Cereal / clover fall planting deadline?

[Jerry D]

When would be the lastest date to plant in northern Michigan or if you are familiar with Ontario in wmu 82a which is just east of lake Huron.

I've planted in the past in the 1st week of September and my grains were 6 to 8" tall come the 1st week of November which is our rifle season. They may be beyond the best taste as winter wheat fields that the local farmers plant are only 2" tall come rifle season.

This year I'm visiting the property over the weekend September 23/24 and I'm wondering if it is too late to plant.

Do I need to get up to the property earlier?

I'm planting rye and may try oats as well but we already had a frost up there! Mixed with ladino clover as well.

Thanks!

 

[FarmerD]

I don't think you'll be too late. I have relatives in southern Ontario that plant wheat after the soybeans come off and the beans won't come off for another few weeks. I might save the oats, since they probably will freeze out before your rifle season.

Cereal rye will germinate with soil temps at 34 deg F and white clover down to 40 deg F. I think you will be fine.

 

[Jason Broom]

It depends on what all you plan to include in your fall planting, and what your overall objectives are in doing so. I usually include a forage radish, which is why my northern Michigan fall plots go in around 8/15. My goal is to actually provide some volume of forage for deer during a time when there may be a distinct drop-off in palatability of native browse. Since the deer in my area have no ag crops to pillage, they keep everything in the plots mowed down, resulting in a lot of young growth all the way into rifle season.

If my goal was simply to establish a clover crop, or grow rye for commercial harvest, I would likely go about it a little differently.

 

[Jerry D]

My goal is to hunt over the plot come rifle season which is the first week of November as well as establish a perennial ladino clover plot for the following years.

I do have Austrian winter peas and tillage radish but I thought a September 22-24 planting might be too late for them.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I planted oats, AWP and clover on labor day, and that's as late as I'd be comfortable planting here in Pennsylvania. I'll plant some late oats and rye at the end of September. East of the lake your climate isn't all that different than us, probably about a week earlier in the fall. But I think if you want AWP and brassica you'd want to get them in this week.

 

[Chainsaw]

I prefer to plant by labor day my grains which also have AWP and clover mixed in. The clover is for next year to restock the soil for the Mid July to Aug. 1 planting of brassica. Some years I don't get planted on time and have planted the awo/grains up to Sept. 15 with no ill affects. If I was trying for clover to grow of any consequence this fall, my outside date might be more like Aug. 20.

The beginning of the fourth week in September is later than I have much experience with except for rye which has been ok then. The great attractors like oats and awp may be iffy. I'd make an earlier trip if you can work it in.

 

[farmhunter]

9/22 is later than I'd want (Labor day is my goal date too) - but I think Rye would do well as long as you had some 60 degree days, it might be thin to hunt over - but I'd bet it would grow