Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I think you mentioned in an earlier post w / pics that your brassicas needed more P & K. Did you add any, & if so, what happened??
Food plots SW Wisconsin for November
- Thread starter Prairie Acres
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Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
I did add some. I don't know if it was enough? I thought I had a pretty decent plot considering the lack of rain. The deer were in the plot very consistently. I'm glad somebody pointed out the lack of P & K so I'll know what to look for when I plant brassicas in the future.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
Deer, especially bucks will move as winter approaches and after the rut. They are in heavy need to recover from the rut and will look for high energy food sources. After all the pressure from the hunting season and rut battles they like to look for areas they are not pressured. Some are recovering from injury and some are just worn out.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
My brassica plot was a big success. I got thousands of pictures of deer in it including some nice bucks. If I was a better hunter I might have even shot a one of those bucks. I did have opportunities to shoot doe and smaller bucks every time I hunted near it. I had a slow down in plot usage in late December but it picked right back up in January and February.
I'm starting to think about what I want to plant in that plot this year. I want to avoid planting brassicas two years in a row. I'll plant brassicas in my two other plots that were in winter wheat. I'm somewhat busy right now so I would be looking at planting something late summer or early fall. I do not want to plant corn or soybeans. Anything I plant will have to withstand potentially heavy browsing pressure. I know I can plant some winter wheat in there easy and cheap but I'm looking for other suggestions. Wheat and field peas? Open to different ideas. Thanks.
I'm starting to think about what I want to plant in that plot this year. I want to avoid planting brassicas two years in a row. I'll plant brassicas in my two other plots that were in winter wheat. I'm somewhat busy right now so I would be looking at planting something late summer or early fall. I do not want to plant corn or soybeans. Anything I plant will have to withstand potentially heavy browsing pressure. I know I can plant some winter wheat in there easy and cheap but I'm looking for other suggestions. Wheat and field peas? Open to different ideas. Thanks.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
Planting brassicas two years in a row isn't a problem. Very few forage possibilities in the upper Midwest provide a food source from Oct through February, I'd strongly consider planting them again. You can overseed rye and crimson clover in mid September, then mow it down next June, plant a summer crop (buckwheat, clover, etc) and reset the clock for another potential brassica planting.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
I need to apply lime to a plot. It will be brassicas this year. I was hoping for some recommendations for the amount of pelletized bags of lime or gypsum to buy for this plot. The bags are 40 pounds. Lime is $5 per bag. Gypsum is $7 per bag. The plot is about 3/4 acre. I will be planting in August.
Soil test:
Lime tag (neutralizing index Zone for Wisconsin 80-8):
Gypsum tag:
Thanks!
Soil test:
Lime tag (neutralizing index Zone for Wisconsin 80-8):
Gypsum tag:
Thanks!
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
You need about 1 ton of lime per acre to increase the ph by 1. You need about 1.5 tons per acre on your field to get to 7 (around 6.5 is fine though).
At 3/4 an acre I would shoot for one ton of lime. Thats about 50 of your bags. That price is high you quoted. You can often get bulk lime delivered cheaper. Sometime rock quarries sell cheap if you pick it up.
There are all kinds of thoughts on lime, but in general no matter the type you need about the same amount (pellet vs ag lime).
I’m no expert on gypsum, but in general it is more about supplying the calcium and buffering ph, and less about changing it.
If you can’t get it all out at once, just throw as much as you can each time you plant.
At 3/4 an acre I would shoot for one ton of lime. Thats about 50 of your bags. That price is high you quoted. You can often get bulk lime delivered cheaper. Sometime rock quarries sell cheap if you pick it up.
There are all kinds of thoughts on lime, but in general no matter the type you need about the same amount (pellet vs ag lime).
I’m no expert on gypsum, but in general it is more about supplying the calcium and buffering ph, and less about changing it.
If you can’t get it all out at once, just throw as much as you can each time you plant.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
Earlier this year I got a quote from a quarry without knowing how much I needed for 4 ton of Ag lime, I just wanted a rough idea, they quoted me $150 delivered. I don't have a spreader for ag lime. I'm not sure I want to spread a ton of lime by hand. How bad of a job is it?
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
People do it. Do you have a tractor? Front end loader? Fertilize spreader?
spreading ag lime without a drop spreader is not much fun, especially when they just back up the dump truck and leave you a giant pile. It is really hard to distribute evenly using the shovel method, but it doesn't need to be perfect. I also tried using a leaf blower to blow it off a trailer, but that didn't work the best either. I had 10 tons delivered a decade ago and I spread half of it by hand using my atv and trailer. It wasn't fun, but if you have some free time you can get it done. The other half of the pile is still there and maybe one day I'll finish spreading it-
One other note, it is much easier to spread ag lime when dry, so spread it as soon as it is delivered if possible.
One other note, it is much easier to spread ag lime when dry, so spread it as soon as it is delivered if possible.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
Yes, I have a tractor with a front end loader. Could I just take a bucket full, drive and sprinkle it and back drag it?
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Yep. What I was going to recommend. For a plot your size that should be easy enough.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
SD51555
5 year old buck +
Good news is, you've got a good soil test with enough data to make a lime recommendation. Your stats:
pH: 5.3
Buffer pH: 6.4
Calcium PPM: 798
Magnesium PPM: 179
Ca to Mg ratio: 4.5
I'd aim to hit no more than an 8 on Ca:Mg ratio. So now, lets see how much lime we need to hit an acceptable pH, while minding our Ca:Mg balance. And anyone can do this if they have the charts.
The charts: https://www.spectrumanalytic.com/doc/library/articles/soil_ph_management
You don't need to go a full point north on pH to get into the strike zone on pH. A full point would require about 2.5 tons/ac. I don't think you need that much. Let's aim for 6.0 to keep it reasonable. So let's call it 1.5-2 tons and start there and see how the crops respond. If you put on 3000 lbs of the lime you spec'd, that would add 900 lbs/ac of calcium, or 450 ppm. You would also be adding 120 lbs/ac magnesium, or 60 ppm. So your new Ca:Mg ratio would become (calcium 798 + 450 = 1248) : (magnesium 179 + 60 = 239) or Ca:Mg would now be (1248 / 239) = 5.2
Now, for gypsum, let's say you commit to a 5 year program of 300 lbs/ac per year of gypsum. That will ultimately be a calcium addition of (1500lbs x .21 = 315 lbs/ac or 157 ppm). That would then get you to a Ca:Mg ratio of 5.8. Still lots of room to add calcium. You might consider hitting up a menards and getting their pelletized lime which is even higher calcium and lower magnesium, and going to 2 tons/ac.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Brassicas, turnips in particular appreciate boron. Clover is another plant that likes boron too. Boron can be toxic if you have too much though. A 204 lb box of borax soap per acre can be a great addition. Even pouring it in with a gly spray can be helpful. Take the borax and mix it in boiling water, then add that to your tank when spraying.
