Foggy's Deertopia Proving Grounds - Happenings

[Foggy47]

Did u not grab pics of the rolled rye and clover? I had predicted it’d swamp the rye duff by about now.


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The clover was coming on like gangbusters. Amazing differences in a few weeks. Still a few patches of rye straw showing.....but not much longer. Lots of mole mounds this year. I just dont find time to poison those critters. They provide a little tillage...lol. Weed treatments (Imox) and mowing worked well. I also nuked the worst areas with glyphosate and planted some brassica (about 3 acres) and that is coming along nicely too. Third pic is the weakest brassica area.

 

[Foggy47]

I did drill some radish and sorghum into the above clover (after treating with Imox).......and I dont know if I will get any result from that effort due to the plant back on Imox. I figured it was worth a shot. The Imox did not seem to effect the existing chicory......so that is a plus. It did clean up my plots pretty nicely.

 

[SD51555]

I did drill some radish and sorghum into the above clover (after treating with Imox).......and I dont know if I will get any result from that effort due to the plant back on Imox. I figured it was worth a shot. The Imox did not seem to effect the existing chicory......so that is a plus. It did clean up my plots pretty nicely.

Did you do 4oz/ac?

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Any concerns about the yellow sweet clover eventually getting too tall to shoot through? I really like that in a mix of grasses for pheasant cover since it gets 6' tall without choking everything else out around it.

 

[Foggy47]

Did you do 4oz/ac?

Yep....I think that was the rate I used.

 

[Foggy47]

Any concerns about the yellow sweet clover eventually getting too tall to shoot through? I really like that in a mix of grasses for pheasant cover since it gets 6' tall without choking everything else out around it.

I planted some YSC last fall....but did not get any to germinate. SD talked me into trying it one more time. I am putting it in some pretty poor soil (sand) and do not hunt over the plots its planted in. We will se what happens next. I know it can be pretty thick.

 

[omicron1792]

I did drill some radish and sorghum into the above clover (after treating with Imox).......and I dont know if I will get any result from that effort due to the plant back on Imox. I figured it was worth a shot. The Imox did not seem to effect the existing chicory......so that is a plus. It did clean up my plots pretty nicely.

Bout time you took my advice on Imox. Haha. Looks great

 

[omicron1792]

I’ve found you can plant back in imox 4/acre in a month or so and have no issues.

 

[Foggy47]

I’ve found you can plant back in imox 4/acre in a month or so and have no issues.

I've had some Imox on my shelf for over a year. I always had a plant-back issue with it.....and I thought it would kill chicory.....therefore I stayed clear. Also thought it was better with smaller weeds than large ones. Later I read that many can get away with a low rate on chicory. I did wait about 10 days before drilling the radish and sorghum.....I know I am pushing it and do not have big expectations.....we'll see. I am running short on remaining growing days. It sure did clean up my clover plots.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I planted some YSC last fall....but did not get any to germinate. SD talked me into trying it one more time. I am putting it in some pretty poor soil (sand) and do not hunt over the plots its planted in. We will se what happens next. I know it can be pretty thick.

Yellow sweet clover is good stuff as long as you don't have to shoot through it. It seems like it should be a good choice to build up soil if you mix it with other species, but I've never tried that. A neighbor of mine has a bunch of it growing in his CRP field and it is excellent cover for deer and pheasants.

 

[Brian662]

Yellow sweet clover is good stuff as long as you don't have to shoot through it. It seems like it should be a good choice to build up soil if you mix it with other species, but I've never tried that. A neighbor of mine has a bunch of it growing in his CRP field and it is excellent cover for deer and pheasants.

A few clumps showed up voluntarily (I think) in one of my pollinator areas and they sure do get tall and thick.

 

[Foggy47]

Had a good day finishing up my fall planting with my drill and broadcasting winter rye too (over the brassica plots). With the recent rains (again) my plots are really coming along. Weeds seem under control from my spray and mow efforts and the successive crops are establishing nicely. I put down two bags of fertilizer on the brassica plots and the sorghum (which looked a little yellow)to help them along.....but might have gotten along without? Also broadcast some rye over my brassica plots and got rain after doing that yesterday. Tried the Herd on the Ranger.....and was nice to drive around in the rain and throw seeds in the AC.

