Food Plots Thoughts on spray timing?

[TN Larry]

On Friday, I sewed two plots and bush hogged on top of them with plans to spray on Saturday. I sprayed one plot on Saturday morning so no issue there. I didn't get the other one sprayed as we had to go look for a deer my son killed and then take care of it. I had planned to spray this afternoon but just found out that it's starting to rain now.

Would you still spray this afternoon? I am not questioning whether the spray will work but concerned the rain prior along with the dew the last few days could have already started the sprouting process resulting in the gly killing the clover and wheat.

So the question, should I spray this afternoon 3 days after planting via throw and mow knowing it's getting a light rain today? I think I am still going to as I don't think it will compete with the grass already there. I wait weeks for it to rain and then still manage to potentially screw it up. LOL

 

[BSK]

The only way to answer that is to go look at the plots. You should be able to see if the seed has germinated.

 

[TNTreeman]

I broadcast 3 acres of wheat today . Mowed it down to about 6 inches afterwards. I never spray this time of year. The weed competition never chokes out my fall/ winter planting. Some weeds will resprout and grow and the deer will devour those as fast as the wheat or Oates I plant and then the frost will nip them back. We usually have at least 1 frost by early November.

 

[BSK]

I broadcast 3 acres of wheat today . Mowed it down to about 6 inches afterwards. I never spray this time of year. The weed competition never chokes out my fall/ winter planting. Some weeds will resprout and grow and the deer will devour those as fast as the wheat or Oates I plant and then the frost will nip them back. We usually have at least 1 frost by early November.

Except last year, when we nearly set the record for the latest first freeze ever (I think it was Nov. 29).

But I'm trying basically what you're talking about. I did not spray the grasses (foxtail and fescue) that had taken over parts of my plots after seeding and mowing. My thought process was: 1) why spend the time and money when we only have a few weeks left in the growing season; 2) those grasses have already seeded out and were turning brown; and 3) didn't want to spray bitter herbicides onto the plots right when I'm trying to attract deer onto my place.

Now maybe I'll be sorry I didn't spray, but I figure I can always mow the grasses high if they regrow without harming the young clover and wheat.

 

[TNTreeman]

I planted a fall mix I concocted into my clover a couple weeks ago . I've got 4 acres of standing corn that's still green as can be but loaded, planted today and I'll plant a couple more 3-4 acre plots in the next couple weeks based on weather. Trying to hedge my bets and levels of maturity. I forgot I planted another fall mix on about an acre Saturday. Hoping a frost comes by the end of the month. Even last year without spraying and late frost the wheat and Oates came on pretty good. I don't even use fertilizer on most of these except my clover plots.

 

[TN Larry]

Now you all have me doubting my decision on spraying. My grass is still thick and green as can be so concerned if I don't spray. Headed there now with fingers crossed.

 

[TNTreeman]

Now you all have me doubting my decision on spraying. My grass is still thick and green as can be so concerned if I don't spray. Headed there now with fingers crossed.

Roll with it. It'll be fine either way as long as the seed hasn't germinated.

 

[TN Larry]

Roll with it. It'll be fine either way as long as the seed hasn't germinated.

I ended up not spraying. It was damp underneath the thatch and know I saw at least one clover seed starting to germinate. I'm still a little uneasy on the grass not choking it out but be a good trial. The last thing I want to do is spray and kill it.

 

[BSK]

I ended up not spraying. It was damp underneath the thatch and know I saw at least one clover seed starting to germinate. I'm still a little uneasy on the grass not choking it out but be a good trial. The last thing I want to do is spray and kill it.

If the grasses come back too much, just mow them again before the clover gets up too high.

 

[BigAl]

I was able to seed and mow before the rain but I never got a chance to spray. Just going to have to live with it this year.
I am getting germination so hopefully a frost will knock out some of the summer stuff.

 

[RS]

My biggest fear of not spraying is all the soil moisture the weeds would "steal" from the planted seed if there were long periods between rains before the first major frost occurs. I got my plots planted right before this last rain, so the seed should germinate, but it looks like 0% chance of rain the next 7 to 10 days.

I think most plots would be fine without spraying, but it might stunt the growth until the first frost kills all the weeds off.

 

[MickThompson]

Except last year, when we nearly set the record for the latest first freeze ever (I think it was Nov. 29).

But I'm trying basically what you're talking about. I did not spray the grasses (foxtail and fescue) that had taken over parts of my plots after seeding and mowing. My thought process was: 1) why spend the time and money when we only have a few weeks left in the growing season; 2) those grasses have already seeded out and were turning brown; and 3) didn't want to spray bitter herbicides onto the plots right when I'm trying to attract deer onto my place.

Now maybe I'll be sorry I didn't spray, but I figure I can always mow the grasses high if they regrow without harming the young clover and wheat.

We had a really late one a few years ago too. I remember climbing on the muzzleloader opener and the trees didn't just have leaves, they were still green.

 

[BSK]

We had a really late one a few years ago too. I remember climbing on the muzzleloader opener and the trees didn't just have leaves, they were still green.

Yup, remember that. Color hadn't even set in to the leaves yet.

I've been tracking "peak color" for a while. I remember when it used to be October 20th. Now it's more like October 28th.

 

[backyardtndeer]

My bigger last year's clover plot had some weeds and grasses pop up in it during the drought. The clover looked great back in the spring, was pretty clean, but a month ago looked terrible. Considered spraying cleth for the grasses, but I didn't. I broadcast wheat into the plot about a week and a half to two weeks ago, then clipped it back. After all this rain, the clovers are coming back and wheat is popping up, looks pretty good. Figure I will spray late spring or early summer next year. I have never tried spraying soon after broadcasting seed for non rr plantings, curious as to how well that works.

 

[BSK]

My bigger last year's clover plot had some weeds and grasses pop up in it during the drought. The clover looked great back in the spring, was pretty clean, but a month ago looked terrible. Considered spraying cleth for the grasses, but I didn't. I broadcast wheat into the plot about a week and a half to two weeks ago, then clipped it back. After all this rain, the clovers are coming back and wheat is popping up, looks pretty good. Figure I will spray late spring or early summer next year. I have never tried spraying soon after broadcasting seed for non rr plantings, curious as to how well that works.

This year, I broadcast my spring planting around June 1, then mowed and sprayed with gly. Right after 4th of July, I sprayed the plots with Cleth to knock back the grasses. Worked good except some grasses don't come on strong until later, like foxtail and fescue, so I had some standing in my plots. But all-in-all, spraying with Cleth near the 4th of July worked well.

 

[BSK]

Glad I didn't waste the herbicide. Plots look great. Grasses have not come back to take them over. The below plot had standing foxtail and fescue when I mowed it two weeks ago after seeding.