Irish Knots

I just hogged out the food plot- soil seems nice and moist now have brush hogged everything down, when is the best time to turn this over for a fall food plot?
We've gotten alot of rain lately as to why everything is so soft and moist just curious if i should wait to turn it over or do it now and again later?

1st time food plot for this area

Looking at Bio-logic Full Draw for a plot

Upstate NY region

timbercruiser

I like to disc about two or three weeks prior to planting, and spray the plot about 3 weeks prior to discing.

Muliefever

depends... did you do a soil test yet? Looks can be very deceiving!

falcon

Here in OKI wait until the grass goes dormant and plant around the middle of August to the first of September.I disc and plant the same day. We do not use a herbicide.

Irish Knots

i have yet to do a test on the soil

we just got the property this spring and it has a real nice natural area fora plot

so i mowed it and cleared any hard brush out and it looks great (better than my lawn)

i was more curious if i should just keep it mown till i prep for planting in aug-sept

or disk it under now and do it again in the late summer pre-planting?

will try to snap a few pics to share

Rick James

I have had really good luck with first spraying w/ gly about 2 weeks before discing, and then seeding within a week of discing. Seems to give the weeds less of a jump start if you seed fairly soon after discing. I'm planning to mow this weekend, spray everything over the 4th of July weekend, let it rot down for a good 2-3 weeks, then disc/fertilize/seed probably the weekend of 7/26. I have had really good luck in northern PA for Full Draw and Maximum when seeding last week of July or first week of August.

IL-Cornfed

We also prefer to seed the same week we disc any of our plots. Also, as mentioned, the use of a quality herbicide will bea moreimportant issue that you'll face with any new plot. Also, get a soil test, if the PH is even a little off then your results will vary greatly. Good luck with the plot.

Irish Knots

here is the new plot on the property (not worked yet - just mowed)

i'm at the north end of it looking south- its in an "S" shape

althought this picture looks fairly shaded its actually about 6pm so i should get

the blunt of mid day sun

let me know what you think?

i have a tree picked out for a stand on the left hand side just inside the tree line

farm hunter

Don't prep it too early - it can get pretty dried out in July & August. You'll need that reserve moisture in Late August for germination.

2 weeks is about right.

The plot looks great - I like the irregular nature of it.

Even though it looks open - its pretty shady when compared toOpen Field Plots - I have no doubt you can grow a decent plot here - but be prepared for the plot to be a little thin (especially grains) -and sky reaching. I like clovers in a plot like this - and I think the second year of Full Draw - basically clovers are all thats left.

Good luck with your Upsate NY plot.

FH