MGH_PA

We're going to be adding in an additional .5 acre plot to go along with our .75acre clover/rye plot, and another .25acre clover plot. We're going to plant winter wheat and oats most likely. Maybe some rye. We're not going to plant until August, but we're a bit late for a good application of lime, although we're planning to apply some pre-planting. I'm assuming the best prep is disc the ground up, spread the lime, re-disc occasionally up until planting time? Anything else you would recommend? We could apply fertilizer I suppose as well, but I'm not sure how much time we should wait after applying the lime to get the fertilizer on. Thoughts?

haystack

I would apply the lime first. By disking afterward it will give the lime more soil to come in contact with. Also I would apply the fertilizer at least 30 days after the lime, I was always told that you could lose plant nutrients by applying lime and fertilizer at the same time. I prefer to spread fertilizer shortly before planting. Unless you have very acidic soil, the small grains that you mentioned will do fine, and while they are growing the lime will have sufficient time to mellow out the soil for a clover plot next spring, if that is what you had in mind. Good luck MGH!!

Soilman

Your plan sounds like it should work.

The fertilizer you need for small grains (wheat, oats, rye) should be high in Nitrogen (first number on the bag of fertilizer). You can use regular lawn fertilizers, just do not pick any with crabgrass preventer. Pick a bag of fertilizer with a big first number, and apply at a rateaccording to the directions for lawns (can go higher if you want, but lawn rates should be fine). Nitrogen can volitalize (vaporize) and leach through the soil with a lot of rain. Applying your fertilizer about 1 week before planting and disking it in would be a good idea.

MGH_PA

Thanks for the advice, guys. Sounds good. I will get to spreading the lime asap. What time frame should I be looking at to do the first discing to break the soil up after spreading the lime if I'm planning for an August planting?

haystack

It depends on what is growing there now. If it was me I would wait until July, but if the plot has some grass such as fescue, you might want to go a little sooner. If this summer you get a good rain, followed by a hot dry spell, I would disk as soon as the ground was dry enough. One other option especially if it has got grass or other deep rooted weeds, is to spray it with Glyphosphate, and to be honest that might be your best bet. If done that way you could wait a lot later to disk, possibly 2 weeks before planting and end up with a much better plot than disking alone. I would spray 4 to 5 weeks before planting. Just my opinion.

MGH_PA

Thanks. It's just a pasture that has a variety of wild grasses and, I'm sure, weeds. We mow it once a year, but nothing has been planted there for at least 15 years. There's still old dead furrows from the last time it was planted.

bowmanaj

Looks like you haveagood plan.. Good luck to you