I like chicory.
I had a 1/4 acre of chicory this year and it wasn’t used. It’s about 10” tall and was fertilized. They had better things to eat I guess.
 
Since trying Throw and Mow the past couple of years, I find myself doing more and more of it in many locations where I never thought to put a plot in the past. Here is a small video that I did that I call The 15 Minute Food Plot. These plots are so easy to do without even large equipment. I will go back in 3 to 4 weeks and broadcast it with 46-0-0 as well using the blower spreader.

 
Looking forward to seeing how that food plot with the blower attachment comes in.
 
I know someone had asked how much time they had to spray after broadcasting brassicas. I broadcast on 8/11 and I took these pictures on 8/13.. man the emergence on these is fast.. conditions were wet and humid and yes lots of ample rainfall thank God
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20180813_153610935_HDR.jpg
    IMG_20180813_153610935_HDR.jpg
    713 KB · Views: 43
  • IMG_20180813_153540819_HDR.jpg
    IMG_20180813_153540819_HDR.jpg
    421.9 KB · Views: 43
I had a 1/4 acre of chicory this year and it wasn’t used. It’s about 10” tall and was fertilized. They had better things to eat I guess.
Deer are weird. Hottest plot we had last year was chicory
 
Has anyone had success with TnM Alfalfa using WR as a cover like you would establish a clover plot. Just looking to add to diversity. I have a strip that is 10 Yards wide by 600’ that would be perfect for a strip of something.

The field already has an acre of clover. Just looking to add a little something else to the pie.
I'm doing this exact thing in a week or two.
 
I know someone had asked how much time they had to spray after broadcasting brassicas. I broadcast on 8/11 and I took these pictures on 8/13.. man the emergence on these is fast.. conditions were wet and humid and yes lots of ample rainfall thank God
2 years running had sprayer issues. I planted half of my plots Saturday and couldn’t spray until today. I had some germination but nuked it anyway. We have heavy rains the next couple of days. Only the WR had germination. I can broadcast more in a few weeks if it looks thin.
 
I'm doing this exact thing in a week or two.
First time? You must wait 14 seconds to perform this action...... admin admin
 
I sprayed the areas today that I planted on Saturday and planned to spray 2ish more acres for planting in a week or two. I couldn’t spray it the vegetation was too high and the mature plants were breaking away my boom.
 
Inwod
Deer are weird. Hottest plot we had last year was chicory
I wish they would hit it no one plants chicory around me. Heck no one plants anything with a thousand acres of Ag around. I know I won’t draw them in this time of year and that is fine. My property has 50 or so mature Oaks on it and like clockwork around September 1st they find my place.

I just want green food after they smash the acorns.
 
put in my WINA Fusion last night. Wish I'd have had more thatch, but, It's a process I'll refine as I go.

We got some rain today, and are expecting more for the next 48 hours. Rained good on what I planted last weekend. Cmon Peas!
 
I had a 1/4 acre of chicory this year and it wasn’t used. It’s about 10” tall and was fertilized. They had better things to eat I guess.
Inwod
I wish they would hit it no one plants chicory around me. Heck no one plants anything with a thousand acres of Ag around. I know I won’t draw them in this time of year and that is fine. My property has 50 or so mature Oaks on it and like clockwork around September 1st they find my place.

I just want green food after they smash the acorns.

The deer were same in my area first year I had it out, it's like they didn't know what to think of it at first. The second year they started browsing a little during the warm months and as soon as it got cold they ate it to the dirt. That's the way they treat it here just browse a little spring and summer but after a couple hard frosts it's like they have to eat it all.
I know some here have them eat it hard during the warm months but with all the ag here they must have better things they prefer that time of year, I mix it in with almost everything I seed now. And if you let it flower the bees are all over it.
 
I checked my brassica plots yesterday. The throw and mow plot is coming in ok but spotty and the throw and roll plot looks to be a total failure.

