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Post by jimstc on Aug 8, 2015 14:11:13 GMT -5
As a side note, I will be using Beck's Winter mix as a cover crop for my soybean field. Its composition is 95% cereal rye and 5% Dwarf Essex Rapeseed. I'll kill it in the spring while it is putting on new tops.
I made the decision to scrap my alfalfa mix field. 20" of rain and it being creek bottom compacted land did it in. Had serious base rot. Bush hogged it, cut it again and just pulverized it to get all the thatch off the surface. Tomorrow I am planting Beck's Ground Builder Radishes. The radishes will capture nitrogen, aerate the ground, help with compaction and control weeds and hopefully attract deer. The roots are still in the field from the alfalfa mix. Real interested to see if they recover. Thinking they will. Still have 3 months or so before a killing frost.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 8, 2015 14:33:54 GMT -5
Do you see any problem with or recommend mixing the mostly rye seed with the other? I have a gentle slope, but no real erosion problems. I did kill a few moles and one snake, well the lawn mower did. I think one of the little cheap bags had like 60% and one had 80% rye. They are very small bags, but say they cover 1/4 acre. If seeding grass it might cover 30sq feet. Jon, since you have it, I would use it. Your ground is compacted, based on the fact the it has been hay ground and cut, tedderd and baled. Lots of equipment on that ground. I would get some pure seed to over seed it such as radishes, turnips, oats etc or whatever others may recommend. Heck, folks are still putting out soybeans. Thanks Jim! I think I will mix it in. I did order some Tall Tine Tubers last night. There should be enough to draw them in, but it's just my first attempt at something different. I'm still excited. Mark (I'm getting tired of calling him my Engineer) did mention that he might plant something different in there next year. I don't kow what he's thinking exactly. He has talked about cows, but he can't kill an animal. He'd make them pets. Heck, the first time I went down there to scout, he was excited to show me something. I thought he was going to show me one of his collector cars. NOPE, he wanted to show me his rabbits. LOL When I saw them, my mind went to eating them. LOL He eventually let them go. I'd have rabbits, chickens and cows, but pet or not, I'd be eating them. |
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Post by swetz on Aug 9, 2015 9:19:00 GMT -5
Went down to my place yesterday to work on food plots. I stopped at Rural King on the way and picked up a bag of red clover.
Of the two areas I'm working on, I think one has a chance, but I don't hold out high hopes for the other. Nearly all the vegetation was dead from the spraying, but the root system was so well developed I couldn't break it up with hand tools well enough for good soil contact. I put some seed down anyway as a hail mary, but not expecting anything.
Other spot went a lot better. Was able to get down to bare dirt with a rake and hand cultivator. Hopefully the stuff grows. I mixed half and half between the rye grass stuff and the red clover.
Pulled my trail cams while I was there and that was pretty disappointing. Got one video of a doe and that was it. Also, got video of at least two coyotes so looks like I'm going to have to do some predator control unfortunately.
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Post by jimstc on Aug 9, 2015 10:08:06 GMT -5
Went down to my place yesterday to work on food plots. I stopped at Rural King on the way and picked up a bag of red clover. Of the two areas I'm working on, I think one has a chance, but I don't hold out high hopes for the other. Nearly all the vegetation was dead from the spraying, but the root system was so well developed I couldn't break it up with hand tools well enough for good soil contact. I put some seed down anyway as a hail mary, but not expecting anything. Other spot went a lot better. Was able to get down to bare dirt with a rake and hand cultivator. Hopefully the stuff grows. I mixed half and half between the rye grass stuff and the red clover. Pulled my trail cams while I was there and that was pretty disappointing. Got one video of a doe and that was it. Also, got video of at least two coyotes so looks like I'm going to have to do some predator control unfortunately. I admire your effort. Good luck with both plots. Hope for rain. It will help with the germination. Just planted four acres of radishes. Rain is minutes away according to the radar. Broadcast the seeds and then went over them with a spiked roller. Come on Rain! My trail cams were out for a week with no deer pics. I feel your disappointment. |
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Post by MuzzleLoader on Aug 9, 2015 12:04:12 GMT -5
Got all my buddy's food plot seeded and fertilized this morning and it's raining now, perfect timing. Can't wait to see how hunting is on his new farm.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2015 12:23:21 GMT -5
I raked up the road bed in front of the best stand on my property today. I was going to clear both sides but decided only to do it in front to about 50 yards to the left of the ladder stand. This is a major travel corridor and when the acorns are good, it's a destination feeding area. I want some green stuff up there to provide something to stop them for a brief time when acorns are scarce. Seeds are down. Supposed to rain tomorrow...fingers crossed.   |
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Post by jimstc on Aug 9, 2015 12:55:32 GMT -5
Got all my buddy's food plot seeded and fertilized this morning and it's raining now, perfect timing. Can't wait to see how hunting is on his new farm. Isn't it great when everything comes together as we hope it does? My radishes should get over an inch of rain by tonight. I'll take luck anytime it presents itself....... |
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Post by jimstc on Aug 9, 2015 12:59:28 GMT -5
Met, that is one fine looking spot!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2015 20:10:44 GMT -5
Just checked the radar. Looks like Southern Dearborn County has gotten a couple rain showers in the last hour. That was good timing!
