Fertilizer timing and what to plant in March

[weekender21]

When we ruffed this plot in last September I added 800 pounds of lime but did not get a chance to add fertilizer. I'll be on our property in March to increase the size (almost double) of the plot and plant fruit trees. I may add more WR and MRC to the plot, it just depends on how it looks when I get there.

Questions:

1) Is March a good time to add fertilizer to boost sprig growth or is it too early? I'm in 6b, green up is pretty late at our elevation of 3k; mid April or later. Average last frost is May 11th.

2) What should I plant in the new cleared areas in March. Just looking to increase the OM and get things started. I was thinking about going heavy with WR and Oats then adding buckwheat in June if the cereal grains don't do well.

Thoughts?

 

[MarkDarvin]

Do you have a mower of some sort?

 

[weekender21]

Do you have a mower of some sort?

I could use a trimmer or have a neighbor bush hog possibly.


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[MarkDarvin]

I could use a trimmer or have a neighbor bush hog possibly.


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That looks like a hilltop. If that's the case, I'd go with barley, some drought tolerant annual clover, and some buckwheat. I have a plot that gets dry and that barley roars through a drought like a champ. Also doesn't need to be killed if you don't want to, or can't. It's the fastest maturing and most water thrifty of the cereals.

I've never spring planted rye, but from all accounts I've heard, it's not the same champ as a fall planted rye crop. Barley on the other hand, I've planted and had headed out in 60 days. For extra credit, throw in some forage collards.

https://www.greencoverseed.com/product/1063/

"Vernalization is required for collards to bolt (become reproductive) therefore planting anytime during the growing season will result in pure vegetative growth. Vernalization is a prolonged cold special that triggers a species genetic code within the plant to start reproducing. This is important because the longer a species stays in the vegatative stage, the more total biomass production potential. In fact you could plant collards in the spring and it they will continue to grow through that next spring before trying to reproduce. Collards growing point is protected close to the surface making for excellent regrowth potential after grazing. Premium forage produced by collard ranks it above many other options on the current market place in CP and digestibility."

 

[weekender21]

Interesting, I had not even considered barley. I've seen it grown in CA, I know wild hogs enjoy it.

This plot is in the hills no doubt but not really a hill top. It's a relatively flat part of a finger or secondary ridge leading up to a main ridge. After last year I'm more concerned about too much rain but I'm sure that's not always the case.

Collards look interesting as well, I like the out of the box recommendations!

 

[MarkDarvin]

Interesting, I had not even considered barley. I've seen it grown in CA, I know wild hogs enjoy it.

This plot is in the hills no doubt but not really a hill top. It's a relatively flat part of a finger or secondary ridge leading up to a main ridge. After last year I'm more concerned about too much rain but I'm sure that's not always the case.

Collards look interesting as well, I like the out of the box recommendations!

You could swap out barley for an early maturity oat if you can find one. Oats seem to have different names in almost every state. Up here, Shelby oats are the shortest maturity.

 

[bigbluetruck]

Rye in the spring will work, Ive heard that it will get more growth but less grain than fall rye. From what I know you can plant rye any month of the year and get grain as long as it freezes at some point, it needs vernalization like collards do, so you can plant some now and if it germinates as long as it freezes youll get good grain production. But it wont much matter because youre mostly after the tillering and stem length anyway.

I want to try some collards in a highly grazed plot where cows will use the pasture most all summer, then I hope they will come back and reseed themselves.

 

[weekender21]

Thanks for the advice! I won't be out there for a few weeks. I'll take pictures and monitor whatever I end up planting.