Seeding rates

[BUCK-J]

I,ve always seeded heavy but I can't find the rates I have used before . Soil test are in ph is good and going to fertilize accordingly . I put the same mixture in all plots .

What do you think ? per acre 100 lbs. certified winter wheat , 50 lbs. buck forage oats , 10 lbs. austrian winter peas , 15 lbs. crimson clover , 8lbs. ladino clover . maybe atad bit of rape thrown in . What say you ?

 

[Quailman]

I,ve always seeded heavy but I can't find the rates I have used before . Soil test are in ph is good and going to fertilize accordingly . I put the same mixture in all plots .

What do you think ? per acre 100 lbs. certified winter wheat , 50 lbs. buck forage oats , 10 lbs. austrian winter peas , 15 lbs. crimson clover , 8lbs. ladino clover . maybe atad bit of rape thrown in . What say you ?

Buck-J, way too high on the seeding rates. Most of the rates you mentioned are for a single-species planting rate. Here are a couple of options:
50 lbs. wheat
10 lbs. crimson clover
20 lbs. winter peas
2 lbs. rape

100lbs. wheat/oats
20 lbs. winter peas
2 lbs. rape

Also, if you are planning on this being an annual plot, then remove the ladino clover. Ladino is a perennial. If you want to utilize it as a perennial plot, then here is another mix based on what you have:

5 lbs. ladino
10 lbs. crimson
50 lbs. wheat/oats
1 lb. rape

Of course, I would add red clover and chicory to this mix as well, but you will have back off on some of your rates.

 

[BUCK-J]

What happens when you seed to high , is it the waste of money or competition among plants or what . I know ladino is a perenial but it seems the crimson dies off in the spring and the ladino comes on all summer . I just plow it under and go again the next year . Also the peas seem to be eaten up within 4 to 6 weeks . Seems like when I've planted at the much lower rate I'm lookin at bare dirt through winter . Thanks for all replies .

btw 15 plots 5 acres , 1- 1 acre , 3-1/2 acre , 4-1/4 acre the rest much smaller .

 

[Quailman]

What happens when you seed to high , is it the waste of money or competition among plants or what .

Actually, it's both. You are wasting money because you bought more seed than you needed. Kind of like spraying 3 quarts of Roundup per acre instead of 2, which will basically have the same effect on weeds/grasses. Also, you are making plants compete against each other, which will actually hurt the stand.

I know ladino is a perenial but it seems the crimson dies off in the spring and the ladino comes on all summer.

Crimson is suposed to die off in the spring after it blooms because it is an annual, but it is a good re-seeding annual, so it will come back.

Also the peas seem to be eaten up within 4 to 6 weeks . Seems like when I've planted at the much lower rate I'm lookin at bare dirt through winter .

Sounds like you have too many deer and not enough plots! :grin:

Actually, with 5 acres of plots being bare in the winter, soil fertility could be an issue. If you haven't checked yet, make sure to pull soil tests. Increasing soil fertility can really increase your food plot production, as well as make it more resistant to browsing pressure.

 

[BUCK-J]

Quailman , I do not understand with your mixtures what is suppose to carry from april to september . The crimson is the last to bud and die off . My plots have had a great stand of ladino all summer that is being worn out . Stressed now because of the heat . ph was 6.2 to 7.3 on all but one plot . never planted chickory , coop's around here don't stock it but could order it . I always thought that by turning the ladino in every year that it would help build the soil .

 

[Quailman]

I always thought that by turning the ladino in every year that it would help build the soil .

BUCK-J, turning the soil every year actually decreases organic matter in the soil. Rather than disk up the ladino every year, why not just establish a good perennial plot? That way, you can have a good food source throughout the summer and it is less work on an annual basis. Keep a portion of your plots in perennial mixtures, and a portion in annual mixtures.

 

[Boone 58]

The seeding rate you are using for clovers would be for clovers only, ie. pure stand. I am using no more than 2#s of white ladino per field whick averages 25000 sf. That is alot of clover!! I would on an acre use 50 wheat, 50 oats if mixing...100 total and if using the clover in blends i would keep it at 5#'s max.....Anymore than that i believe is noney wasted.