So I purchased a new house with 7 ac. and we have deer & turkey everywhere. So I tilled up about 1/3 ac. and the plan was this: 1) lime & fert - early spring 2) plant thick & heavy with oats early for weed suppression - spring 3) mow oats and plant brassica mix - mid/late June 4) frost seed clover next spring

Reality: 1) lime/fert/plant oats & buckwheat - May 19 2) lots of weeds & "weeds" - didn't know that the buckwheat wasn't a weed!!! 2) mowed weeds June 20 3) oats came in quite well (still a lot of weeds) and are starting to brown up

So I think the plan now is this: 1) let oats dry and then mow so they will reseed - hopefully thicker (might add more oats next spring 2) then seed the brassicas and clover together next June

What do folks think? Any suggestions or alternative thoughts. Basically working with minimal equipment and as low a budget as possible.

PS - the turkeys loved the plot before it was really growing and then they and their broods have been in the tall oats. deer have been all around it also. so i guess it has been a "success" so far

Why not spray with glyphosate ASAP.

Then in a week or two you should still have enough time to plant some sort of groundhog radish/winter rye/DER mixture. Just broadcast and cultipack.

Another option would be to spray, and plant winter rye/clover. That way you will have clover coming in next spring and it will be ahead of the weeds. The rye acts as a cover crop this fall and next spring until the clover is established.

^ that would work, though I'd add some clovers and go easy on the brassicas (so not to shade out all of the clover).

I wouldn't count on the oats reseeding themselves. That does not happen very often.

I agree with buckmaster on the winter rye (brassicas would be good for the fall as well). Winter rye makes great fall and early spring feed, it is not expensive, grows well, and tolerates poor soil. The turkeys will love the winter rye next spring and summer just like they do the oats.

Thumbs up for the winter rye and clover plot. Also winter rye doesn't require much fertilize.

Thanks for the advice. That does sound like a good plan. I don't realy want to spray (I have a sprayer but it's broke & I have been wanting to convert it to a boom instead of single nozzle - could use some advice there as well). Maybe I'll mow it, get sprayer up an working, see if my neighbor can rototill it again, then spread the rye & clover (& brassicas, just to get rid of them).