Hey guys, looking for some advice on a subject I know nothing about. I gained access to a property that I think has great potential for a plot. In the middle of the timber, there's a a large grassy clearing in a bottom that has ridges on the sides. It essentially makes a big bowl. The clearing is about 20-30yds wide at varying points and 150yds long. There is a very heavy trail that runs through this clearing as well as a creek that meanders along the side of it. The edge of the clearing curves and follows the edge of the woods. Currently there is just short (3-5") grass in the clearing. It gets plenty of sunlight. My thought is that they'll come down off the ridges where they are bedded up on and feed in the bottom along the creek. I think it would be a prime spot to catch a buck before he heads up to the big fields. I've also got great access to hunt this plot via an old logging road and a pipeline. My problem is that I don't have any equipment. I'm considering using some throw and grow throughout the clearing. Not sure what my other options are. So, that being said, any experiences? The fields around me will be beans, alfalfa, and winter wheat. Any recommendations??
Spray it to kill off the existing vegetation. Can you get a garden tiller back there? It'd be a bit of work, but you could use a garden tiller to break up the ground before you plant your seed.
Here is what i would do, In mid may I would go in and spray it with round up. you can get a 2 1/2 gallon 41 percent glysophate concentrate from a farm store for around 40 dollars. get a sprayer, 10-35 for a hand held, a backpack sprayer is under a hundred I would think. once you have killed it off in may i would go in and spread some pelletized lime if necessary. a soil test would tell you if it is. Then in the second week of July i would go in and spray it with round up again. then starting around july 20th look for the ten day forecast to show you a few days with good chances of rain. when you see that go in and broadcast on a mix of brassicas, (I will describe what I would plant in a minute.) spread on some 19-19-19 fertilizer, and pray for the rain. The advantage to spraying glysophate twice is by the time you are ready to broadcast it will be bare dirt. everything will be dead from thew two chemical burn downs. so you will get good seed to soil contact. if you plant right before a rain the dirt will splash onto the seed causing good germination. as far as what I would plant, I would look to put together a mix of diakon radishes, purple top turnips, and dwarf essex rape. the advantage of the raddishes and turnips is they put down a big tap root. so they will penetrate unworked ground fairly easily. I have done this method with some good success! Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes.
This is great advice and was exactly what I was thinking you should do. Turnip and rape seed is very small (like clover). The seed does not need to be tilled in or covered very deep. Seed to soil contact would be all that you need. A hand sprayer and bag seeder are the only tools needed. Just make sure not to over seed and go by the recommended lbs per acre. Im not really a throw and grow fan.... they tend to be loaded with rye grass.... Good luck!
search some of my old posts and I have done this spray round up a few times and broadcast and drag seeding method! worked great.
Sounds like a great spot. I would split the plot though. 1/2 Brassica, and 1/2 cereal grain (rye,oats,wheat). I have seen on occasion where deer won't touch brassica right away. That how I would play it safe. Good luck, John
Didn't have a problem last fall on a couple of my shaded spots. The plot below gets a couple hrs of sunlight in the afternoon and seemed to do pretty well. You can see the winter rye and clover coming back this spring. Pic from end of September 2012 2 weeks after planting (rye, oats on right July planted turnips on left)
Englum, multiply your length and width in yards and divide by 4,840 Ex. 20 x 150 =3000 3000\ 4840 = .62 acres
cereal grain plots will grow in shade, but a little slower than a full sun area. I have one surrounded by pines and cedars and it does fine.
