Back yard food plot
- Thread starter Rickey
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Merle Hawggard
Well-Known Member
Looks good Ricky! Is that winter rye?
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Yessir it is. If I am right by reading and learning from you guys it will brown soon. Once that happens I will bush hog it for free seed. I have already purchased 50 lbs of buckwheat and 40 lbs of bird food sunflower seed I'll spread it before I bush hog so the rye sits on it as a cover/thatch We shall see what happens. If someone has a better idea of what to do with it I am all ears.
Oh I do need a lot of lime still. All I can do is keep buying a few bags here and there till I raise the pH. This spot is only about an acre total. If you look in the background you can see a couple tree tubes that have sawtooth's in them. I hope they shoot up a little this year. They did not do well at all last year though they did make it through the winter.
Oh I do need a lot of lime still. All I can do is keep buying a few bags here and there till I raise the pH. This spot is only about an acre total. If you look in the background you can see a couple tree tubes that have sawtooth's in them. I hope they shoot up a little this year. They did not do well at all last year though they did make it through the winter.
Merle Hawggard
Well-Known Member
I thought that's what it looked like. We did that two years ago and I was impressed with it. It made plenty of seed heads we left for the wildlife.
The sunflower field sounds like the place for a little dove hunting this fall! Around here that is usually quite the event lol!
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The sunflower field sounds like the place for a little dove hunting this fall! Around here that is usually quite the event lol!
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Merle Hawggard
Well-Known Member
Chuck and I are always looking for a reason to head up to the farm. Give one of us a holler the next time you come through.
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MarkDarvin
Well-Known Member
Your rye is headed out already. I'm not sure mine has even started growing up here.
Looking good Rickey! I am a big fan of backyard food plots...here are some quick photos I snapped of our backyard WR, red and white clover over rock...
We just got some rain on Sunday finally and the WR is now just taking off!
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We just got some rain on Sunday finally and the WR is now just taking off!
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Yes sir, no tillage...rye grain keeps weeds at bay, after rye dies off I will let it stand until it falls over. Clover grows thick and shades everything else out. I will throw new rye grain seed into it in September and mow it over it just like I did last year.
This is what it looked like under that rye and clover in September 2015...
This was my first attempt at throw and mow also. I have a few areas that are weedy and need overseed but I am not really concerning about it. I'm going to throw and mow the area soon enough with buckwheat and sunflower anyhow. This fall I will put more rye, oats or a combination plus more clover down. We shall see how this all works out. Like I said, it's a back yard plot trying to get deer in the yard for the wife to see. It's not really for hunting though if they are headed that way during deer season while I am in the stand it will work out for me, the wife not so much.
Rickey, fall of 2015 I started my backyard plot. In the spring last year it jumped up tall and thick with lots of seed heads. I let it really dry down and then brushhogged it down and had seed everywhere so I figured I would have tons of volunteer WR...I never did. I ended up having to overseed it all again last September. I did have plenty of clover but WR was nowhere to be found...
In first picture I am standing in it with my arms up and my hands are all that is visible.
Drying down in late May.
Brushhogged it down on a high setting in late June.
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In first picture I am standing in it with my arms up and my hands are all that is visible.
Drying down in late May.
Brushhogged it down on a high setting in late June.
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Charlieyca
Active Member
When you didnt get any volunteer seed from your mow down, do you think you cut it too soon? Not enough moisture after cutting for germination? Had the same result last year from a thick stand of rye with no regrowth.
Possibility...I am going to let it go a bit longer this year before I mow it down...about another month I think...
Summertime rainfall is fairly non-existent here...
I have a plot in my hunting area that is clover and WR that I am getting rid of and letting it go back native. I am not going to mow it at all or do anything else with it...will be interesting to see if it volunteers...
Jason Broom
Well-Known Member
I have allowed WR to mature, then knocked it flat and lightly disced it in. That is WAY too much seed! If you let the seed heads mature, it's fine to mow it or roll it down; you won't get too much germination, like you would if you disced it.
If I was going to plant a summer crop of BW and sunflower, I wouldn't wait until the rye seed hardened off. I'd broadcast the BW at about 25#/acre (50 is fine for a monoculture, but too much if mixed with other stuff) and the 50# of SF/birdseed, along with as much lime as you can justify. Then, I'd mow or (preferably) roll the rye stems down on top of what you broadcast. Get fancy and include 2# of chicory in case you have an especially hot and dry summer.
Good luck and take pictures! We all like pictures.
If I was going to plant a summer crop of BW and sunflower, I wouldn't wait until the rye seed hardened off. I'd broadcast the BW at about 25#/acre (50 is fine for a monoculture, but too much if mixed with other stuff) and the 50# of SF/birdseed, along with as much lime as you can justify. Then, I'd mow or (preferably) roll the rye stems down on top of what you broadcast. Get fancy and include 2# of chicory in case you have an especially hot and dry summer.
Good luck and take pictures! We all like pictures.
Crimson n' Camo
Active Member
Once the seed heads mature here they get hammered by the wildlife. The deer love them and stomp down the field to get to them. I don't have much volunteer seed leftover. This was my cereal rye a week or so ago. I'm holding the camera over my head to take the pic. This is my "backyard".
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Good idea. I'll get some chicory. I'll go a little lighter on the BW. I have another spot I can plant it so no biggie. I'll just spread it in the road through the woods and the little qtr acre plot back there. As far as lime, the wife picked up 520 lbs of pelletized lime from TSC. I think she got tired of loading bags.
Anyhow you guys take care. I'm at Port Canaveral about to load the boat. Life is good. I'll plant when I get back.
Anyhow you guys take care. I'm at Port Canaveral about to load the boat. Life is good. I'll plant when I get back.
