New to the forum and fairly new to food plots. I live in the Northeast and this is my 3rd year planting. I have a kill plot that is referred to as my "meat garden" which has grown to be about .35 acres.
Year one (2014) I planted a mix that included dwarf essex rape, groundhog radish and a few types of clover. Year two (2015), I planted a mix over the entire plot of barsicca rape, turnip, groundhog radish and a few types of clover. Year three (2016), I began to worry about what we all have read about disease and crop rotation. This year I expanded the plot from .25 acres to about .35 acres, but cutting trees, stump grinding and preparing the soil. I then split the plot in half and left the clover that was established from 2015 to grow for 2016. I sprayed the other half with Gly and planted July 15th in the expanded area (plus a little overlap) again with a mixture of barsicca rape, ground hog radish, turnip and Red clover this time. Also, for a little background I did test and lime the soil year 2 with pelletized lime as well as the expanded section in 2016. All 3 years I have tilled in triple 19 fertilizer at a rate of 300lbs/acre. Year two the plot looked amazing, with the barsicca so lush and tall that it was falling over from it's own weight. Here are a couple of grainy pics from 2015:
This year the clover came in pretty well, but I did not treat it with anything to kill the weeds. I elected to mow it one time, but the weeds are still present. The new half with the brassica mix is also coming in really well this year. Here is a picture of 24 days after I planted, where the brassica mix is to the left and the clover is to the right.
What my dilemma is that I am concerned the deer are going to devour the brassica half before the hunting season. I'm sure it will be fine thru bow season, but will likely be dirt by Rifle. It's taken me a while to get to my question, but wanted to give some background info first. Here goes with the series of questions. Has anyone every experimented with the similar plantings that I'm doing, by planting the clover with the brassicas in the mid summer for a fall plot? Brassicas do very well nursing the clover, while it establishes. Then the following spring, you have a well established clover plot that in my region would be there May, June and most of July. My plan would be to spray mid July with Gly and then till in the clover, before replanting the brassica/clover mixture again. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge to know if the clover growing for the months of May, June and most of July would be enough of a rotation before replanting brassicas. I understand the rule of thumb says every other year. I'm just curious others thoughts on this?
Year one (2014) I planted a mix that included dwarf essex rape, groundhog radish and a few types of clover. Year two (2015), I planted a mix over the entire plot of barsicca rape, turnip, groundhog radish and a few types of clover. Year three (2016), I began to worry about what we all have read about disease and crop rotation. This year I expanded the plot from .25 acres to about .35 acres, but cutting trees, stump grinding and preparing the soil. I then split the plot in half and left the clover that was established from 2015 to grow for 2016. I sprayed the other half with Gly and planted July 15th in the expanded area (plus a little overlap) again with a mixture of barsicca rape, ground hog radish, turnip and Red clover this time. Also, for a little background I did test and lime the soil year 2 with pelletized lime as well as the expanded section in 2016. All 3 years I have tilled in triple 19 fertilizer at a rate of 300lbs/acre. Year two the plot looked amazing, with the barsicca so lush and tall that it was falling over from it's own weight. Here are a couple of grainy pics from 2015:
This year the clover came in pretty well, but I did not treat it with anything to kill the weeds. I elected to mow it one time, but the weeds are still present. The new half with the brassica mix is also coming in really well this year. Here is a picture of 24 days after I planted, where the brassica mix is to the left and the clover is to the right.
What my dilemma is that I am concerned the deer are going to devour the brassica half before the hunting season. I'm sure it will be fine thru bow season, but will likely be dirt by Rifle. It's taken me a while to get to my question, but wanted to give some background info first. Here goes with the series of questions. Has anyone every experimented with the similar plantings that I'm doing, by planting the clover with the brassicas in the mid summer for a fall plot? Brassicas do very well nursing the clover, while it establishes. Then the following spring, you have a well established clover plot that in my region would be there May, June and most of July. My plan would be to spray mid July with Gly and then till in the clover, before replanting the brassica/clover mixture again. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge to know if the clover growing for the months of May, June and most of July would be enough of a rotation before replanting brassicas. I understand the rule of thumb says every other year. I'm just curious others thoughts on this?