new roads and hills have to be seeded now?

[waumpuscat]

I need some help. I have a new road on my place and the hills and slopes are bare naked. I would love to have the right seeds on the ground as soon as possible and plan on covering with straw. I have more than 2 acres of total area to cover. Will it be ok to go ahead with my red clover this early as long as I cover with straw. I gotta do something or I will be paying the dozer man for a return trip. Any suggestions?

 

[deerchaser007]

The only thing for that situation and this time of season that i would throw down would be buckwheat. It might hold the road if it will take root and not wash away first. It will last you til september planting then you sow it in the red clover and i for sure would use winter wheat.

Sounds like you need a tractor and a boxblade. No need for that dozer to come back if you had a tractor and boxblade. Plus,.. a good dozier man would have left humps in those roads to prevent erosion and wash off. BUT,.. a tractor with a front-end loader will help that also. Those roads need humps 2 feet high every 30 to 50 yards depending on slope.

 

[stirrat]

wait till september oats and crimson i agree

 

[waumpuscat]

Do I buy the buckwheat at the co-op as well as the other seed?

 

[stirrat]

never bought buckwheat but coop usually has crimson and oats as fall approaches

 

[HOOK]

If the coop doesn't have buckwheat on hand they can order it for you.

 

[deerchaser007]

Yes,.. the co-op sells buckwheat. You may have to order it. They can get it fast though. 50 lbs per acre when broadcast.

For fall planting in september i would go with a dwarf essex rape, annual crimson clover, annual arrowleaf clover, and winter wheat. Its a great mix and will last til the following july. I find winter wheat works better in shady road beds than oats on my place.

You have applied lime and fertilizer haven't you?? If not,. you need to do that asap.

 

[waumpuscat]

yall are the best! I really appreciate the info and will commit to the regimen asap deerchaser007, what is the ratio for your mix? I have about 4 acres of road and food plot areas

 

[deerchaser007]

buckwheat is 50 lb per acre ,... you need to have this done before the middle of july. A planting of buckwheat will last 40 to 50 days ,..
don't forget lime and fertilizer,.. all them roads and all that work is useless if the soil is not properly amended. SOIL TEST.......if you have not allready. Its the most important thing in a food plot.
If you have 4 acres in total ,.. i would highly recommend at least 1 acre in a perennial. The one that gets the most light to the surface. Best mix for that is:
5 lbs ladino clover
10 lbs medium red clover (biennial)
2-3 lbs chicory ( i prefer tecomate)
50lbs wheat as a nurse crop

The roadbeds and smaller areas annual planting. The mix is:
15 lbs crimson clover
5 lb arrowleaf clover
5 lb dwarf essex rape
50 lb winter wheat
PER ACRE
The above is BSK's mix he uses. Last year i had austrian winter peas in my mix and was not crazy about it. Early grazing wiped them out. I don't like that,.. so i prefer his mix.

The reason for the perennial plot is because it will provide forage when the annuals have gone in july. The arrowleaf clover will be the last 1 standing in july. The crimson and wheat will die out in late may early june. BUT,.. in mid july you can go in and bush hog the plot and overseed in buckwheat again. THEN,.. in september,.. lightly disc and reseed the clovers and resow the wheat.

With 4 acres you have alot of choices that i don't in other plantings ,.. but this is still one of the best ways to go no matter how many acres you have. It works.

Good luck,.. and keep us posted on your results. DC007

And by the way,.... in areas were you have the most light reaching the surface i would use buck forage oats over winter wheat. That stuff is AWESOME.

 

[waumpuscat]

deerchaser, would you get your ingredients for this mix from the co-op? including the buck forage oats?

 

[deerchaser007]

buckwheat and buck forage oats yes.

The D.E. rape might be a problem unless you want 50 lb. The clovers can be bought at the co-op ,.. make sure they are pre inoculated or you must buy inoculate and do it yourself. All legumes require a inoculate.

When the co-op fails try other seed stores that you trust or is recommended by someone else.
When that fails,... try cooperseed.com or abseed.com.... i've ordered from both and had good success.

 

[RJmarine]

I've been planting the free seed mix given away by TWRA since last year. They say its for small game, but the deer seem to like it most. Think it's quailhaven soybeans, cowpeas, milo, millets, buckwheat, some type of lespedeza, and partridge pea. I normally plant it in my poorer soils and it still grows well. Makes for a good dove field too, although a little late for that now. You can get the seed from the game warden. Comes in 5 lb bags.

 

[waumpuscat]

I wonder what the limit is on what they provide? Thanks for the tip.