Planting in strips...
 

Is it beneficial to plant a field in strips? In other words, plant clover in a swath 50' wide and then leave weeds...then plant another 50' of clover and so on.

I've seen this and was wondering if there are benefits/drawbacks. Won't the weeds leech into the clover?

Thanks

RE: Planting in strips...
 

Weeds may creep in, but should be able to control only with mowing. The advantages are an extra food source, bedding area, and cover for deer. Other species such as rabbits and quail will also benifit from this practice. If you have the space, I think it would be great thing to do.

RE: Planting in strips...
 

I would never leave it in weeds, they look bad and dont help the soil, plant it in another food source maybe 4 or 6 rows of corn then maybe some Japenese millet or alfalfa, but dont let weeds take over.

RE: Planting in strips...
 

Tall weeds make great bedding spots for deer in summer/fall. gives deer a variety of browse too. Weeds will show up in the plot it is next to, but generally the following year when seeds sprout. Carefully timed mowing can eliminate weed seed heads before they mature, reducing weeds next year.

As deer run across a field they will often stop at each change in field crop, this can be an advantage during gun season.

RE: Planting in strips...
 

I agree with RonM in No-Weeds - Not if you can help it - If you cant plant all the strips - then keep the "weed strips" mowed. The last thing you want is Strips of Ragweed or Goldenrod going to seed in the fall - right on top of your plots!

Plant strips perpendicular to the prevailing winds - Strips of corn/milo - even rye gone to seed - make excellent windbreaks. snow catchers and snowfences in the winter. The additional snow that falls on the plots can make all the difference if the next summer is Dry.

Also - I like to alternate summer, fall, winter plots - in strips.

RE: Planting in strips...
 

I don't think the weed strips are a bad idea at all.

#1. Deer feed on weeds throughout the year. The weeds are also known as forbes and make up a significant part of a deer's diet.

#2. The weed strips will become travel corridors for the deer passing from one block of timber to another. These are excellent places to hunt.

#3. The weed strips allow for ground blinds for deer or turkey.

#4. The clover will usually last 3-4 years. I doubt you will have that bad of a case of weed intrusion from the weed strips.

#5. If you can't leave the weeds, plant 16 rows of corn. Less than that and the deer just eat it off. 16 rows allows for some thermal and visual cover as well. It equates to 40' width at 30" rows.

#6. The weeds will benefit other species of wildlife such as song birds and quail/pheasants. Don't mow it or you will disturb nests and prohibit seed growth which is winter feed for the birds.

Good luck!

RE: Planting in strips...
 

Here's a look at strips we had last fall. The dead, standing strips - is Cereal Rye - planted the previous fall, and left standing all year. In-Between the strips, I mowed the mature rye, and disked in the seed heads to get a new crop this fall. The disked in plot isn't as heavy as the original plot was, but it still did well.



Behind the strips in the foreground are the Sunflowers, then Corn - You can see there is a strip of Goldenrod too - though I didn't really mean to have it. Behind them is another clover field - It was red clover, planted 2 years ago - this summer I lightly disked and overseeded Alsike Clover - hoping to thincken the plot.

The Field is about 8 acres altogether - no "strip" is larger than 2 acres, most are much smaller.

Strips work great for me - They make excellent distance markers too if you hunt the field!

RE: Planting in strips...
 

Weeds can promote more problems, but they will give some cover/bedding. There is a bedding mix coming up in the nest week. Should last 25 to 50 years... grasses...

RE: Planting in strips...
 

As long as the "weed" isn't fescue, then leave it alone. Long linear plots next to fallow strips creates a lot of edge and provides valuable small game cover & food. Don't be upset with stuff like Ragweed and foxtail - they are some of the best natural quail foods out there. The attitude that weeds are bad and that clean fields with every available inch planted to crop is one of the main reasons that quail and other small game numbers have plummetted over the last few decades. Those "weeds" are needed much more than any food plot you plant for deer. Sorry I got off topic a bit.

RE: Planting in strips...
 

I think I would at least partially disagree with Darton02. Birds need the grasses for security and warmth during the winter. They need bugs and cereals for nutrition. A good clover/alfalfa crop will greatly out perform weeds when it comes to bugs, which the young birds need.