As many of you know I commercially do brushhogging and every year for the past 4 years I have a customer who has me Brushhog around his camper and all of his roads and his open area which is about 2 acres on top of a ridge with a little slope to it. The area is just covered in sericia lespediza and sumac. 2 years ago I took 1/2 bag of WR and threw it out before I brushhogged to see if anything would grow but the hard rocky ground with not enough thatch and no rain made for a total failure.
He called me up to get it brushhogged again and in the conversation he asked me what we should do to start getting that field ready to plant. I told him I needed to Brushhog it and then wait a few days and spray it with GLY to work on killing it off. He told me he was not interested in planting this fall but would be next year. I told him we needed to Brushhog and spray twice next summer, lime and then I would till it up next Labor Day and plant it. He said that sounded fine...I brushhogged it and waited a week and went back with my 4 wheeler and sprayer and he was there working. He asked me when I was going to plant? I was somewhat confused and I said I guess next Labor Day weekend and he told me he wanted 2 plots this fall. A small 1/8 acre near his camper and this 2 acre field...had to totally regroup! He also wanted me to provide the seed...the area I am planting is a flint rock ridge and is typical for our area. I plant this same type of ground here at home so I am familiar with it. I told him I would find rocks he never imagined with my chisel plow and I work from the tractor seat so picking rocks would be his job or he could do like I do and let the plot just grow up with rocks in it...he said he would pick the rocks out himself. It has not rained for a week but my window to plant is 1 day and that day is tomorrow. We have almost no chances of rain until the 14th but I won’t be available to do it then. I bought 100 lbs WR grain, 50 lbs oats, 50 WW, 5 groundhog radishes, 5 red clover, 5 ladino white clover. He purchased some pellet lime and left it at the site. I have no idea how much because I told him we would need at least 2000 lbs acre on that upper field because it is poor reclaimed forest ground and would be very acidic and to just buy what he can afford. Due to distance and time I am only using my chisel plow, 3 point spreader, and the tractor itself to pack it in. I will get pictures tomorrow...looking forward to doing it because every time I Brushhog that field all I can picture is a green plot there...
He called me up to get it brushhogged again and in the conversation he asked me what we should do to start getting that field ready to plant. I told him I needed to Brushhog it and then wait a few days and spray it with GLY to work on killing it off. He told me he was not interested in planting this fall but would be next year. I told him we needed to Brushhog and spray twice next summer, lime and then I would till it up next Labor Day and plant it. He said that sounded fine...I brushhogged it and waited a week and went back with my 4 wheeler and sprayer and he was there working. He asked me when I was going to plant? I was somewhat confused and I said I guess next Labor Day weekend and he told me he wanted 2 plots this fall. A small 1/8 acre near his camper and this 2 acre field...had to totally regroup! He also wanted me to provide the seed...the area I am planting is a flint rock ridge and is typical for our area. I plant this same type of ground here at home so I am familiar with it. I told him I would find rocks he never imagined with my chisel plow and I work from the tractor seat so picking rocks would be his job or he could do like I do and let the plot just grow up with rocks in it...he said he would pick the rocks out himself. It has not rained for a week but my window to plant is 1 day and that day is tomorrow. We have almost no chances of rain until the 14th but I won’t be available to do it then. I bought 100 lbs WR grain, 50 lbs oats, 50 WW, 5 groundhog radishes, 5 red clover, 5 ladino white clover. He purchased some pellet lime and left it at the site. I have no idea how much because I told him we would need at least 2000 lbs acre on that upper field because it is poor reclaimed forest ground and would be very acidic and to just buy what he can afford. Due to distance and time I am only using my chisel plow, 3 point spreader, and the tractor itself to pack it in. I will get pictures tomorrow...looking forward to doing it because every time I Brushhog that field all I can picture is a green plot there...
