Sorghum planted

[Foragefarmer]

Got a couple acres of sorghum in over the weekend. This small field was taken out of production when I entered it in SL-6 with my SWCD. I own a working cattle farm and now have all my creeks fenced off with 35' minimum buffers. I felt it just wasn't worth trying to get water to a 2 acre field and my place needs all the cover it can get. The problem with this area is that it has stayed sod. So I got permission from the SWCD to plant a wildlife planting in this field outside of the 35' buffer which gives me about 2 acres to work with.








I sprayed twice because the sod was so heavy. I have had problems with my drill in heavy heavy sod in the past. Sprayed 2 months ago and again just before planting.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Got a couple acres of sorghum in over the weekend. This small field was taken out of production when I entered it in SL-6 with my SWCD. I own a working cattle farm and now have all my creeks fenced off with 35' minimum buffers. I felt it just wasn't worth trying to get water to a 2 acre field and my place needs all the cover it can get. The problem with this area is that it has stayed sod. So I got permission from the SWCD to plant a wildlife planting in this field outside of the 35' buffer which gives me about 2 acres to work with.








I sprayed twice because the sod was so heavy. I have had problems with my drill in heavy heavy sod in the past. Sprayed 2 months ago and again just before planting.

Thanks for the pictures. That's a nice rig too. Update us with some pictures when the sorghum is up.

 

[Foragefarmer]

Thanks for the pictures. That's a nice rig too. Update us with some pictures when the sorghum is up.

I certainly will. Fingers crossed for good emergence.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Just curious, are you planting the sorghum for doves or deer?

 

[Foragefarmer]

Just curious, are you planting the sorghum for doves or deer?

Primarily deer.

 

[farmhunter]

good luck - i always plant corn over sorghum -would definitely try it if roundup ready - I don't have access in NY to traditional weed control options -

 

[Foragefarmer]

Got some more planting done today. Not easy planting into just killed sod is all I can say.

 

[dgallow]

The Cars in memory is correct...nice choice of tunes!

 

[Foragefarmer]

It was what was on the radio at the time.

 

[Lewi B]

What sort of problems are you having with the sod?
Opener penetration.....closing the trench?.......
Will be drilling into a heavy layer of thatch hopefully next week for the first time and don't know what to expect.
Thanks

 

[Foragefarmer]

Penetration is something you should keep an eye on and another thing is the wheels may not cut the thatch and press it into the opening and the seed drops on it and gets pressed closed with that thatch around the seed. Can make it hard for the seed to emerge. If it rains a bunch I think that thatch will rot and rot the seed with it.

This is heavy fescue thatch that hasn't seen an animal or bush hog for two years. I bush hogged it back in Jan to give the thatch a while to rot down and be easier to cut through.

If you watched the video you will see in that field I cut it for hay ahead of killing it. That got rid of the thatch.

YMMV

 

[Lewi B]

Penetration is something you should keep an eye on and another thing is the wheels may not cut the thatch and press it into the opening and the seed drops on it and gets pressed closed with that thatch around the seed. Can make it hard for the seed to emerge. If it rains a bunch I think that thatch will rot and rot the seed with it.

This is heavy fescue thatch that hasn't seen an animal or bush hog for two years. I bush hogged it back in Jan to give the thatch a while to rot down and be easier to cut through.

If you watched the video you will see in that field I cut it for hay ahead of killing it. That got rid of the thatch.

YMMV

Thanks for the information. Will be drilling into heavy layer of rye, oats,volunteer ryegrass(heavy), and red and white clovers.
The ryegrass was not planted but where we live, seems like there is a heavy amount of natural ryegrass in the seed bank.
The rye and oats are still standing and almost all brown but the stalk is still rather tough. Ryegrass has laid down but the stalk is
tough also. Will wait until the grain stalks are crispy to drill-hopefully about a week.
Using a heavy 3pt conventional drill with offset double disk openers. The soil was tilled last summer in the drought to about a
5" depth to incorporate amendments.
Question- Have you ever sharpened your opener disk to cut the thatch easier?

 

[buckdeer1]

forage sorghum or grain sorghum.I plant mine in lat june so that it is still green kernals in mid to late sept

 

[Lewi B]

Both kinds. Using it for organic material and a trellis in the jungle.

 

[Kabic]

I tried NWTF sorghum mix last year. I'm sure it got some use but it wasn't the late season draw I was hoping for.

 

[George]

Once deer decide that sorghum is ready to eat, it lasts about 2 days.

G

 

[THE LLC]

I planted sorghum about three years ago as a deer plot. After Christmas on a whim I bushhogged some strips through it. Best late season dove shooting I've EVER seen.

 

[Kabic]

Once deer decide that sorghum is ready to eat, it lasts about 2 days.

G

Mine must have decided it was never ready. It lasted through spring, but the rabbits sure liked it. Got lots of game camera pictures of rabbits.

 

[Kabic]

Walked through the old plot last weekend and took this picture of a seed head from last year just lying on the ground. I'm not saying the deer wont it and some places they may hammer it more ...it just wasnt the late season draw I had hoped for.

 

[THE LLC]

Hard to really tell from that picture but looks like there is no seed in the seed head. Blackbirds are BAD to come through and clean out seed heads--sometimes before they are good ripe--so that deer don't have anything to eat there to begin with. Seen it time and time again.