rem700man

Oh and thanks for the info on the shot plot and fertilizer,,,im gonna give it a try for this year and if for some reason the deer dont seem to like it i'll go with something different next season,,,im plannin on planting aug.1st and i will keep posting pics for you to see the progress,,,it's rainin pretty good here in marshall and it was really rainin hard when i was comin out 66 around the broad run area so i hope it keeps up,,if it does i may plant before i go to the outer banks on the 24th! should i fertilize before or after planting?
Thanks again
Mike

haystack

Ouch...hate to hear about the tiller, chit does indeed happen, I've tore up quite a bit of equipment on account of the dang rocks.

It's possible to grow a decent crop without any tillage. Of course certain crops do better planted in tilled ground and tilling in lime and fertilizer is best, but there are quite a few advantages to planting in killed sod or undisturbed soil, such as moisture retention, little to no soil erosion and less weed seeds being brought to the surface.

The wheat could be planted without tilling. Timing and rain is critical but it can and will grow just by broadcasting into that killed sod. Clover does really well planting into killed sod also.





Mike....you could put down part of the fertilizer right before planting and then come back with another application 3 to 5 weeks later. I usually apply nothing but nitrogen on the second application.

Rained here again today also, thank goodness. Hope the pattern has changed and by the looks of the extended forecast, it very well could.

Definitely keep posting pics! I really want to see you have a great plot, with lots of deer action and success!!

Have a good one down at the Outer Banks!! it's kinda hard NOT to have a good time there!!

Let me know what kind of equipment you might be looking for also, might be able to help ya out.....

rem700man

Ok guys i have another question,,,,im planting the shot plot this morning and after a quick check on the 7 day weather i see that there is no rain in sight and it's supposed to get damn hot here wed. this upcoming week,,,i have access to a 500 gal water tank that i can pull behind the tractor,,,how long should i wait for rain before i start watering the food plot? we had about 2 good hours of rain here thursday night,,,im gonna start out discing in 150lbs of 19-19-19 and then roll and then sow the seed and finish up by rolling again,,am i forgetting anything?

Thanks again
Mike

haystack

Mike........it's a tuff call, but I've never watered brassicas. Last year was drier in my area than what I've got now and I planted the first week of Aug. It barely rained after planting and the brassicas still done OK. No doubt timely rains is necessary, but it's amazing what the brassicas can endure before they become irreversibly stunted.

Something that's a bigger threat in dry weather IMO, is grasshoppers. They will completely destroy a plot in short order, especially in dry hot weather. If you notice many grasshopper's in the fields around your plots, better have some liquid 10% "Sevin" spray on hand, just in case.

Bottom line, I would only water if the majority of the seed sprouts quickly and no rain what so ever falls for the next 2 weeks.

Here's some of mine from last year, it was ungodly dry when I planted these, followed by 2tenths a week after planting and light occasional rains in August. Finally got a ground soaker first of September.

rem700man

Haystack:
Thanks for the info,,,and i can only hope that our turnips come up that good! I made a super STUPID mistake! i bought a broadcast seeder from southern states and followed the directions as to settings for the fertilizer and it worked great,,,but the setting for the seed was'nt clear to me for some reason and i spread 5lbs of shot plot around the outside edges of the 2/3 acre! I had it set on #2 and it should have been set on the lowest setting,,,i also had a bag of rackmaster elite on hand so i spread it on the rest of the plot!!!! Im gonna see what happens in the next 3 weeks and if things dont look right to me im gonna make another plot and try those radishes and clover mix. I have put alot of planning into this and im pretty disgusted with myself right now for making such a dumb mistake,,,but we'll see how it turns out
Mike

haystack

Anybody who has ever planted brassicas has done the same thing! If they say they haven't, they're either not being very honest or ain't done much brassica plantin!

Just chalk it up as valuable experience and see what the outcome may be, you never know. It takes a while to get the hang of a new seeder also. Something else is, I always find it VERY hard to resist the urge to sow more brassica seed than necessary. The seed is very small and it just doesn't seem like a few pounds is enough, but with the right amount of moisture and fertilize, they quickly become quite large and fill in.

I've seeded way to heavy before and came back 3 weeks later with a disk adjusted with the least amount of angle as possible, and made one light pass with decent results. I've also let it go and had insects thin 'em pretty good

On another note, that Rackmaster elite has got some of the best clover seed on the planet! I haven't tried the Patriot clover (hear it's good stuff) but I've got a plot of the Durana, and I can honestly say it's the toughest, most heat and drought resistant clover I've ever grown, and deer love it! It's slow to get started (will be next spring before its thick and lush) but once it gets going, it's pretty much there to stay.

Hang in there, regardless of what happens with the brassicas, still have plenty of time and options!

rem700man

well...were gettin some well needed rain,,,im hopin the turnips and clover are lovin it as much as i am! This saturday will be a week since planting,,,when can i expect to see some germination? The older i get the more impatient i become!

haystack

There will be some brassicas sprouted and up the next time you pull into the field if you're going out Saturday, I guarantee there will be brassicas sprouted. Those things are one of the fastest sprouting seeds I know of. Three days after planting isn't unheard of, under the right conditions.

The clover takes a little longer, maybe 6 - 7 days and there will be clover sprouting in September still, just the nature of clover and white clover in particular.

Glad to hear you're getting some rain! Looks like a chance every day for the next 7 days, I'll take it! And I won't be complaining when these hot, humid days are behind us

rem700man

Haystack:
Man were you right!Turnips are up everywhere,,and they look to be pretty even,,,i see very little sign of the clover sprouting yet but we did get a few showers again last evening,,maybe that will help? I must say that this foodplot thing really has me excited!

haystack

The rains/soil moisture is definitely critical in getting the seeds sprouted and off to a good start, but extreme patience will be needed with the clover that's in the Rackmaster mix. Quick establishment is not it's main attribute, but life span/duration is, and once the clover gets established and growing, I think you will be very pleased. It's going to be next year before you see the full potential the clover has and the aggressiveness should continue for quite a few years.

Crimson Clover, some of the Red clovers as well as some of the annual clovers is very quick to sprout and grow if you might be wanting a clover plot sooner.

I recently seen a few bags of the Rackmaster Elite, the newest bags had the Trophy radish included but the old bags didn't. I'm curious whether or not yours was from the new batch or not? if so, I'd definitely like to know how the deer in your area use them compared to the brassicas in the Shot Plot.

And I agree, food plotting and growing stuff is not only fun and exiting, but very rewarding, especially when things work out, like the soaking rain we're getting today!