Farming Question
 

We have about 1-2 acres recently planted in wheat. I won' t go into detail how it got there as it' s not important to my question. The wheat tends to grow all winter and in the spring takes off, heads out and ripens in May.

For those of you who farm or know about such things, what should be done next spring/early summer? Let nature take its course? Plow it under or cut it? Should we plant something else for the summer?

The area is somewhat arrid and in the spring and summer months there seems to be plenty of other food sources available to the deer which is what I am primarily interested in although there are some quail as well. I would like wheat in that location again next fall and winter to attract and help the deer out.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

RE: Farming Question
 

Clip after it heads and replant in the fall.Be sure to do soil samples and lime and fertilize when needed.

RE: Farming Question
 

Thanks Lunchbucket!

Do I wait to clip until it' s golden or does it matter? Do I plant the clipped heads as is or does anything need to be done?

Again, thanks!

RE: Farming Question
 

I would plow it in and then go back and replant next year, deer would rather eat newer planted winter wheat due to the tenderness, what we do in Ga. hope this helps

RE: Farming Question
 

Elkhair - I' ve got some small plots of winter wheat that I let go to seed - the deer and song birds particularly favor the ripened wheat. When the ripened wheat is mostly consumed, I' ve either mow the field and let it lay fallow ' til the fall planting cycle, or disk the field and plant buckwheat as an interim cover crop. As noted in the above post, keep on top of any needed nitrogen or lime amendments by soil testing. As far as a fall forage crop, I' ve had deer walk through the winter wheat to get to winter oats (Buck forage oats), so if you have a choice and limited acreage, consider the oats.
-fsh

RE: Farming Question
 

The best thing to do for the next crop, is to Mow it when the heads first start to appear and plow it right under. At no other time in Wheat (or barley, oats, rye triticle - etc) is the plant more easily broken down in the soil bacteria - or have more nutrients in the body of the plant. If you plow it under later on - the nutrients to get Bound up in the seed heads or in straw, that takes a long time to break down. This process is especially good if the field has little organic matter or has been fallow for some time.

Obvoiusly, if you mow and plow it under in June - You either do not want to replant until Sept or Plant again in June - plow under & re-plant in Sept. This three crop rotation will keep the plot always attractive to deer. Though it does little for quail or pheasant.

Rather than replant 3 times per year - I would recommend a three plot rotation for clover/wheat where you plant wheat in plot 1 in the first fall - overseed it with white or alsike clover. Allow wheat plot to mature, mow it when brown (July-Aug)- rake it off or mulch it good (preffered method is to mulch good).

The Clover that emerges becomes the plot for that fall - and the next. In Fall #2 prepare new plot #2, prepare as before - In Fall #3 prepare new plot #3 - prepare as already stated - In Fall #4 - you plow under clover plot #1 - and start again. With this system - the clover provides ample Nitrogen for the subsequent Wheat plots - and you rarely have to feertilize.

Good luck.

RE: Farming Question
 

Just go in about March and seed clover in it, after the clover starts then bush hog the wheat if you aren' t going to combine it, l if you combine it make sure the harvestor has straw choppers on and not straw walkers, the clover will come..