Converting hay field into plot

[Ncwoodsman]

Hey guys this is my first post. I have been lurking around for awhile and it seems like there is alot of knowledgeable people and the kind of people would like to learn from. So my situation is we have a pretty big farm that are majority hay fields I planted 5 acres of eagle seed soybeans this spring and they're doing great. I was planning on planting a mix of winter wheat, oats and crimson clover and maybe some soybeans we have left over for my fall blend . I was really wanting to do a no-till as I have access to a no till drill, But the only thing that has me worried is after all my soil test it turns out we are really low on potassium and I was under the impression I needed to turn the soil to get the fertilizer in the ground but some of these fields are on some pretty steep slopes and I'm worried about erosion. So one of my questions is will fertilizer work itself in the ground if it topped dressed on semi thick thatch. My plan this far is doing a spraying in the next couple weeks, letting it die, fertilizing, mowing over it really close and then spring gly again after green is coming back then drilling my seed in during the middle or late September. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[BobinCt]

I would fertilize now before spraying and letting it die. The fertilizer in any case will work without discing it into the soil. A good heavy rain will get it in, but not as fast as discing of course. I like your approach, but I would make sure you give a good dose of Gly and go slow when spraying if you have tall grasses (hay). I would not disc it in either if I had a drill. What state are you in? I think your on the right course . A nice dose of 0-0-46 will do the job or whatever your soil test called for.

 

[Ncwoodsman]

Ya that's what I was thinking. I'm in East Tennessee. I just Mowed the sites where I'm going to spray I plan to give it a week or two to let all the new growth come in then spray with gly, then More towards planting time I will spray again. But I think that fertilizing method will work, all other levels in the soil test looked good but the potassium. I'm also hoping the clover will fix any N I need l. What lbs rates would you recommend for this blend ?

 

[BobinCt]

I did a soil test 2 months ago for a friend. His came back “ very low” in potassium. It was a soil test from the whitetail Institute and I had checked off the box to amend the soil for Alfa-Rack plus, which is alfalfa , clover and chicory. I picked this one because alfalfa is picky. Anyway, the test result was 25 PPM of potassium. It called for 30lbs of 0-0-60. I would look at your soil test and see what it calls for.

 

[BobinCt]

I meant 300lbs per acre, not 30lbs.

 

[scott44]

Ya that's what I was thinking. I'm in East Tennessee. I just Mowed the sites where I'm going to spray I plan to give it a week or two to let all the new growth come in then spray with gly, then More towards planting time I will spray again. But I think that fertilizing method will work, all other levels in the soil test looked good but the potassium. I'm also hoping the clover will fix any N I need l. What lbs rates would you recommend for this blend ?

50-80#/acre of both wheat and oats, 10-15#/acre crimson clover I'd also throw 3#/acre radishes

 

[Ncwoodsman]

50-80#/acre of both wheat and oats, 10-15#/acre crimson clover I'd also throw 3#/acre radishes

That's about the blend I was thinking. What type of radishes would you plant ? I have heard alot of other guys in my area say that these deer don't care much for brassicas or turnips so I had not included them

 

[BobinCt]

Radishes are brassicas , but give them a shot. They are great for your soil and help keep weeds out. Plant any radish, but I always get groundhog forage radish from Welters seed in Iowa. You don’t know what they like til you put it out there. Your deer might like em, but 30 min away they don’t eat them. I’m guessing they will eat them.

 

[scott44]

That's about the blend I was thinking. What type of radishes would you plant ? I have heard alot of other guys in my area say that these deer don't care much for brassicas or turnips so I had not included them

More for mining some nutrients plus they might like them at least the tops.

 

[Ncwoodsman]

I'm in on the radishes it can't hurt to try.

 

[Ncwoodsman]

So just to recap you guys don't see any need in my situation to break out the disc ?

 

[scott44]

So just to recap you guys don't see any need in my situation to break out the disc ?

I think your plan plus if you have a fair amount of mulch/thatch and you have a no-till drill I think you should be good.

 

[Bill]

Not that you asked but when I bought my farm it was mostly open fields being hayed by the neighbor. It was a clean pretty farm. Lots of deer in September. Not so many in November. After two years all haying stopped.
12 years later I’ve got overgrown fields with early successional growth and Deer.

Not having a golf course in November will do way more for your deer hunting then a food plot.