AWP questions

[Derek Reese 29]

Hello everyone,
Going to be broadcasting 20lbs of AWP into a 1/2 acre field that had previously had buckwheat and a soil builder mix in it along with some turnips, rape and a few other brassicas (low amounts of each). I will be doing this throw and mow style along with riding a 4 wheeler over it to pack it down.
A few questions
1) should I soak the AWP seed prior to seeding?
2) Is there any specific order I should plant these seeds? Or can I combine the AWP with the smaller brassica seed or broadcast them seperately due to the size dispartiy?
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I wouldn't worry about soaking them. Plant the Peas alone then the small seed.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I wouldn't worry about soaking them. Plant the Peas alone then the small seed.

Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it and will post the results.

 

[yoderjac]

Good thoughts. Seed needs moisture to germinate. I have it all together and it is easy to soak and give it a jump start...Why not? Unfortunately, the problem becomes the seed won't broadcast well if it is wet. That is why most broadcast spreaders have some kind of top or cover in case it starts raining while you broadcast.

Depending on you situation, you can't always do it, but there is noting that will cover more mistakes than broadcasting your seed right before a good rain!

ST provides good advice. You can mix them and broadcast them all at once. That is what I would do if using a 3-point broadcast spreader on a tractor. They typically don't have fine enough controls to spread small amounts of tiny seed. So mixing them allows the larger seed to act as a carrier for the small seed in your mix.

Sounds like you're new and with only 1/2 acre, I presume you are using a chest mount spreader. Most of the good ones have pretty fine controls and you can spread small amount of tiny seed. So, as ST says, you can broadcast the larger seed first and then go back and adjust the setting and broadcast the small seed.

One note when starting out. Don't try to use some setting that will cover your field in one pass. You will get it wrong. If you error on the conservative side, not problem, but if you error on the liberal side, you will run out of seed before you finish your field. I'd suggest you shoot for about 1/2 of the rate you want in one pass. When you have finished the pass, if you have more than half the seed left over, walk a little slower on your second pass. If you have a bit less than 1/2 the seed left, walk a little faster on your second pass. If you have some seed left over after you second pass, just have a few beers and zig-zag through the field like a drunken sailor randomly to spread the rest of your seed.

As you get more experienced with your particular seeder and different seeds, you'll be able to wing it more and still get an even distribution of seed.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Good thoughts. Seed needs moisture to germinate. I have it all together and it is easy to soak and give it a jump start...Why not? Unfortunately, the problem becomes the seed won't broadcast well if it is wet. That is why most broadcast spreaders have some kind of top or cover in case it starts raining while you broadcast.

Depending on you situation, you can't always do it, but there is noting that will cover more mistakes than broadcasting your seed right before a good rain!

ST provides good advice. You can mix them and broadcast them all at once. That is what I would do if using a 3-point broadcast spreader on a tractor. They typically don't have fine enough controls to spread small amounts of tiny seed. So mixing them allows the larger seed to act as a carrier for the small seed in your mix.

Sounds like you're new and with only 1/2 acre, I presume you are using a chest mount spreader. Most of the good ones have pretty fine controls and you can spread small amount of tiny seed. So, as ST says, you can broadcast the larger seed first and then go back and adjust the setting and broadcast the small seed.

One note when starting out. Don't try to use some setting that will cover your field in one pass. You will get it wrong. If you error on the conservative side, not problem, but if you error on the liberal side, you will run out of seed before you finish your field. I'd suggest you shoot for about 1/2 of the rate you want in one pass. When you have finished the pass, if you have more than half the seed left over, walk a little slower on your second pass. If you have a bit less than 1/2 the seed left, walk a little faster on your second pass. If you have some seed left over after you second pass, just have a few beers and zig-zag through the field like a drunken sailor randomly to spread the rest of your seed.

As you get more experienced with your particular seeder and different seeds, you'll be able to wing it more and still get an even distribution of seed.

Thanks,

Jack

Hi Jack,
I have a solo spreader that I have been using for a few years, it's just the land I am planting on and the seed I am using is new to me.
I will definitely do the different sized seeds seperate, as the AWP are way bigger than the several kinds of brassicas I am planting.
Thanks for the advice on seeding. I usually just try to set the opening in the bottom of the seeder just a tiny bit wider than the largest seed in a mix, then go over and over the field in different directions multiple times. I have found this to work pretty well.
Thanks for all your wisdom and tips.

