Foggy's Deertopia Proving Grounds - Happenings

[Foggy47]

Game camera's showing a good frost on the plots this morning. Not so frosty here in OZ this morning.....it was 74 degrees at 8 AM.

 

[sandbur]

Two mornings of frost, Foggy. Deer should start to pile in on the greens.

With recent rains, green alfalfa, and apples, I am no longer seeing deer pellets in my orchard. It now looks like thick cow pies. More protein is hitting them.

 

[matinc]

Omg I know this is totally off base but those Damm red squirrels brought my boat gunnels a massive amount of pine cone seeds inside a pole barn

 

[Foggy47]

Back from my trip to OZ and I had a good look at my plots today.....after getting about 1.5" of rain over the past two weeks. Cover is looking great, rye is uniform across all my plots and I have great brassica in about 1/2 of my plots.......and a bit weaker in other areas. All things considered.....I'd say I have a win going into fall. Good forage everywhere......after a prolonged drought all summer long. Avoiding tillage is a huge win on my sand. Very little weed spraying all summer and minimal mowing (due to the drought). No fertilizer bought this year.....however I still want to add some ag-lime next year.

I wish I had taken some pics of the better brassica I have....it's really beautiful. Instead I took pics of some weak brassica in good clover (the clover came back in spades again....due to the lack of rain). Pics.

 

[Foggy47]

I did have a little Sorghum Sudan Grass planted.....and we had two frosts since I left for OZ. These stalks were standing pretty good prior to the frost.....and just like that they are crumbling to the ground and are mush. Not sure the Sorghum is going to do me any good if it wont get me into early winter at a minimum. (the second pic is better representation of what I am talking about). Anybody got some words of wisdom here for next year??? Seems like a wimpy crop for my latitude.

 

[sandbur]

I did have a little Sorghum Sudan Grass planted.....and we had two frosts since I left for OZ. These stalks were standing pretty good prior to the frost.....and just like that they are crumbling to the ground and are mush. Not sure the Sorghum is going to do me any good if it wont get me into early winter at a minimum. (the second pic is better representation of what I am talking about). Anybody got some words of wisdom here for next year??? Seems like a wimpy crop for my latitude.

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I tried some a time or two and was not impressed, however my soils and surrounding crops are much different than yours.

Perhaps if you found the right variety for your soils, it would help. I don’t remember if it was just a variety of sorghum or the cross with Sudan grass in my case.

It was just left over seed from my neighbor and I don’t think he planted it again.

 

[sandbur]

I did have a little Sorghum Sudan Grass planted.....and we had two frosts since I left for OZ. These stalks were standing pretty good prior to the frost.....and just like that they are crumbling to the ground and are mush. Not sure the Sorghum is going to do me any good if it wont get me into early winter at a minimum. (the second pic is better representation of what I am talking about). Anybody got some words of wisdom here for next year??? Seems like a wimpy crop for my latitude.

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Did you spray that area where the sorghum was planted?

Have you considered No till corn in those types of locations, for structure in your plots and not for grain? You would decent amounts of summer rainfall.

 

[SD51555]

I had some late germinating sorghum in one of my plots that also melted after it froze. The stuff I planted in early June is standing though.


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[matinc]

Hey foggy you named that mullien plant. What did you kill it with.

 

[omicron1792]

Chemical: Young mullein rosettes can be killed with a foliar spray of glyphosate solu- tion (RoundUp®, etc.) and its large leaves make for excellent chemical absorption. However, the herbicide must be applied with enough volume and vigor to penetrate the thick hairs on the leaves. A broadleaf specific herbicide containing triclopyr (Garlon®) or clopyralid (Trans- line®) is an effective alternative if native or other desirable grasses are present. A surfactant addictive is essential for successful application due to the hairy surface of the leaves.

 

[matinc]

Thanks omicron. I see that plant in areas but never knew what it was. The surfactant tip is awesome ty

 

[matinc]

Hey foggy hope your doing better each day.

 

[Foggy47]

Chemical: Young mullein rosettes can be killed with a foliar spray of glyphosate solu- tion (RoundUp®, etc.) and its large leaves make for excellent chemical absorption. However, the herbicide must be applied with enough volume and vigor to penetrate the thick hairs on the leaves. A broadleaf specific herbicide containing triclopyr (Garlon®) or clopyralid (Trans- line®) is an effective alternative if native or other desirable grasses are present. A surfactant addictive is essential for successful application due to the hairy surface of the leaves.

