Another Project

[useyourbow]

Here is another one of my projects. This was an old field covered in broom sedge. After 97 miles of back & forth, 12 hours in the seat of my four wheeler it’s is finally disked under. Soil test results should be back in another week. My plan is apply pelletized lime as needed as soon as possible. Then allow it to green up and then apply Gly. Wait a couple of weeks and spray again. At that point based on opinions solicited here plant it. First thought was clover and chicory. That way come fall I can disk lightly and broadcast turnip, radish, and wheat to enhance the plot for hunting season. I would go with something like Buckwheat now but I am concerned that my atv will not make it through another round of hard disking. Thoughts?

 

[Elkaddict]

If this is your only plot, I'd use oats as a cover crop for you clover, then plant brassicass in half at the appropriate time for your location,and start the LC rotation(brassicas late summer and grains/clover around Labor Day). I'm not a huge fan of spring planted clover plots but you have to start where you can. Where are you located?

 

[useyourbow]

In Eastern NC. This field is nestled between ag fields that had beans last year and the back edge is on a creek. The deer bed across the creek and I wanted to try and establish a destination plot. Not sure if it is true yet but they may be planting cotton this year. The field is approximately 2 acres in size and I wanted to establish something rather than just wait for hunting season.

 

[Elkaddict]

I'm a huge fan of variety in a plot. I think the LC rotation will work well. Give your location, you can plant later. I prefer strips or sections of variety rather than mixing it all. It promotes movement IME.

 

[useyourbow]

"LC"?

 

[Elkaddict]

Paul Knox or Lick Creek. Spend the time to study his posts--truly worthwhile.

http://deerhunterforum.com/index.php?threads/lcs-threads.123/

 

[Charlieyca]

abbreviation for lick creek, member on here and QDMA website who did a lot of research and testing on food plot rotations.
My take on what ive read is that 10% of a field is annual clovers. 45% is planted to a mix of cereal grains with a little brassicas and clover and then 45% in a brassica mix. Rotate the brassicas and cereal each year. I hope i got that close enough, no disrespect if i messed some part up.

 

[Charlieyca]

I have not seen a bad word written about him or his techniques, great read on his website and the DVDs are enjoyable as well. Lots of other good info on both fruit trees, hinging, and clovers on his site as well. Most important part was to keep all 3 sections of the plot separate. Each part has a time of year when it will be targeted and creates 1 spot where they always have food.

 

[useyourbow]

My greatest challenge is with equipment. Not having a tractor with a bush hog, disc, etc.... limits my abilities. Cereal grains are find but not being able to mow them back before disking creates challenges that's why I am focusing on the green leafy shorter plantings. I am anxious to do something rather than wait until fall.

 

[Charlieyca]

Some of the throw and mow guys don't mow or disc in their fall seeds. Similar to broadcasting cereal grains in standing beans, they broadcast into standing grains and allow the seed to stay standing as it doesn't block sunlight for new sprouting. I had a welding friend build a cultipacker to pull behind atv for 50 bucks and for me it worked as good as mowing when my rye/oats stand wasnt really thick. Search throw and mow and many of the principles work minus the mowing.

 

[Charlieyca]

Cereal grains are probably the most reliable plot to grow for me and also create the most winter biomass of anything ive planted. After no rain for october and november, I overseeded 50 lbs of rye onto bare dirt before a rain. This was december 1st. 3 days later deer were feeding in the plot. This past week, deer still feeding in the plot. It was literally throw and wait on rain.

 

[cutman]

I can't believe you disked 2 acres of that grass with an atv. That's impressive. If you ever find yourself in that situation again, disk a fire break around the field and burn it.

Don't waste your time or money planting chicory/clover this spring. You will lose it to weeds. Go get a soil test done now so we know what you are working with. From there we can come up with a plan that's doable for you with your limited equipment AND likely to succeed. Most likely you will do best with a mix of buckwheat/sunn hemp/cowpea mix this spring then follow it up with the LC grain mix this fall.

 

[useyourbow]

Well I got my soil test back. The PH is going to be a problem. A few questions:

1) What is the conversion rate for pulverized lime vs. pelletized lime?

2) Will a co-op type place mix me a fertilizer blend to these specs or will I have to do a "best fit" scenario?

3) Will planting Buck Wheat help eliminate any of the deficiencies? I.e.; save me money while providing a spring food source or should I just focus on getting the soil right in preparation for the fall?


Thanks

 

[useyourbow]

Argghh! Fescue popping up like crazy. Will GlyStar plus kill fescue or should I just disc it again when planting buck wheat in late April?

 

[DocHolladay]

Glystar will kill fescue, but it will make a come back if seed has hit the ground. Mix a little surfactant in with it to help(Dawn works great, don't over do it).

 

[dogghr]

The fescue will prob take a few sprayings to eradicate it completely if that is what you want. You could spay it once or twice late spring early summer and let field go fallow with the seed bank providing anything form BB, GB, MFR, and various deer friendly weeds. You will also probable get some not so likable weeds. I think dog fennel is a prob for your area.
The other option since you have limited equipment. Spray fescure heavy this late summer, wait two weeks, spread WW,WR,RC,WC,oats, Brassica, or any combination of those, mow if you can but not necessary , try to do before a rain, and you will get a good food plot for that fall and it can continue thru several years especially if you continue to overseed each fall. I've done this on one section and while it is not a monoculture picture of food, it has good growth of all the above for a year round plot. You can then spray cleth to try to keep grasses/fescue under control
One of the big hurdles I see, is by discing, you have released a seed bank that may have some nasty stuff that will grow. Good luck. Pretty impressive what you have done.

 

[Heart shot]

Weeds are going to be major issue for you this year. IMO I would focus on 2 things this spring and summer.

1. Killing weeds
2. Getting the soil right

To do this I would get lime down and use RU to kill weeds. If you have to plant something I would plant RU ready soybeans. This will help you keep the weeds down.

Come sept/oct when the beans start to yellow I would go in and top seed cereal grains / turnips / clovers. You can mix or do strips right into the beans (no tilling).

Leave the beans standing they will feed deer into the winter and the other plants will grow under.

If you want it all clover you can always frost seed clover in Feb of 2018. Then just mow to maintain.

Done this a lot and is the best way to convert a old field to a plot in the spring.

 

[OkieKubota]

As others have said...with a field like that my plan would have been to let it go this summer and not have disked it at all and then spray it with glysophate late July, wait 4 weeks, burn it, do about 10 miles with the atv disk because burnt fields disk easy and then I would plant an LC mix or variation thereof...

My favorite to plant is WR for a nurse crop for red and white clover and radishes with some PTT thrown in...the WR, radishes, PTT, will be the main fall/winter attraction and the WR/clover will be a huge spring attraction. I would let the WR mature, go to head, and die on its own...this will allow the clover to vet well established and the clover will smother most everything else out...what doesn't smother you can spot treat with sprayer or mow if you vet a mower...you will have a great perennial clover plot then...