Commercial Cover Crop Mixes

[Kooch]

It's been a long Winter. I sit around and think a lot. There is a mountain of good advice for a new habitat manager like me when it comes to food plots. But I've always been a guy that likes to do his own thing. When everybody else was running alpine skis, I picked up telemark. As a kid in California, all my surfer friends were riding thrusters, and I stuck with single fins. My lifeguard and water polo buddies joined the Navy and ended up in some interesting places. I joined the USAF instead and did rescue. I have a hard time doing the same thing everybody else does, often to my detriment..... For example, I now live in Minnesota. :)

With that in mind, what do you guys think about commercial cover crop mixes as an economical and easy way to get a diverse food plot working? See the link below for examples.

http://www.alseed.com/Pages/CropCategoryListing.aspx?categoryID=149

 

[Bowman]

You are north of me. Only one of those mixes can be spring planted. Do not plant buckwheat or sunn hemp before 65 degree soil temps, because of frost. I do not know what your plans are for the plot or the size. Did you get a soil test? If the field is new, you have time to prepare the field before a late summer planting. I am not a fan of rye grass but am of cereal grain rye. Most of these will winter kill. I would rather have something growing. Cereal rye will over winter and grow the following spring. Fall seeded with perennial clovers is a standard method to establish a clover plot.

Here are some guidelines for planting dates in Minnesota. http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/soils/cover-crops/docs/umn-ext-cover-crop-options.pdf
Reduce the rates by the number of species selected. Plant large seeds first (deeper), cultipack, then small seeds (like clovers) and cultipack again. At a minimum, I want the ground covered year round and preferably something growing.

 

[Kooch]

Thanks Bowman,

Yes, I've had a soil sample and will add lime, P & K per recommendations, eventually when there isn't two feet of snow. The plot is primarily for hunting season draw. Last Fall I planted WR in three intervals and it came in nice and thick, green. I'm hoping it'll be thick this Spring and I'll be able to throw and mow into it late this Summer. This is really elementary, since I've already made a seed order consisting of WR, Oats, Peas, Radish and Mammoth Red Clover.... heavy on the WR.

 

[yoderjac]

It's been a long Winter. I sit around and think a lot. There is a mountain of good advice for a new habitat manager like me when it comes to food plots. But I've always been a guy that likes to do his own thing. When everybody else was running alpine skis, I picked up telemark. As a kid in California, all my surfer friends were riding thrusters, and I stuck with single fins. My lifeguard and water polo buddies joined the Navy and ended up in some interesting places. I joined the USAF instead and did rescue. I have a hard time doing the same thing everybody else does, often to my detriment..... For example, I now live in Minnesota. :)

With that in mind, what do you guys think about commercial cover crop mixes as an economical and easy way to get a diverse food plot working? See the link below for examples.

http://www.alseed.com/Pages/CropCategoryListing.aspx?categoryID=149

It might be economical for a small food plotter but not so much for a habitat manager. If you happen to find the right mix in the right proportions it can probably provide some convenience at a similar cost. If you are actually managing for deer, you will be operating on a large enough scale that it is practical to mix your own. This lets you control the mix much better.

Here is just one example. I typically use a cover crop mix of PTT, WR, and CC. I will typically broadcast the PTT in Aug to give it a head start so I end up with larger tubers. I go back in September and surface broadcast the WR and CC. This allows the WR to stay young and tender a little longer into the season.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bowman]

I think that the rye will grow this spring. It is snowing again here. Looks like you have plan. I would keep records.

 

[Kooch]

I think that the rye will grow this spring. It is snowing again here. Looks like you have plan. I would keep records.

32 degrees and sunny here in the Twin Cities. We're grilling tonight. Snow is forecast for tomorrow. Thanks for the advice. I definitely should just start a small notebook to keep track of what we did from year to year, the conditions, dates and whatever else seems pertinent.

 

[Bowman]

I would soil test at the same time to measure progress. Depending on test results, consider split fertilizations. Some guys on here will have advice. I need potassium and will apply additional for fall. Most soil is low on sulfur. I will do the same with ammonium sulfate and get a little additional boost of nitrogen.

And now for something different: http://www.woods-n-waternews.com/Articles-i-2009-05-01-194712.112113_Sweetening_FOOD_PLOTS.html

 

[Kooch]

Bookmarked that site! Super interesting.

 

[Bowman]

Great. Keep me posted.

