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

We've used this. Tom from Monsterraxx also has an awesome brassica blend and so does PastorAndrew from the forums here as well. The key is proper soil and not over-seeding, which is incredibly easy to do with the tiny seeds.

 

Thanks again guys. I ordered the soil test kit earlier this morning from the Whitetail Institute.

 

Do I need to let this soil dry out before I send it in Whitetail Institute? It is fairly wet.

 

yes I would let it dry out a bit before putting it in the bag. Just dig up several locations from your plot put them all in a bucket to mix together and dry then fill the bag.

 

Yep.....this

 

Thanks guys. I took samples from 8 locations in the area to plant.

Just lay it out and let it air dry?

 

Yea just lay it
Out so as much moisture as possible can evaporate. Once its pretty dry bag it up and send it in. I'm drying out 3 soil samples myself right now

 

Sorry if I missed it but what equipment do you have to work with?


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A 4 wheeler and a pull behind 36 inch rototiller. Also a pull behind sprayer.

I may pay someone or rent a tractor with a pto driven rototiller to break soil the first time.

 

If it had the option. I would plant corn and soybeans on the from 12 acres. Corn up front to use as a screen and then beans in the back. They will dry out and deer will hit them through late season. In you hinge cut operation I would try to clear a few openings to put in some small kill plots with clover and chicory. Maybe one or two small turnip plots. If legal I would put out one mineral station and then set up a few cams to pattern them and a plot watcher on the beans to find out where there enter the field from. Good luck!!

 

The front section will be beans or corn, won't know for sure until it starts coming up or if I run into the farmer. I am really hoping for corn.

I do have a mineral station out now, I placed it up front near the pond. I put a cheap wildgame innovations camera up over it as I do not know if there is a theft issue here or not. I have had at least 6 cameras stolen over the years so I tread lightly anymore. This is the first camera I have put up in 3 years. Although, I assume there isn't a theft problem as the land owner has ladder stands up all over the property and none have been stolen. I will be removing the majority of them though.

This shows the location of the minerals.

 

If you could let me know if the wintergreens is worth what ever expense this might be to lime and fertilize (no idea how much it costs), or if I should look into something different. I am not looking for a picturesque result, just want the stuff to grow.

Advise?

 

This is a perfect example of how important a soil test is. Your ph is pretty low. For that reason, lime should be your #1priority. Even with no fertilizer at all, a plot will grow much better in a soil with optimal ph than one with a ph that low. This is where the majority of new food plotters get discouraged. If you were to just throw seed out in that area without increasing the soil ph, it will not do very well...regardless of what you plant. Lime is really cheap if you buy from a co-op in bulk.....I load up a 5x8 trailer with sides on it. It's more important than fertilizer because an optimal ph is what helps plants utilize the nutrients in the soil, so even if you dump a bunch of fertilizer on the plot, without the proper ph the plants will be able to use a much smaller percentage of it. Keep in mind also that the surrounding properties likely have similar soil, so if you take the effort to improve yours, the deer will notice. According to some studies, deer can tell how nutritious a plant is by tasting it, and they will search out higher quality food. My recommendation would be for you to decide what your budget is first...then go talk to your local farm co-op. Take the soil test results with you. Find out exactly what it will cost you to do exactly what the recommendations are. Keep in mind those recommendations are for OPTIMUM results. But if your budget won't allow for that much fertilizer at once, spend your money on lime first. Then spend what is left on fertilizer. You will end up better off than buying half as much of each. Honestly, your soil is typical of an area in the woods that hasn't ever been planted. That's why a lot of small plots in the woods don't do very well. 1 ton of lime (about $20 for me) per acre will go a long way to improving that soil for future years and will make your fertilizer more effective. Stuff will grow in it simply because it's dirt....but it will likely be stunted& yellowish. The willingness to do it right is what separates great plots from mediocre ones. Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the reply.

I figure if I am going to do it, I am going to do it.

The area up front I have calculated to be .75 acres, or 32,000 square feet.

Tell me if I am wrong, this is telling me that I need:
1,376 pounds of lime and
130 pounds of 34-0-0 (or) 80 pounds of 0-46-0

What would you recommend for the fertilizer of the two choices?

Also, in the past you mentioned organic matter percentage and soil water retention. How do those check out on this?

 

You need both the 34-0-0 (nitrogen) and the 0-46-0 (phosphorus).

Your organic matter is good, which will help with nutrient retention. Your CEC is low (below 11) so water retention isn't the greatest...however, brassicas like winter greens actually prefer a well drained soil so that should not be an issue.

 

Thanks for the clarification, I misread the report where it said to pick one fertilizer group.

How should I go about liming this?

This is my assumption, correct me where ever needed...

I need to mow it down and then spray it with weed killer?
Then do I lime it and then till it in?

What time of spring/summer should I do these steps?

Again, thanks for your experiences.

 

Yes you should mow it first, wait 4-5 days at least, then spray it. I would till it up first then spread lime on top fairly close to a good rain. You should do this sooner rather than later. Lime takes time (months) to work into the soil, so the sooner you get it on the ground the more effect it will have by fall planting time. I'm doing my lime applications right now.

 

I procured access to a PTO driven tractor / rototiller.

Would I be better off tilling under as it sits now and adding the lime, then spraying later on as the weeds come back on? Or is it best to mow and then spray first before tilling and liming? I will always have access to the 36" wide pull behind rototiller to retill this plot after the tractor is returned.

I found lime for $37 a ton up the road and I have a 4x8 trailer with 36" walls. So the lime will not be an issue. Cant find this fertilizer yet though, still have to call more places.

 

Depends on how much weed cover you have now. If it's really thick you could clog up the tiller...but if it's not very tall you should be able to till it now

 

As far as fertilizer, you may not be able to find the exact mix...but you can get close. When you call, ask for urea (46-0-0) . Most places have that. straight phosphorus may be more difficult. But remember you can use multiple bags of a smaller dose to get the same result...for example, 100lbs of 10-10-10 is the same as 50lbs. If 20-20-20