DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Yes...if the deer allow them to produce I'll leave them and sow a fall blend into the standing beans.
Food Plots *Final Update* Summer plot...crazy question?
- Thread starter DoubleRidge
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Yes...if the deer allow them to produce I'll leave them and sow a fall blend into the standing beans.
This is exactly my plan.
BSK
Well-Known Member
I had planned on using Lerado soybeans in my mixture, but couldn't find them, so I ended up using the Co-ops RR soybeans as well. Price was shocking good. Looking forward to seeing how they do over the long term. So far, germination has been good.
Very cool, watching! Thanks for updating, good luck.
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Checked on experimental sow and bush hog RR soybeans.....some areas are thick and some areas are thin....kinda patchy....but there are soybeans growing with minimal effort....weeds and grasses are starting to show so in the next week or so I'll spray glysophate....and in certain parts of the plot I can already see evidence of deer browse.....not terrible but they have nipped the tops off several plants.
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DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Not to go off topic of soybeans....but another experimental plot we tried .... spraying then returned to sow buckwheat into standing dead vegetation.... followed by a couple of heavy rains the dead thatch is laying down and the buckwheat is coming up.....not perfect but it's working.
Neither the soybeans or the buckwheat plots will win any awards....but given the minimal time spent on them they are doing ok.
Neither the soybeans or the buckwheat plots will win any awards....but given the minimal time spent on them they are doing ok.
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Like yours my beans are coming up, and so are the weeds. I DIDN'T plant RR beans but will next year. I just don't see the cost difference being a huge hinderance. Good to see your progress!
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Checked on "experimental" sow and bush hog RR soybeans today....went ahead and sprayed them with glysophate....hoping to knock the grass and weeds back....the deer have clearly found them and unfortunately numerous plants have the tops nipped off.... but several smaller bean plants are covered in the weedy areas....so we'll see how it goes once the glysophate kicks in.....I knew going in 1½ acres was going to be challenging with beans but wanted to experiment and see if the technique would work..... already I can see that if I want to grow beans in this particular location a 3 strand electric fence will be required....will post another update after the glysophate kicks in.
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Final update on the experimental "sow & mow" RR beans: sprayed them with glysophate little over two weeks ago. Made it to the plot today to check on it and a big doe was standing in plot eating away.....as for the technique.... germination was "ok" some areas did good, some areas were thin....a bit patchy....and being RR it did help being able to knock the weeds and grass back....so it did work.
Problem is the deer won't leave them alone.... majority are nipped off and none of them are over a foot tall....never had planted beans in this location and knew it would likely get hammered....but again, wanted to experiment with a different technique of planting.
But after two years of growing beans in 3 different food plots from 1.5 to 3 acres I'm convinced (in our area) we will need to use the three strand electric fence system to allow the beans to get up to a point where they can tolerate browsing.....I'm also interested in trying the Eagle forage type beans in the future.....but no complaint about the RR beans we got from co-op....for the money....I was pleased with performance.... especially considering our non conventional planting method.
Problem is the deer won't leave them alone.... majority are nipped off and none of them are over a foot tall....never had planted beans in this location and knew it would likely get hammered....but again, wanted to experiment with a different technique of planting.
But after two years of growing beans in 3 different food plots from 1.5 to 3 acres I'm convinced (in our area) we will need to use the three strand electric fence system to allow the beans to get up to a point where they can tolerate browsing.....I'm also interested in trying the Eagle forage type beans in the future.....but no complaint about the RR beans we got from co-op....for the money....I was pleased with performance.... especially considering our non conventional planting method.
Here's my mix of 2 forage beans, sunn hemp, sunflowers, and cowpeas. I can plant small plots and not worry about over browsing because we don't have enough deer anymore to worry about that.10 or 20 years ago, couldn't have gotten away with it, but now you sure can. I bet this is maybe 1/2 acre if that. I will just broadcast wheat over it in the fall.
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JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing DR!
Man, I just wish quality seed was less expensive. Eagle, Green Cover Seed, etc…that I want to plant is crazy high. I decided I wanted a really late season brassica to plant this fall and decided on kale. Called around and it is almost $7 / lb….nope, going with a different one.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
As long as you aren't growing a plot full of weeds because you either didn't get a good stand of beans OR the deer ate all the beans leaving too many bare spots, id consider the plot a huge success.
My smaller summer plots didn't produce a great stand of what I drilled in May, but my attention to weed control over the past couple years has paid off... almost no weed competition... to the point where I likely will not even need to spray prior to my fall planting.
My smaller summer plots didn't produce a great stand of what I drilled in May, but my attention to weed control over the past couple years has paid off... almost no weed competition... to the point where I likely will not even need to spray prior to my fall planting.
