Fall / Winter food plot question

[Bowsnbucks]

We have a plot that's been worked up with disks for a couple weeks. We wanted to plant WW & WR in it, but the soil has been way too wet to re-work with disks, harrow, cultipacker. Ground is NOT under water - just too much rain. Can either WW or WR be broadcast on that soil ( or both ) and will it germinate to give us SOMETHING GREEN in that plot for the winter ?? As it stands right now, if we broadcast the seed, we wouldn't be able to cultipack afterward - too soft. Our JD would be deep in ruts. We have several plots of clover and one of brassicas already.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[MickT]

Most any cool season plot will come up just fine too sowed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SwampCat]

Yes - if the turkeys, crows, and hogs dont eat the seed. A lot of farmers aerial seed wheat on their fields for commercial wheat production.

 

[wiscwhip]

Rye is cheap, get it down, what are you waiting for? If your soil is that moist, it could germinate within days.

 

[scott44]

I'd get it planted and if it's too wet for cultipacking with a tractor maybe run over it with an atv/utv tires if it's not too wet.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Whip - We were thinking that if we didn't cultipack the rye & wheat, they may not germinate or would get eaten by turkeys. Plot size is about 3/4 to 1 acre. We can hammer the seed on it if you think it'll pan out. We just haven't been in this wet situation - at this time of the year - before. We're almost always fairly dry when we plant the WW & WR. We pack it after broadcasting.

What would your advice be for seeding ?? Any follow-up if things dry up some ??

 

[wiscwhip]

I would put it down at a rate of 100-120 lbs/acre and let it ride. You should get enough seed down that the turkeys won't eat it all. Either 2 bags of rye or one bag of each. See if you can just pull a small section of chain link fence over it after you spread it, kind of similar to what they use to smooth out a baseball diamond between innings, that may help with hiding some of the seed from the birds.

 

[Haus]

I’ve always broadcasted rye a little heavier, and I’ve never had problems even with all of the turkeys around.

 

[j-bird]

I broadcast cereal grains and turnip on un-tilled soil and just let the rain do it's thing and it works fine. It's not great, but it works. Tilling and packing will get far better results, but it isn't required. Rye will germinate on a damp sidewalk!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^ Thanks a bunch gents !! Much appreciated.

 

[pinetag14]

I used a regular yard spreader and broadcast this rye on 9/8. After 8 days with lots of rain and wet soils, here is how it looked.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I broadcast cereal grains and turnip on un-tilled soil and just let the rain do it's thing and it works fine. It's not great, but it works. Tilling and packing will get far better results, but it isn't required. Rye will germinate on a damp sidewalk!

I currently have a stand growing in the bed of my pickup between the liner and sidewall

bill

 

[j-bird]

I currently have a stand growing in the bed of my pickup between the liner and sidewall

bill

I had some germinate and grow in a small pile of mulch in the bed of my truck once as well......I didn't figure it would have enough moisture to survive.....WRONG! Like I said.....I think you could spread it on a side walk and spit on it and it would germinate!

 

[Peplin Creek]

If your worried about birds eating the seed some farmers around me will put tin pie plates tied to a string on post and it flutters in the wind. Keeps the birds out. Probably would keep deer out too for a bit if your worried about germination. I’ve never done it because rye germinates quick enough

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I put the WR and WW down today at camp. Soil is plenty wet, but none laying on the surface. I spread some of the rye into thin spots in some of our brassica patch, which is a strip about 200 yds. long. Deer have been hammering the brassica strip - tracks everywhere in there. Radish tops seem to be hit the hardest, but turnips and rape are getting hit too. A new plot of Marathon and Starfire red clovers is thick and lush - about 8" tall after mowing this past week. It was planted around August 15th.

Thanks for the help and guidance earlier in this thread gents !!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

A note for buckwheat folks - deer are still hitting the buckwheat planted at one end of another plot. We have some volunteer BW and it's about 5" tall and it's getting nipped off.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I was at camp this past weekend and the advice to "get it down" was spot on. The WR and WW are about 3" to 4" tall and looking great !! If the turkeys got any seed - it wasn't much. Triple 19 added at planting.

Thanks for the insight and advice gentlemen !! Much appreciated.

 

[nchunter1989]

I currently have a stand growing in the bed of my pickup between the liner and sidewall

bill

Yeah got alittle spoiled last few years, I've been planting 150-200lbs of WR.. This year due to the Hurricane & supply issues the local farm supply didn't have WR instock by the time I was ready to plant. Got 3 bags of WW plus Ray Archuleta's Crazy Mix.. Either not being able to spray hurt me that bad, or the soil is too acidic for anything but WR. I do see a few brassicas popping out, but not seeing the WW I thought.. I'll be overseeding with WR & maybe another bag of brassicas this week..

 

[pinetag14]

So as hardy as WR is, it can drown with too much water. I went out this week and my rye is just about shot after being under water from hurricane Michael. I threw down some more seed with the hope that it will germinate and I can salvage the plot. This has been one of the wettest years on record (might even be the wettest ever) here in central VA so I would expect to have better results in coming years. Does anyone know if ladino clover that was just seeded can tolerate the water and make into the spring?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

So as hardy as WR is, it can drown with too much water. I went out this week and my rye is just about shot after being under water from hurricane Michael. I threw down some more seed with the hope that it will germinate and I can salvage the plot. This has been one of the wettest years on record (might even be the wettest ever) here in central VA so I would expect to have better results in coming years. Does anyone know if ladino clover that was just seeded can tolerate the water and make into the spring?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Look at it this way, with all that rain your probably going to shoot the biggest buck of your life this year.