 

[Freeborn]

I would soil test at the same time to measure progress. Depending on test results, consider split fertilizations. Some guys on here will have advice. I need potassium and will apply additional for fall. Most soil is low on sulfur. I will do the same with ammonium sulfate and get a little additional boost of nitrogen.

And now for something different: http://www.woods-n-waternews.com/Articles-i-2009-05-01-194712.112113_Sweetening_FOOD_PLOTS.html

Interesting read, I have seen different levels of trying to sweeten a plot. One concern I wood have is the amount of trips you would need to take to your plot as well as the amount of work. If you had a kill plot with extremely easy access and you live on your property this looks doable otherwise I see some drawbacks.

 

[ksgobbler]

During wheat harvest I would go to the elevator and get 2 5 gallon buckets of winter wheat. Then I would order some turnips and clover while I was there. The wheat cost less than $5 and came up great.

 

[Tree Spud]

The first thing i saw was "Rye Grass" ... worst possible filler they can add.

Sorry, but you need to get some motivation and go to you local feed co-op, talk to them about your land & soil .... or do nothing and chill ..... something never happens when you do nothing ...

 

[Kooch]

The first thing i saw was "Rye Grass" ... worst possible filler they can add.

Sorry, but you need to get some motivation and go to you local feed co-op, talk to them about your land & soil .... or do nothing and chill ..... something never happens when you do nothing ...

Thanks, but that's a broad assumption you've made there that I've done "nothing" and plan to do "nothing". But, I appreciate your input.

 

[Tap]

I love the idea of cover crops. The latest data says fallow soil is less healthy compared to soil with cover crops. I used to be more concerned with what the deer eat than I was with protecting my soil. I've done a 180 on that. I see farms with turned soil that lays bare and dormant all winter long. When the heavy spring rains come, my soil is protected and held together by countless millions of healthy roots while the bare soil of some farms erodes and flows into creeks.
After watching some documentaries about the Dust Bowl, the idea of bare and unprotected soil scares the crap out of me. The Dust Bowl was a tragic, environmental nightmare.

I really like The Green Cover Seed website. https://www.greencoverseed.com
They are all about soil health and sell dozens of seed varieties for most any application.
What I really like about the Green Cover Seed site is their Smart Mix calculator. https://smartmix.greencoverseed.com
Smart Mix calculator asks you what your goals are and based on your planting zone, dates, seeding methods, and some other criteria, suggests which varieties are best suited for your goals. It's a custom commercial mix based on your stated goals. It also calculates per acre rates, seed price and shipping. WARNING: Smart Mix calculator is addictive! You can spend hours playing and tinkering with different seeds and mixtures.
It's kinda of the opposite approach than the Albert Lea site because Lea has mixes that have attributes and the Green Cover Seed site configure unique mixtures based on you and your goals. There's a lot more to the calculator than I've described. Go check it out. Enjoy.

 

[Bowman]

Interesting read, I have seen different levels of trying to sweeten a plot. One concern I wood have is the amount of trips you would need to take to your plot as well as the amount of work. If you had a kill plot with extremely easy access and you live on your property this looks doable otherwise I see some drawbacks.

Honest question to you and others, do you split fertilizer applications, lime, overseed and mow? I am on sandy ground with lower pH and lower OM. I am of the opinion that split or more frequent applications might have less loss to leaching. I have read that most soils now are deficient in sulfur, but sulfur is acidifying. Same thing with OM decomposition. If I understand this correctly, adding sulfur and trying to build OM lowers pH. I think that multiple lime applications may help. I understand the concern for multiple trips to plots, but my main aim is to build the soil. I think that maintenance can and should be done. To any advanced soil guys, what are you methods?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Tap......... post #14 - To bolster what you've said about protecting soil with cover crops, I've noticed most farmers around S.E. Pa. are planting cover crops instead of letting turned, bare soil sit all winter. Rye seems to be the biggest component from what I've seen. The rye is GREEN around here - and has been for about 4 weeks. Beats bare dirt.

 

[Bowman]

I would soil test at the same time to measure progress. Depending on test results, consider split fertilizations. Some guys on here will have advice. I need potassium and will apply additional for fall. Most soil is low on sulfur. I will do the same with ammonium sulfate and get a little additional boost of nitrogen.

And now for something different: http://www.woods-n-waternews.com/Articles-i-2009-05-01-194712.112113_Sweetening_FOOD_PLOTS.html

I can recommend his book, Ultimate Food Plots. In my opinion, plenty of good information. Page 151 has an interesting take on fertilizer.
Here is a freebie: https://www.grandparayoutdoors.com
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