Can you throw and mow peas?

MJM-NY

New Member
I just sprayed to kill off my RC/Oats plots to get ready for the grain portion of the LC mix. I plan on doing WR, RC, Oats, groundhog radish & AWP. I would like to just broadcast everything into the dead/dying oats/RC and then mow. Will this be effective with the larger oat, WR & pea seeds?
 
I think you can broadcast everything but peas. Peas are generally planted at least an inch deep, and peas on the surface are bird food.
 
I surfaced broadcast winter peas once. I did get some growth put not sure what percentage.
 
If you've got enough thatch that you can bury them under the thatch then you'll be fine. Winter peas and cowpeas sprout surprisingly well with this method even though they're bigger seeds. If you don't have enough thatch though, then you're just essentially surface broadcasting them and that's a different can of worms.
 
When broadcasting with poor coverage the secret to success is getting timely rains soon after planting through establishment. The best stand of cowpeas I have at this point is the one that volunteered after washing my UTV and trailer in the back yard after planting this past June. The seeds that were washed off fell in my heavy lawn turf and germinated well anyway. I left them to grow there and now they are producing seed pods.

The 15 acres I drilled were browsed to the stems within one month of planting. I thought I was planting enough this year that I didn't need an electric fence. Update: Wrong. Should have used an e-fence.
 
I've tried throw and mow with peas a few times. I've been frustrated every time. My turkeys, however, love me.
 
Inspired by Crimson n' Camo, I "throw and mow'd" some peas this spring time and now I have pods. These were left over AWP's from my fall planting.

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I realize you are asking about a fall planting but I think as others have said if you bird numbers are low and your thatch is good, you should be fine.
 
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