do i need to mow?

[Powder]

Hello,
Yesterday I found out I have access to a nice piece of property with a significant amount of field. The field is a grass mix a local cattle farmer cuts and bails. The property owner does not charge him for it so he said I am free to plant what I want. I am in northern MN so my window for planting anything this year is rapidly closing. I have a sprayer for my SxS that I can use and maybe a mower but that is not certain.

My thought was to plant either a mix of wr and clover, mainly to get that going for next year and/or some radishes since they only need about 45 days. The radishes would be separate from the wr/clover mix. If I were to spray what is there and throw down seed, how necessary is it to mow after seeding? Am I wasting money trying to do it yet this year?

 

[scott44]

Hello,
Yesterday I found out I have access to a nice piece of property with a significant amount of field. The field is a grass mix a local cattle farmer cuts and bails. The property owner does not charge him for it so he said I am free to plant what I want. I am in northern MN so my window for planting anything this year is rapidly closing. I have a sprayer for my SxS that I can use and maybe a mower but that is not certain.

My thought was to plant either a mix of wr and clover, mainly to get that going for next year and/or some radishes since they only need about 45 days. The radishes would be separate from the wr/clover mix. If I were to spray what is there and throw down seed, how necessary is it to mow after seeding? Am I wasting money trying to do it yet this year?

I usually don't plant my cereal grains until labor day so I believe you still have time with them, I'd say you still have time with brassicas but you're getting close to have much bulb production. How much thatch will you have ? You could spread your seed and spray it afterwards and then run over it with the tires on your SxS, moving over one tire width each pass. You could spray wait a week and spread you r seed and mow if you have use of a mower. You have options and some time for cereal grains but I'd get on the brassicas if you want them.

 

[jsasker007]

You can still throw the seeds and broadcast but if it were me I think i would just broadcast some oats and a pretty modest amount of clover just to avoid stepping on toes of the guy bailing hay. Winter rye is a natural weed suppressor and i don't know if that would wipe out the following years hay or not and clover just helps feed grasses. Oats now will be a good draw this fall but be gone in the spring.jmo

 

[SD51555]

If you can source it all, oats, awnless wheat, white clover, chicory. It'll leave it in condition for the farmer to bale next year, and you could possibly keep that dude mowing it for you. If you're not doing the whole field, I might throw some gypsum down where you want the deer to go. It'd be quick way to sweeten up what is already there.

 

[35-acre]

I know ho some people will roll their eyes at the mention of Jeff Sturgis, but this article of his (HERE) is what got me interested in no till/no equipment plotting. I tried it and it worked! The one picture of the ATV on the hillside of mixed grasses reminds me of what I had to work with and sounds similar to your situation. It's a simple process described, 3 separate sprayings spread out over a period of time and then planting.

Once I did it the first time, I found this site much more useful than his articles. Tons of helpful people here and more information that he had provided. But it was stumbling across that article and some friendly guidance form one of our member here who found my questions on another site and directed me here. It's been 6 years of planting (pretty sure) and this has worked great! If I hadn't come here to understand my situation better I wouldn't know that I needed to build my soil - which is obvious to me now.

Best of luck!

 

[SD51555]

I know ho some people will roll their eyes at the mention of Jeff Sturgis, but this article of his (HERE) is what got me interested in no till/no equipment plotting. I tried it and it worked! The one picture of the ATV on the hillside of mixed grasses reminds me of what I had to work with and sounds similar to your situation. It's a simple process described, 3 separate sprayings spread out over a period of time and then planting.

Once I did it the first time, I found this site much more useful than his articles. Tons of helpful people here and more information that he had provided. But it was stumbling across that article and some friendly guidance form one of our member here who found my questions on another site and directed me here. It's been 6 years of planting (pretty sure) and this has worked great! If I hadn't come here to understand my situation better I wouldn't know that I needed to build my soil - which is obvious to me now.

Best of luck!

He seems a nice enough guy, and I appreciate the fact that he creates new content. What I can't figure out is, for how often he sprays glyphosate, he's never mentioned a thistle or resistant weed problem, at least that I've seen. You cut open a patch of grass by me, and you'll have 6' tall solid thistle for the 2 years that follow.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I know ho some people will roll their eyes at the mention of Jeff Sturgis, but this article of his (HERE) is what got me interested in no till/no equipment plotting. I tried it and it worked! The one picture of the ATV on the hillside of mixed grasses reminds me of what I had to work with and sounds similar to your situation. It's a simple process described, 3 separate sprayings spread out over a period of time and then planting.

Once I did it the first time, I found this site much more useful than his articles. Tons of helpful people here and more information that he had provided. But it was stumbling across that article and some friendly guidance form one of our member here who found my questions on another site and directed me here. It's been 6 years of planting (pretty sure) and this has worked great! If I hadn't come here to understand my situation better I wouldn't know that I needed to build my soil - which is obvious to me now.

Best of luck!

For curiosity went to the link above and noted that while article was helpful couldn't help but notice that was worded like Jeff was the pioneer of stuff like this. Not in that article of course but he has acknowledged his debt to Ed Spinazzola (also from Michigan) in a posting about helping build his food plot foundational knowledge starting back in the 90s.

So for those that want to read more could search or find content from Ed Spin. Note that some of this stuff has been floating out on the internet a long time so try not to get all bunged up about QDMA references from back in the day. I printed out my copy of this link back in 2005 but other later info and updated books can be found. I had bought the black and white pamphlet that Ed was selling for about $10 about the same time which this link summarized some sections from it. Sadly left that little booklet on a plane while traveling years ago.

http://mmbqdm.tripod.com/Foodplot/foodplots.htm

Edit: If you scroll all the way to the bottom from link above you will note last edited in Feb 1999!

 

[35-acre]

He seems a nice enough guy, and I appreciate the fact that he creates new content. What I can't figure out is, for how often he sprays glyphosate, he's never mentioned a thistle or resistant weed problem, at least that I've seen. You cut open a patch of grass by me, and you'll have 6' tall solid thistle for the 2 years that follow.

Generally I do this every 2 weeks (3 sprays). The last spray you can plant and fertilize/lime. Or you can wait another week or two and then plant depending on rain in the forecast.

 

[BobinCt]

Just an FYI in case you didn’t know, but you probably do know. If you spray the field with Gly, your going to kill off what is there and he is going to have to replant his grass mix for his cattle next Spring or Fall unless he’s giving you a piece of it to do what you want with.

 

[35-acre]

Good point Bob.

Make sure (Powder) you are re-establishing something like clover, wheat, oats or something the farmer wants for grazing.