Rob/PA Bowyer

Hey yall, if you read my first post where I started discing the food plot you'll know I went back in today after yesterdays heavy rain. I figured it would be wet and that the ground would be much softer. I also added the box I built to hold weight to add to the disc to see if it makes a difference. I used some plastic "burlap" bags with about 50-70 lbs of dirt in them.

Wet is an understatement when I got there. The water table is high in the area and I got a chance to do a little muddin with the ATV...lol seen here after I was done.


I don't know if it was the wet/softer dirt or the added weight to the disc or both but I did a fantastic job. I even got myself stuck a little after discing enough to mud it up. I figured now that I have it broken up real nice, when it dries out I'll be able to go in and smooth it down and turn it up some more.

Here's a couple pics looking back into the plot and then some looking from my the base of my treestand out into the field. If you look at the first post you can see what it used to look like at this link here: http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1512800

And here's the pics.







From the tree looking out.

brirute2

Rob,

Pictures look good. I hope you keep us updated after planting and continue with pictures of your plot, as growth starts. In a few weeks a couple pics from your stand would be cool.

RonM

Rob, dont ever disk ground when it is wet, it will never work right, just end up being little clay balls, when it dries and just be clods when it is time to plant something... Always wait until it dries out....

Rob/PA Bowyer

Ron, I had to. It was so hard and I really needed to get in and break it up. I'll go back once everything dries up and really work it over to smooth it out as well as rack, drag etc....I actually think it did a great job. The first time (thread) I worked at it for 2 hours and barely worked the perimeter, in this 2 hours I pretty much had it all done, now I need to smooth it out, lime the hell out of it and then work the lime in etc.....am I on the right track?

Dan O.

Rob; you'll make a great farmer.

Now;
- soil test
You don't want to overlime the soil so the least you need is a pH. The N, P & K will give you ratings for the other elements depending on what you're going to grow.

If you're land is clay you may have a very big brick when it dries out. With clay you should be able to break a clod of soil in your hand when it's ready to work. If it balls up it in your hand it will dry in large, very hard clumps. Hopefullyyou havea good dose of sand.

I would have already soil tested and worked the lime into the soil as it needs contact time to change the pH.

Don't overwork the soil. It doesn't have to look like a lawn when you plant it.

Smile; it may not come out perfect but to you it'll seem that way.

Dan O.

Rob/PA Bowyer

Dan, thanks and great advice. Your probably right, knowing me the way I do, I'll try too hard. I have an hunch it's pretty good soil and I've purchased 5, 40lb bags of pelletized lime. I also have to 2, 2.5 gallon jugs of Aggrene liquid lime which says 1-3 oz per gallon of water and for field use, 1-4 gallons per 70-100 gallons of water. Without a ph soil test, what would you surmise on how much I actually use. I know the pelletized lime will take time to work in and I read that for spring planting, it should have been limed in the fall....I was thinking I would spread the lime now when it's moist there and then work it into the soil and then spray the liquid lime on the surface.

What is the results of over liming? The feed mill said I probably couldn't over lime...that I'm concerned with.

The mill guy recommended 2 40 lb bags for the 1/4 acre however a coworker who went to college for landscaping and hordiculture(sp) recommended at least 5 lbs....thusly I'm thinking the extra liquid lime as well.

Again guys, you can't imagine how much I appreciate the advice for a newbie like me. I know bows, this I'm a rookie.

And I'll remember to smile, especially behind a big buck with the bow across his chest.

psandhu

you don't want to overdisk the ground. you don't want to leave it powdery, but you want to leave little clumps and clods. if it's powdery, the next time it rains and then it dries, it'll leave a thick crust on the surface of your soil. my sunflowers had a hard time poking through the crust. i imagine clovers would have a real tough time.

RonM

A quarter acre is about 100 x 100 and you probably need at least 500 lbs of lime, Lime is applied in tons per acre, usually a ton will get you started,

Rob/PA Bowyer

Thanks Ron,

I took my lunch hour and spread the 5 bags, 200 lbs of pelletized lime with a hand spreader...I'm doubting this plot is a full 1/4 acre. I went over most if not all of it but 3 times and coated the ground pretty well. I broke the lot of in 5's for the 5 bags and used the whole bag on the 5th it was in. Seemed like a lot....I'll disc it in as instructed.

I'm kinda excited about his whole venture....keep those suggestions coming guys, I'm like a lost puppy...

Dan O.

Rob; from the pictures it looks like you have about 150' on each side (about 1/2 acre). For rough numbers a 1/4 acre would be 100' square and an acre 200' feet square. Pace it and you shouldn't be too far off.

You should let it dry out a bit before you dig back into it. Otherwise you really will break down the texture of the soil. For the same reason I like fall plowing. The frost breaks up the furrows over winter. They dry quick in the spring and only next a good discing to make a decent seed bed.

Dan O.