 

[yoderjac]

That method works well. I've got the solo myself and love it.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

That method works well. I've got the solo myself and love it.

Its worked great for my clover and a few other kinds of plots in the past and the solo is by far the best I have used out of about a half dozen others.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Broadcast the seed without soaking on Saturday, then mowed as low as possible with a brushhog. Here in North Central PA it has been very dry, so I did not run the 4 wheeler over the ground as much as I wanted, as it was just making alot of dust. Had a 2 hour thunderstorm shortly after leaving, so I'm hoping everything got in the ground alright. Will update later on with progress. And yep I know there is a lot of grass in this field, it was just newly tilled this spring and I was going to try TNM without spraying. Thanks again for all the tips.

 

[Bassattackr]

I'd be surprised if AWPs work well with the throw and mow method (given the larger size) but I've never tried. Keep us posted on the results!

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Not sure on the size difference but I have had great results with Icicle winter peas and TNM.

 

[Rit]

AWPs aren’t really that big of a seed. It’s about half the size of a soybean. I had moderate success using TNM this year with soybeans and AWPs under extremely tough conditions.

 

[Bassattackr]

AWPs aren’t really that big of a seed. It’s about half the size of a soybean. I had moderate success using TNM this year with soybeans and AWPs under extremely tough conditions.

Good to know. I'm curious if this can be done with beans that well in the spring by mowing rye. Trying to get away from ragweed farming - err tilling..

 

[Rit]

Good to know. I'm curious if this can be done with beans that well in the spring by mowing rye. Trying to get away from ragweed farming - err tilling..

I haven’t tried it in the Spring yet. I will be in the Spring of 2021. I am broadcasting WR/WW really heavy in 2 weeks into those AWPs/Bean/sunflowers/Radish because I want a lot of vegetation and I am hoping to crowd out the Spring flush of weeds. I think it will come down to timing but I’ll need warmer soil temps for my seed mix so weeds will have a chance to germinate. In my experience when the grains mature some weeds creep in under the canopy. The key will be killing those weeds or better yet having your grains smother them out completely. As long as I get good germination before the rains stop I should be okay.

 

[Bassattackr]

That's what I was thinking as well Rit. A few weeds won't hurt but I had huge flushes of ragweed and foxtail to deal with this year that damn near engulfed several sections of my beans. Thinking about T&M in rye and just broadcasting the beans heavier, around 75 lb / acre.

Beans don't canopy quick enough, getting too much bare soil using a 24"+ row planter.

 

[chucker66]

I have had great luck with TnM with Peas. I was really surprised as the size of the seed but LC said use Peas in his mix. I did and they really are the candy the deer love.

Chuck

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Really I think my problem may be rain...we have had 1 small rain event (0.25") since I planted on 8/15/2020. Although it has been a bit cooler (was hoping for heavy dew at least). The forecast calls for rain Saturday night/Sunday, but we are about 4 inches behind for the summer already. I will be up again this weekend and will post a growth report.

 

[Buckly]

The problems I used to have with AWP was as soon as they got to 6 inches the deer mowed them down in a smaller plot. But your mix should be attractive for the early season

 

[Derek Reese 29]

So the report is...nothing is growing..it was so dusty and dry with no rain since planting on 8/15. I did not actually see any seeds on the surface, but there was a fair amount of turkey feathers and droppings in the field. I am hoping the did not get to too many of the pea seeds. The attached picture is from a backwoods plot on the same property where there was a little bit of germination in a TNM field. Any idea how long brassicas and other seeds can still be viable in hot weather? We are supposed to get some rain this week (hopefully one of the tropical storms heads our way).

 

[Derek Reese 29]

The problems I used to have with AWP was as soon as they got to 6 inches the deer mowed them down in a smaller plot. But your mix should be attractive for the early season

I am hoping they will hit the peas instead of the brassicas in the same field so there is something left for early to mid November...if they eat all the peas but spare the leafy greens the peas will have done their job in my opinion.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Be patient, TNM takes more time. I'm in your boat with the dry conditions. I doubt my peas, sunflower, and brassica plantings will do much. Thankfully I ignored Jeff Sturgis and planted spring plots.