First Time with Big Plots / Help Planting Now

[Steven Tolly]

Ok guys so the DNR switched something around and allowed us to plant two plots in some wetland reserve grass we have this year for the first time. It is not flood ground, but parts of it stay wet all year. We just mowed the two plots on the edges where there is good drainage, great sun and I wish I knew what the soil was, but we have never had it tested, because we have never been able to put food there.

So we are headed down early next week to spray and I want to get something in for the fall / winter. We live in the middle of Iowa, with ag crops everywhere. In fact my farm alone has 140 acres of beans on it and 33 acres of corn. We already have two plots of beans that total about 4 acres and the two new plots are a little over 2 acres a piece.

What should I do? We are not tilling this year hoping to kill it and tear up the soil if needed but we cannot get the tiller in there without paying to much for this fall. I also forgot to mention that part of the main CRP field this year is 40 acres of fresh wheat. Not sure what that provides, but it is there and right now they like it.

My thoughts turnips / braiscas with some winter rye or something similar to help cover it. We really want something to help them out later season and for a hunting plot for shotgun and late muzzleloader.

For equipment we have a harrow, big sprayer, pull behind spreader and back pack sprayers. WE also have a ground hog disc for our 4 wheeler and we have a brute force 750 and a ranger to pull whatever is needed. We could get it disked and tilled, but this late in the year I was hoping to avoid it. We dont mind the work or the time, but want to get it in the ground and going. We can rent anything that will help, but not sure if that is the best thing this later in the year.

Any thoughts and methods are appreciated.

 

[j-bird]

I think your on the right path with a traditional fall annual plot of brassica and cereal grains. Turnips like Appin will provide forage but no tuber, while Purple top can provide forage and a tuber (which should last later into your hunting season) so make sure you get a turnip variety to do what you want. Radish is also a good choice as I have seen deer take to radish before turnips.....deer tend to be hit or miss as far as brassica use is concerned. Cereal grains can range from oats to wheat to rye....oats will die with the frost and you already have wheat around. Rye will stay greener for a bit longer than wheat and will green up sooner than wheat as well. But I am not sure a few weeks is a big deal in either case....at least not in Iowa.

I kill the plot with gly...spread my seed - the brassica ASAP and use anything with wheels to drive over the plot and pack the seed. If you wish to add a cereal grain I then broadcast it a little later in the year so it doesn't get too mature before hunting season starts.

You can add an annual clover if you wish as well....it won;t hurt anything and may get deer into the plot a little sooner. It will die with the frost, but it may help create a habit of deer feeding in that area and help them transition to other foods planted there. The big thing is that small seeds tend to do better with out turning the soil. If your going to really work the soil then some other options surface, but for a minimal soil disturbance, the smaller seeds work much better. Once you have killed the plot you can leave the weeds stand or you can spread your seed and mow and the weeds can act as a "thatch" to help your seeds as well.

 

[JFK52]

Winter rye can be top broadcast before a good rain. I have good luck with dwarf Essex rape seed. It is planted very shallow so a deep disking is not necessary first. The deer left it alone until there was a good frost and then the plants were eaten to the ground. Make sure to not plant the rape seed too thick in a plot. You can actually stunt the entire plot by doing that. Stick with the prescribed seed rate per acre listed on the bag.
I had good results growing turnips, but the deer just turned their noses up to them. Just no interest in the turnips at all.

 

[Steven Tolly]

I think we will end up going with winter Rye just to get something in this year and put a couple of different types of rape, radishes.

Should I throw a little clover or just roll with the winter rye, rape, radishes. Any certain types of radishes I should be looking for besides Dwarf Essex Rape. This my best spot for late muzzleloader so I am really hoping to put something in that will keep them there until early Jan in the middle of Iowa. We have two other soybean plots on the 500 acre farm and 140 acres of crop soybeans and 32 acres of crop corn.

 

[scott44]

I think we will end up going with winter Rye just to get something in this year and put a couple of different types of rape, radishes.

Should I throw a little clover or just roll with the winter rye, rape, radishes. Any certain types of radishes I should be looking for besides Dwarf Essex Rape. This my best spot for late muzzleloader so I am really hoping to put something in that will keep them there until early Jan in the middle of Iowa. We have two other soybean plots on the 500 acre farm and 140 acres of crop soybeans and 32 acres of crop corn.

I always plant clover with my fall planted cereal grains, one for the N and OM for the next plot and two in case something happens and I can't get to plant something there I'll always have a clover plot.

 

[bbcoach]

First thing first, if you don't have a current soil test you are Guessing, Hoping and Praying for something to grow. If you can't get a soil test Winter Rye is your best bet. WR will grow in soils down to 5.5. Brassicas and clovers typically require 6.0 or better (6.5 preferably). My suggestion would be do a soil test ASAP and start with WR. If the soil is above 6.0, then lime accordingly, and plant whatever.

 

[Steven Tolly]

We are headed down on Wednesday and I will get the soil for a test. Where is the best spot to send it or get one done. We would have a week or two before we need to plant so I need to make something happen soon. I know winter rye for sure, sounds like we will add some clover. What kind? We have an old logging road right inside of the timber on this field edge and we planted clover there last year just for fun and it did pretty good, but it is only a small plot 1/16th of an acre and it grows and the deer seem to pass it by. That was durana clover.

Thanks for all the help any advice is appreciated. I am going to keep some photos and journals of the process on this one and I will post them next spring or so.

The other ones we have done a buddy always just drills the beans when he is out helping others.

Steven

 

[bbcoach]

With beans and corn around me, I would plant something green for the reminder of fall/winter and spring green up. Once the corn and beans are harvested and the leaves fall off the trees, you will have the only green food available. I would plant brassicas (Purple top turnips, Dwarf Essex rape and radishes) in one area and a fall clover plot (durana is Great in my book) with a cover crop of winter rye and or winter wheat. Brassicas require plenty of nitrogen so plan on a 100-150 lbs per acre. The brassicas and WW and WR will feed through the fall and winter and your durana should get going for spring. You won't be able to compete with beans and corn in the summer and early fall but you will have some great food in the late fall through early summer. Good Luck.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Plant whatever you want but im assuming that the deer arent going to touch it during you muzzleloader season unless the soybeans are all gone.

 

[willy]

For this year you are good to go with the rye without a soil test. It will grow on bare concrete(almost). Also if it is in a flood plain and your in IA I'm betting your soil is in fine shape to throw and grow brassicas too. Get a soil test next spring and go from there for what you want to plant then as the rye and brassicas will have taken some nutrients from the soil. They will give some of it back as residue as it breaks down.

 

[Steven Tolly]

Plant whatever you want but im assuming that the deer arent going to touch it during you muzzleloader season unless the soybeans are all gone.

I assume the same thing, but on a 500 acre farm I figure 6 acres of beans is not going to feed them long. Now with that being said there will be 140 acre picked bean field that they will browse on until there is nothing left too, but there are enough different herds of deer we are trying to keep some food on the other parts of the farm.