Fall Wildlife Plot question

[2thDoc]

Well, its that time of year again...but the daggum soil sucks. Dry as a bone and the weeds are head high and brown as the devil. I know its time to start getting my fall plots in the ground, but I wonder A) if I'm wasting my time and B) how to go about it.

Should I spray the dead/dying fallow crap with round-up, wait a week, then mow, disc, etc?

or should i just mow it and start discing and be ready to plant a bit sooner than if i had to wait on the round-up to work?

we are planting rye, wheat, oats, and clover...and a few plots of Rackmaster...some with the kale and all that crap.

so, how to proceed and when to proceed? will it ever rain? will my dirt be full of weed if I don't spray first? also, how about my chufa plots? what do i need to do to them before the spring? do i fertilize now or later??

[Claimer]

I encountered the same problem. I just mowed plowed and planted. The best looking plot in years. My plants are 5 inches high and bright green. I got a half inch of rain the day after I planted and it was on. Its too late to round up . I went and spread 1 lb of collard seeds in one plot and theys purdy already. I'll eat what the deer and turkeys don't get.

[Stuckie]

I'm in the same boat. I think I'm just gonna bush hog, wait a week and disc the heck out of it. I'm going to plant mainly oates. I've been meaning to do this a little earlier, but it has been so dry that it was really no need to try to plant anything.

[DUCKMAN]

Toofer - it is real tough right now - we got a brand new no-till planter - $16,000 worth and right now it will not scratch the surface!

You mentioned chufa - you need some MAJOR hog control to even think about that! They will root and eat the seeds as you plant them - they love them better than corn!

[Catdaddy]

Your chufa should already be made and going dorment. I would not the weeds or bother them at this time. Mowing or disturbing them could cause them to sprout and there isn't enough time for them to make chufa nuts again before winter. Wait until we have had a freeze to mow or disk.

As far as the other plantings.....if you can disk it, it's a good time to plant it.


just my two cents.

[2thDoc]

not worried about the chufa...what the hogs didn't eat is doing well, and is going dormant at this time. we will not touch those plots...other than any fertilizing that is recomended.

my concern is what to do with the bean and vetch plots and when to do it???!!??!

[Catdaddy]

Originally posted by 2thDoc:
my concern is what to do with the bean and vetch plots and when to do it???!!??!

Are you asking what to plant in those plots for winter feed?

If so what are you planning to plant there next spring?

[Sportin' Woodies]

roundup will only tickle plants this stressed.
you could bushhog, but unless we get rain, the stuff you mow is just gonna sit there and prevent the discs from digging.
sometimes works better to disc standing weeds.

[2thDoc]

nice 'stache, Sport.

i was gonna bushhog, then rake, before discing....but i now what you mean, if the disc will get through it, might as well skip the bushhog.

as for catdaddys question, I have beans and peas and some vetch plots. i plan to turn them into rye, oats, wheat, clover for the fall and winter. they will not be re-planted until june or july of next year.


so, nothing in the spring...except the clover.

[Catdaddy]

Listen to SW......he knows.

[2thDoc]

that may be true, catdaddy, but he sits in wooden stands and is gonna die some day. i need to hear from people that will be on this earth a little longer.

plus, he still thinks i'm some old crusty dentist....

[DUCKMAN]

You mean you aren't.....well I'll be damned!

LOL

[Duckman#1]

Mowed all the plots today and looked at the white clover patches to see which one might need reseeding . Need some rain and the red clover should start coming back anytime now.

[Sportin' Woodies]

i dont know much.

[HARV]

Don't worry 2th you just need rain!

[mirroman]

2th, is burning it an option????

[2thDoc]

no. too many one acre plots. this is not a single field.

plus, you light a match out at my place right now and the whole place will burn to the ground.

i am just trying to get opinions about how to plant/prepare these plots under these conditions.

[Claimer]

Take another pop of that gas in yer office and nothing will matter. You can just dream of green fields.

[mirroman]

We sprayed most of ours a month or 2 ago, so it is probably a waste to do that now. The few we didn't spray we just dropped the disc and started plowing... It may take a while, but you should get results. I think it is late enough in the year that the weeds may come back but the cooler weather should stunt them. After all that just keep doing that rain dance...