My "development land" is starting to grow things finally.....after a few plantings of buckwheat and rye over the years. Got some clovers coming on now....and another rye crop just germinating (free crop from mowing). the last two pics are that development land.....and I got good roots in the ground now.

We got some company coming.....and some travel plans coming up......so it feels good to be ahead of the game. Also nice to plant into wet soils.

 

[Foggy47]

Nice day tying up some loose ends at my property. Cleaned up the shed after the big planting event......and burned the trash that has accumulated through the summer. Got trails mowed and established some new ones for a new blind in the woods.

Last week I had mowed my standing rye in order to get a free crop of rye on some ground that is "under development". Some duff and rye seed collected on a flat surface of my flail mower.....and it was pretty wet when I was mowing the rye. Today I noticed the rye had germinated real thick on the mower.......but I was really impressed with all the roots that were under the "sod" when I pulled it off the mower. (see pic #3)). That is a good example of the roots that rye can put into the soil. Amazing.

 

[Foggy47]

Posting some pics from my visit at my land today. Partly I do this to remember where I am at for next year. After a nice rain over the weekend.....all the drilled seeds look to have good germination and / or the plots are progressing well. I'm going to comment under the individual pics. HOT and 99% humidity today......did not want to do any work.....and driving in the AC Cab on the Ranger was niiiice.


The NWW Sorghum is green and healthy in most areas where I spread a little triple 19. It's now about 6 feet high in some areas. Two passes with the drill seems thick enough for an effective screen.


This is the east fence line plot. Brassica on one side of the screen and primarily clover on the other side. I did drill some brassica and chicory into the clover and some is coming up. Will it compete with the clover this fall? Time will tell.



In a few areas I have this low, freaky looking broadleaf "weed". What is it? Can I kill it? with??


Brassica is really establishing itself now.....and the last rainfall is giving it some growth. The bare spots have been weed free due to the rye mulch. Some brassica is coming through the heavy Matt of mulch.


The rye I broadcast here is now germinating....and just starting to fill in. I think the head start by the brassica will work out.


The mix of rye and oats are now germinating nicely......and so is this years seeding of new clover. I planted some MRC, Ladino, some Fixation Balansa (in some areas) and Yellow sweet clover in some of my worst plots. Also some flax to see what it looks like. But I forgot where I planted that. Also had some radish planted in many areas. See notes.

This plot is the worst land I have. Still the gophers like it. Rye has germinated in the gopher mounds. It does have some chicory here, the yellow sweet clover, as well as MRC and Ladino.

This is the first year I have gotten some meaningful start of decent plants on this sand pit. If I can get roots established.....I wonder if it will hold up during drought times next year(s)? One can hope.

The rye has done it's job to provide a relatively weed free opportunity for my new drilled clover and brassica and rye. Grains/brasicas/Legumes. Life is good.

 

[Brian662]

Picture this app says those are dandelions?

 

[T-Max]

I had something very similar to that this spring and it turned into pennycress.


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[homerj]

Looks like sheep sorrel to me

 

[SD51555]

Looks darn good guy! Did u get to lay eyes on the clover over the rolled rye?


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[Foggy47]

Looks darn good guy! Did u get to lay eyes on the clover over the rolled rye?


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I have a pic or two above that shows the clover punching through the rolled rye. Check the last pic for example. Yes the clover and brassica both are punching through the rye. At one point it all looked like rolled rye......and little by little the clover and brassica are punching through and filling the plot(s) with green.

 

[SD51555]

I have a pic or two above that shows the clover punching through the rolled rye. Check the last pic for example. Yes the clover and brassica both are punching through the rye. At one point it all looked like rolled rye......and little by little the clover and brassica are punching through and filling the plot(s) with green.

It looks like the rye disappears when it hits that clover. You've got a perfect base established for next year now. It's going to be very interesting to watch that next season. I think you're going to be pleased how that holds up.

In that pic with the gopher mounds, did you have any green in there when you planted, or was that sprayed first? It almost looks like you've got YSC coming up there in a big way, but I'm not certain how fast it comes in the establishment year.