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 9, 2015 20:17:49 GMT -5
Just checked the radar. Looks like Southern Dearborn County has gotten a couple rain showers in the last hour. That was good timing! Post photos when it starts coming up. I'm not going to be late by planting in a couple weeks, am I? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2015 20:22:23 GMT -5
No. I think anytime in August should be good...of course it all depends on weather.
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Post by henson59 on Aug 10, 2015 8:32:55 GMT -5
I went down to our place this past weekend to work our food plots and right off the bat I ran into issues. For the second year in a row it looks like the clutch on our tiller is having issues and of course Zimmer was already closed so I couldn't take it in. Luckily one of the guys that hunts with me had a tiller at his place so he was able to bring it down and I got everything worked up and ready for them to plant today. Should be a pretty good year for us if everything grows right.
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Post by steiny on Aug 10, 2015 9:25:52 GMT -5
We got a 1/2" of rain last evening.
All of my turnips and beans are doing nicely. Still have a couple small plots to, waiting for the roundup to kill the grass and weeds a bit better.
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Post by trophyparadise on Aug 14, 2015 9:51:37 GMT -5
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Post by jimstc on Aug 14, 2015 17:11:37 GMT -5
Put a fork in me. I am done. Over seeded my back field today with Dwarf Essex Rape and Winter Cereal Rye. My radishes are coming up and look good. The clover and alfalfa are coming back up as I expected after I bush hogged and then close cut the field. Sounds like a deer salad.
My field is creek bottom compacted land. All of these plants should enhance the tilth and aeration. Have a way to go, but making visible progress.
We shall see.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 14, 2015 17:51:34 GMT -5
Put a fork in me. I am done. Over seeded my back field today with Dwarf Essex Rape and Winter Cereal Rye. My radishes are coming up and look good. The clover and alfalfa are coming back up as I expected after I bush hogged and then close cut the field. Sounds like a deer salad. My field is creek bottom compacted land. All of these plants should enhance the tilth and aeration. Have a way to go, but making visible progress. We shall see. Sounds good Jim! Mine is ready to disk; I'm trying to watch the weather for seeding. |
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Post by jimstc on Aug 15, 2015 6:51:48 GMT -5
Put a fork in me. I am done. Over seeded my back field today with Dwarf Essex Rape and Winter Cereal Rye. My radishes are coming up and look good. The clover and alfalfa are coming back up as I expected after I bush hogged and then close cut the field. Sounds like a deer salad. My field is creek bottom compacted land. All of these plants should enhance the tilth and aeration. Have a way to go, but making visible progress. We shall see. Sounds good Jim! Mine is ready to disk; I'm trying to watch the weather for seeding. Had a God send last night. Nice solid rain for 3-4 hours. Wasn't even forecast. Next week up here has a possibility of rain in the forecast 4 days. My field will explode. Now if some deer will just show up on my cameras........ Good luck Jon! |
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Post by esshup on Aug 15, 2015 12:07:27 GMT -5
I'll finish tilling the field this weekend and get the seed in early next week. Wish I could have gotten it done this past week, we had 1" of rain last night.
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Post by swetz on Aug 15, 2015 18:47:03 GMT -5
Question for you all. How long does seed keep? As I said earlier in the thread here, I picked up a 50 lb bag of red clover at Rural King. I didn't use it all and wondered if it's worth holding on to or if it's not going to be any good next year.
Thanks
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Post by throbak on Aug 15, 2015 20:37:13 GMT -5
The seed will be fine "might" lose a small % germ that's all keep dry
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