A Series of Time Lapse Pictures
10-14-2017, 06:28 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
A Series of Time Lapse Pictures
This series of pictures shows the progress of one of my small plots (0.4 acre) that was planted on 9/23 in dry dry ground. Dates at bottom of each picture.
11-12-2017, 03:02 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Germany/Calif.
Posts: 2,664
I'm surprised with all that straw and decomposing material around, the seeds and freshly germinated seedlings did so well.
They always told me that freshly decomposing mulch was a hostile environment for young plants. The decomposition uses up a lot of necessary nutrients and promotes fungus.
I was told extra nitrogen helps some. Maybe a fungicide would also help?
Your plots seem to be doing fine though. Maybe good seed and good plant type selection helps?
They always told me that freshly decomposing mulch was a hostile environment for young plants. The decomposition uses up a lot of necessary nutrients and promotes fungus.
I was told extra nitrogen helps some. Maybe a fungicide would also help?
Your plots seem to be doing fine though. Maybe good seed and good plant type selection helps?
11-12-2017, 11:22 AM
#6
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
This plot is on its 3rd. year of no-till. The first year I did a "throw and mow", the second year was a "throw and mow, then roll". This year was "throw and roll" (no mowing at all). Results have improved each year. It seems that the better the thatch/mulch build up, the better the results. I suspect two things come into play - it hides seed from the birds and it holds moisture much better than tilled soil.
11-13-2017, 12:19 PM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: a van down by the river
Posts: 8,939
Holding in that moisture is the key, and that's why a lot of the farmers around here have made the switch to no-till. Pretty dry climate here and moisture is almost always an issue, so anything that can be done to save moisture will often save yields.
