Buckeye's "new to land management / improvement" thread.

Discussion in 'Food Plots & Habitat Improvement' started by buckeye, Mar 28, 2015.

  1. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    I will be seeding and dragging the plot tomorrow. Rain is forecast off and on for Monday thru Thursday.
     
  2. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    This was tilled a few months ago and we had a good bit of heavy rain since. Should I run the atv disc across it before seeding to break up the surface or leave it as is?

    I understand discing could bring up seeds causing weeds to grow.

    Just looking for advice.
     
  3. TwoBucks

    TwoBucks Grizzled Veteran

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    Your doing non spray able stuff? Was it sprayed earlier this year? Could try dragging if it's hard. If it's rock hard I'd just go ahead and disc it up either way. 50-50 weeds/food is better than nothing


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  4. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    Imperial winter greens. I sprayed it 3.5 weeks ago and mowed the kill off last Friday.

    It isn't rock hard.

    Here is a photo of the ground from last Friday.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. TwoBucks

    TwoBucks Grizzled Veteran

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    If you sprayed it already I'd till/disc it. Good chance that you won't have a weed problem


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  6. JakeD

    JakeD Grizzled Veteran

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    I'd definitely run a disc across it and break it up some. You want to try and get as much seed to soil contact as possible and that dead grass will prevent that if it isn't broke up.
     
  7. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    We have only got two very light and brief rains since I seeded the plot 3 weeks ago. No rain in the forecast for the next 10 days. Figures.

    Photo from today.

    [​IMG]

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  8. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    This photo is from two weeks ago after I was able to get back in the timber to mow the clover plot. It was heavily weeded because I wasn't able to get the mower back there from all the rain and mud. We went from constant non stop flooding rains to a drought.

    Taken 8/7. I checked this plot today and the clover has come back in very nice with little weed regrowth. Don't know why but I forgot to snap a photo. This photo does the plot no justice to how well the clover established.

    This clover sure is easy to work with if you fall behind on maintenance.

    [​IMG]

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    Last edited: Aug 23, 2015
  9. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    Winter greens plot. Still no rain, the only moisture this has gotten is from the morning dew other than a sprinkle once or twice a couple weeks ago. It's been very hot here to, can't believe it is growing.

    The second photo I put in some radish at the same time as the wintergreens and it is a no go so far.

    Crazy how the wintergreens are growing and the radish isn't.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

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  10. JakeD

    JakeD Grizzled Veteran

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    I feel your pain in the rain situation. Its been really dry here and some of my plots are looking rough.

    I think your plots look pretty nice right now, especially the wintergreens. Do you have a recent picture of your clover?
     
  11. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    No, our opener is the 26th of this month so I did not enter the timber at all.

    All I have on trail cam here all summer is a lot of doe family groups and a half dozen year old bucks. Nothing 2 or older. Pretty surprised by this but I know they will be around later with all of the does.
     
  12. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    Plot took off after the rain. Amazing what rain and a week will do to the growth.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    First buck older than a yearling this summer here. Just showed up on the 11th. Although, still no target bucks.

    [​IMG]



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  13. tynimiller

    tynimiller Legendary Woodsman

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    Buck love reading about this spot man and all you've done and still plan. Sometime I need to swing by in the summer offseason and see it if you and the landowner would allow a tour. Just love seeing all things habitat that others are doing and is working for them.
     
  14. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    That would be no problem if you're ever over on this side of the state.
     
  15. Rick James

    Rick James Grizzled Veteran

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    Scott - Did your radishes take off too? I was having the same problem with mine down south, but it's been three weeks. I hope they have caught up by now....
     
  16. buckeye

    buckeye Grizzled Veteran

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    Just a touch. Of the few that did germenate the leaves are the size of a dime to a quarter. Appears that they won't make it.
     
  17. buckeyehntr5

    buckeyehntr5 Die Hard Bowhunter

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    Scott, what I would do with the failed radish plot is to buy some winter rye and over seed the plot. Winter rye will germinate very easy with no tillage needed. Deer love it around my area and it also benefits the soil tremendously. Its very cold hardy and will grow with temps close to freezing. The seeding rate I go by when doing this is 80-100lbs/acre. Also it is fairly cheap at $12-$18/50# bag
     
  18. tynimiller

    tynimiller Legendary Woodsman

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    I would also go in and overseed with Winter Rye/Oat mix. If some seed places still have some soybeans ready to rock I wouldn't even be afraid to sprinkle some of that in. Fresh short soybean growth will be killer in October and could potentially have a window of 30-40 days yet before frost threat looms in our area (IN/OH). We aren't trying to get pods just succulent young growth/leafs.
     
  19. tynimiller

    tynimiller Legendary Woodsman

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    Got a picture? I overseeded bulb brassicas first year and everything was stunted so much nothing really grew at all....
     
  20. tynimiller

    tynimiller Legendary Woodsman

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    Another thought though is soil make up. Some of our soils have been very hard to get brassicas growin on due to their make up. Constant rain is needed on one plot otherwise it is simply way too hard and almost clay based to allow the turnips/brassicas room to breathe as I put it. Now that same plot will grow Rye/Oats just fine...so we've been throwing that and some other stuff mixed in and shallow tilling it back into the soil each year...building the soil will always make a difference in your plots yields moving forward for sure. Sucks and takes time but it is what it is as they say.
     

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