I mowed both plots down around the first of June. In years past it would have grown back just fine and I would have had plenty of regrowth to plant into. However this year was a different story. If there has been a sprinkle it seems to miss us. The ground in the plots is dry and rock hard with way to much exposed soil because of the lack of re growth of the weedy clover plots. I may broadcast some rye in them in September but might not. Both plots will be rotated to soybeans next year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I checked my brassica plots yesterday. The throw and mow plot is coming in ok but spotty and the throw and roll plot looks to be a total failure.

I mowed both plots down around the first of June. In years past it would have grown back just fine and I would have had plenty of regrowth to plant into. However this year was a different story. If there has been a sprinkle it seems to miss us. The ground in the plots is dry and rock hard with way to much exposed soil because of the lack of re growth of the weedy clover plots. I may broadcast some rye in them in September but might not. Both plots will be rotated to soybeans next year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What was the reason you mowed it down it June? I thought about doing this but deferred. What I found as the WR dried down some grasses started to creep in forcing me to spray after mowing. The grasses were coming into an area that didn’t have a lot of germination last year of WR and clover. I suspect as things improve clover and WR will keep the grasses at bay longer.

I also planted a few weeks earlier than normal. We have been pounded with rain the last 5 days so I will be surprised if I don’t get excellent germination.
 
Tried the throw n roll method this year. I have areas of the plot that are clay hard pan due to tilling the last few years. Gonna start listening to you guys and build the soul up.

I have clover chicory mix around outside of larger plot and then fully Down the 5 yard x 80yd creek bottom with brassicas (first time trying them) planted in the middle strip of the larger portion. I had about 45ibs of oats that I had left over from last year. I threw in as well. All in all it’s about 1 acre.

We got 1/2” of rain an hour after I planted and then few rain showers through the week. Couldn’t have hoped for better weather to get started. Oats are 3-4” and getting pretty good germination as I can tell. B50630DD-7533-453F-97D1-D3224C54E3C4.jpeg0B6CDED6-8836-42A5-825A-A879AFECD81C.jpeg1E6EA360-5096-4C39-A4E9-EF422CCC04F2.jpeg
 
^^^^^^^^ Looks to me like you are well on your way!!!

bill
 
question on you guys that are throw n mow whenever you can, if equpment was no issue, would you still t&m? or are you doing it out of necessity and time constraints? IE, you can get things planted and they do well enough that your happy, but if time and equipment were no issue, would you till?

My throw n mow is coming up nicely after 7 days and some timely rain, just wondered, if you had the time, a tiller, a cultipacker, etc, would you be more likely to till?
 
Roy
I think you will get a bunch of different answers based on circumstances. No till is great option if you are trying to build soil on sand or other poor soil. For hills, allows some foodplots on hills without erosion that tilling brings. I try to just mow and only till maybe every 4-5 yrs because I do a bunch of rock picking/plot expansion with the tractor and have to have loose dirt to fill in all the holes.

The big mega farms by me do very little no till. They plow every fall. They are worth millions, have their own corporate jet, work with UW Madison on stuff. They are not stupid and surely know about no till. But they work in heavy clay and short growing season up north and getting those fields to dry out and warm up early in spring allows earlier planting. They also have tankers of manure daily to add back to their fields. They have more brown gold than they have land and can only spread so much due to runoff and groundwater concerns.

For those trying to reduce herbicide use (think organic operations) tilling still gets rid of that current crop of weeds.

No tilling all the time is not the goal but maybe it is for some based on what they have. So depends
 
question on you guys that are throw n mow whenever you can, if equpment was no issue, would you still t&m? or are you doing it out of necessity and time constraints? IE, you can get things planted and they do well enough that your happy, but if time and equipment were no issue, would you till?

My throw n mow is coming up nicely after 7 days and some timely rain, just wondered, if you had the time, a tiller, a cultipacker, etc, would you be more likely to till?
Great question! I tilled plots for many yrs. The soil never changed. It stayed the same low organic mater... needing inputs... no moisture holding.. soil that it started as. Throw in mow has allowed soil to change and become more productive without as many inputs. There are times when tilling would be nice (lack of rain being the most prevalent times) but if equipment was no issue I would be doing no-till. The soil would never be exposed without thatch on it and seeds would always make soil contact.
 
Top