The thing about Mullien is that in the second year it puts out a shit-ton of seeds. It does kill easy enough as said by Omi......but it's lots easier to control early on. The last few years I have gone on a spot spray patrol of troublesome areas. I kill Mullein, thistle and the such things I dont want competing in my plots. Not sure all weeds are "bad" weeds......sometimes I just dont like the looks of 'em. grin.

Mullein and Bull Thistle are the main effort for me......and both can become super invasive on my ground. Thus a 1/2 day effort keeps 'em in check for another season. I also get some mouser chickweed and several others.....but those seem relatively easy to control. Some guys let that Mullein grow.....not me.

 

[Foggy47]

Hey foggy hope your doing better each day.

Yeah.....well we got by the Covid with just a cold-type event. Then got back to MN and today I had some Eye Lid surgery....which has taken forever to get scheduled (what some call an eye lift). I am getting so old that gravity has pulled the skin over my eyes enough to screw up my peripheral vision. As Rosane, Rosanna, Dana says : "It's always something". (not sure how many are old enough to remember that skit?). Grin.

So, now I got ice packs on my eyes for most of the time.....trying to prevent execesive swelling. I look like I been in a bar-room brawl. lol. Gotta heal up for rifle season. It's all good.

 

[matinc]

Omg foggy you cack me up. I remember rosane Anna Dana vividly. Quite a grin 4 sure. I will have to look up old skit online from snl. Sounds like your like snowman on smokey n the bandit. Lollll. Hell remember your not getting older but only better. Hope your on the mend 4 sure.

 

[sandbur]

The thing about Mullien is that in the second year it puts out a shit-ton of seeds. It does kill easy enough as said by Omi......but it's lots easier to control early on. The last few years I have gone on a spot spray patrol of troublesome areas. I kill Mullein, thistle and the such things I dont want competing in my plots. Not sure all weeds are "bad" weeds......sometimes I just dont like the looks of 'em. grin.

Mullein and Bull Thistle are the main effort for me......and both can become super invasive on my ground. Thus a 1/2 day effort keeps 'em in check for another season. I also get some mouser chickweed and several others.....but those seem relatively easy to control. Some guys let that Mullein grow.....not me.

I am constantly hitting the rosettes of bull thistle with concentrated roundup in my home orchard. Those outback are seldom sprayed and seem to fade away with grass growth around older trees.

Mullen seldom grows on my soils. I seem to vaguely remember my Dad saying it was gathered for bandaging material during one of the world wars.

 

[Foggy47]

I am constantly hitting the rosettes of bull thistle with concentrated roundup in my home orchard. Those outback are seldom sprayed and seem to fade away with grass growth around older trees.

Mullen seldom grows on my soils. I seem to vaguely remember my Dad saying it was gathered for bandaging material during one of the world wars.

I'm told it was cowboy toilet paper back in the day. Hope we don't get to that point.....lol.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

The stuff I planted in early June is standing though.

Agreed SD. We saw the same thing here. The dwarf sorghum (WGF type) we planted in late May stood into December at camp. It was planted in a seed mix, and made some cover for deer while eating the other stuff in the plot. Deer ate it while it was green, then when it made seed heads & turned brown in the fall, deer ate the other stuff (clover, rye, turnips, chicory) while doves, turkeys, grouse, and other birds ate the seeds.

Foggy - maybe plant it earlier??

 

[Tree Spud]

There is a difference between sorghum and sorghum sudan grass. Sorhgum has a much sturdier & hard stalk. Like corn it will withstand heavy rain & wind and snow. Sorghum sudan grass just doesn't have the stalk strength to with stand rain, wind, & snow especially at the end of it's growing season.

I plant sorghum sudan as an early season screen, but mostly for it's organic matter addition to the soil.

 

[Foggy47]

There is a difference between sorghum and sorghum sudan grass. Sorhgum has a much sturdier & hard stalk. Like corn it will withstand heavy rain & wind and snow. Sorghum sudan grass just doesn't have the stalk strength to with stand rain, wind, & snow especially at the end of it's growing season.

I plant sorghum sudan as an early season screen, but mostly for it's organic matter addition to the soil.

That is helpful info on the Hard Stalks of the Sorghum. Lots of varieties and different series to know about. Just came from looking for a comparative source of these varieties. I do wish some of that Milo would grow a bit higher. Considering a mix of varieties to get the best of both worlds. (height, winter standablity, and food).