the rest of time.

 

[yoderjac]

I wouldn't have it any other way. It's tricky getting it going, but once I do, I've got fertility for the rest of time.

Yes, I'd much rather have clay than sandy soil. Both benefit from no-till methods, but depending on how sandy the soil is, both lime and nutrients can move through it fast. My acidic soil needs about 4 tons/ac of lime to amend it initially, but it can be 3-5 years before the pH gets low enough to need 1 ton/ac of maintenance lime. Of course, we would all like to have loam.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I think MM has given some excellent advice above about planting times and possibly saving the plot with oats if necessary. However, I will also say that there is one exception about planting in late July or early August - if I can get a slam dunk forecast of solid rain for the extended,14 day forecast (on the Weather Channel), I am sometimes willing to plant early. I've successfully done it before, and even did one small plot this year. The one I did this year is thick and lush right now - but it was because of the incredible rains. If the forecast had been wrong, I would be looking at a weed patch right now of crabgrass, perilla, plantain and everything else that deer won't eat.

So, I go back to what I said in Post #5 of this thread. Even though he noted some rain, it wasn't enough considering the weather conditions. And, I hope his forecast is better than what ours looks like right now.

You're so right about the forecast rains, however in this case you've also got the bare dirt variable, which, even with the noted rains, still cooked his plot as soon as the sun came out. Planting early your way, watching the forecast and doing a spray/throw/mow, or a notill into thatch, or anything that holds moisture is a winner.

 

[Native Hunter]

You're so right about the forecast rains, however in this case you've also got the bare dirt variable, which, even with the noted rains, still cooked his plot as soon as the sun came out. Planting early your way, watching the forecast and doing a spray/throw/mow, or a notill into thatch, or anything that holds moisture is a winner.

Yes, that's why I've said from the very beginning - he didn't get enough rain..............