Food Plots TN plots looking good.. update

[megalomaniac]

Came up to TN to do a little work and visit with Dad. Checked a couple spots to see how the plots were faring.

First is a small half acre kill plot planted with rye, radishes, and balansa clover. Heavy browse pressure on this spot with 10 to 15 deer on it daily. Radishes and rye are long gone, but the balansa clover is still going strong (I suspect from it being continuously mowed by browse pressure... its about 6in tall). My 8ac field with clover that was waist high in clover has burned up.

2nd pic is dwarf sorgham plus millet... just cover crop for next fall

 

[Bucket]

Looking good. I just ordered some Balsana based on what you guys have been saying about it!

 

[Thelonegoose]

Those are looking good. I am hoping to plant some balansa clover this fall in a few of my smaller plots. I would love for it to get established. I will likely plant a cover crop with it like wheat or rye.

 

[BSK]

Those look great Mega!

 

[tellico4x4]

Looks great

 

[JCDEERMAN]

That looks great. From looking at pics from our place, it appears to almost be a total loss. 1" of rain in 9 weeks doesn't cut it.

 

[BSK]

That looks great. From looking at pics from our place, it appears to almost be a total loss. 1" of rain in 9 weeks doesn't cut it.

Total loss of my soybean fields. haven't seen the sunn hemp in a month, but can't imagine it has made it through.

I've literally had 8 times more rain at my house in Nashville than at my farm, and even with that rain in Nashville I have huge patches of my lawn that are dead.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Total loss of my soybean fields. haven't seen the sunn hemp in a month, but can't imagine it has made it through.

I've literally had 8 times more rain at my house in Nashville than at my farm, and even with that rain in Nashville I have huge patches of my lawn that are dead.

Same. Yet again, we are going to gamble and try to plant late august - mid September and hope for the best. Then I'll be in CO for 2 weeks chasing elk. Wishing we had thatch to drill into to hold moisture, but that's not happening. I'll be washing every vehicle we own in late august. Won't be spending much on seed though, as I have a lot leftover the last 1-2 years, so I'm just throwing the kitchen sink at it to cut costs. We will, however be spending some money on fertilizer, but only about 1/2 - 3/4 the recommended rate based on soil tests

 

[BSK]

Same. Yet again, we are going to gamble and try to plant late august - mid September and hope for the best. Then I'll be in CO for 2 weeks chasing elk. Wishing we had thatch to drill into to hold moisture, but that's not happening. I'll be washing every vehicle we own in late august. Won't be spending much on seed though, as I have a lot leftover the last 1-2 years, so I'm just throwing the kitchen sink at it to cut costs. We will, however be spending some money on fertilizer, but only about 1/2 - 3/4 the recommended rate based on soil tests

I'll buy my seed mid-August and then just watch the weather.

I don't put a lot of weight on long-term climate forecasts, but I do find it interesting this warmer and drier than normal weather is forecast in climate models to continue through the rest of this calendar year, followed but wetter than normal weather from January through July of 2022.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I'll buy my seed mid-August and then just watch the weather.

I don't put a lot of weight on long-term climate forecasts, but I do find it interesting this warmer and drier than normal weather is forecast in climate models to continue through the rest of this calendar year, followed but wetter than normal weather from January through July of 2022.

That is just not what I wanted to hear for this fall

 

[TNTreeman]

I sprayed yesterday and fertilized Thursday. Im at a $1000 on this one field. It's been up a week with a few showers here and there. I just hope it continues.

 

[megalomaniac]

We've had decent rains on my TN farms south and east of Nashville. One really dry stretch a few weeks ago, but I drilled early and my plots were already established before we got dry.

I'm thinking about just keeping the sorgham/ millet plot as is, and just drilling wheat,clover, and radishes right through it this fall. One the first frost kills the sorgham and millet, the new drilling can take over and the deer can still feed on the sorgham heads late winter... dunno... it will be an experiment as I'll have plenty of other plots with quality food on this property.

About to head back out for more spraying... been treating the edges of the plots and edges of interior roads with 2,4D plus remedy. Cheaper than running a limb beaver or side arm bushhog. Sprayed 50g yesterday, have at least another 50g I need to spray today

 

[megalomaniac]

Clipped the clover to knock back the marestail. Unreal I've fed deer for almost an entire year from the small fall plot with 3lbs per acre Balansa clover in the mix

 

[megalomaniac]

And sorgham/millet field is DENSE... Not as much seed head production as I would prefer, but I skimped on fertilizer.... very little weed growth underneath, so plan is to just drill fall blend right through it... never tried before, trying so save pennies.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Clipped the clover to knock back the marestail. Unreal I've fed deer for almost an entire year from the small fall plot with 3lbs per acre Balansa clover in the mix

That plot looks great!! I've got work to do on our clover plots...we have clover...but it's not that clean or that thick....thanks for sharing...very motivating! And we've got to try adding the balansa to our clover plots.

 

[megalomaniac]

That plot looks great!! I've got work to do on our clover plots...we have clover...but it's not that clean or that thick....thanks for sharing...very motivating! And we've got to try adding the balansa to our clover plots.

Don't expect balansa to do this normally... it produces more tonnage than any clover I've seen in April/ early May, but goes to seed and dies out by June. This particular spot is .4 acres, has a dozen deer feeding on it daily, and as consequence, they have kept it mowed SHORT keeping it from maturing and dying out. I'm sure all the rain we have had has made a big difference as well. I've never had this stuff make it through the summer before...

That being said, best $5 I've ever spent ( $3 per pound for the clover, @ 3lb per acre)

 

[Popcorn]

And sorgham/millet field is DENSE... Not as much seed head production as I would prefer, but I skimped on fertilizer.... very little weed growth underneath, so plan is to just drill fall blend right through it... never tried before, trying so save pennies.

I'm curious as well in those dense grasses. Keep us posted. My bet is that the density helps! You will get a great mat down by drilling thru it and the next crop will be protected by it.

 

[megalomaniac]

I'm curious as well in those dense grasses. Keep us posted. My bet is that the density helps! You will get a great mat down by drilling thru it and the next crop will be protected by it.

That's the experiment... no herbicides to save $$$. Not sure if the drill will actually kill it, but first frost def will. Going to let the heads fully mature before I drill, so the deer, turkeys and other birds get to feast... so I prob won't plant that plot until late Sept

 

[megalomaniac]

So, we finally planted the sorgham field last Wed right before the rain. Drilled straight through the standing sorgham and millet, the drill laid them down nicely over the top. No herbicides used, little weed growth. Hope we get good germination and the upcoming freeze doesn't kill the fall blend.

 

[megalomaniac]

The little clover plot that could just couldn't be better....

Deer came close to wiping it out with the drought, but it's bouncing back. We just drilled straight thru the clover early Sept with my fall blend. It's coming in nicely, esp in the more bare spots. Again, no herbicides, yet very little weeds. You can really see the layer of thatch from prior plantings if you zoom in.