Green cover summer release and fall release pics.

[Brokenbear]

This is a great thread fellows and as a newbie to plant/grow green I am like a sponge here!
Quick explain ..due to creek erosion (SE Missouri) I just had a dozer/excavator/dirtpans straighten up my bottoms ..but did not get to plant until mid June and bare dirt I simply used a field cultivator to surface scratch and a traditional drill to plant beans and broadcast some annual rye simply to get some root system established ... and of course not a drop of rain since planting ..Ugh!
Getting ready to spray for weeds which is currently all that is green
But on a positive note that our rain cycle will straighten up I am trying to solidify my plan for my fall "Buffalo" system planting into my currently non existing beans
As this is my first true start point of the Dr Woods philosophy I will be using a Great Plains 706NT ($50 rental from the Soil Conservation District ) and will of course will want to include Winter Rye, Crimson Clover and some Brassicas to name a few ..
As I look at the GreenCover prices for any of the "fall mixes" it gets pretty pricey per acre real quick except the "Over Winter mix" which runs $50 an acre and the "Premium fall mixes) run $125 to $150 an acre and that does not include shipping in some cases ..plus as I read here for both weed control and added mass that additional Winter Rye needs to be added to improve the rye stand on any of the mixes
I am sure you bright fellows have figured out your own "home brewed" mixes you make up yourselves that functions well and keeps more "Green" in your pocket and still do a good job of keeping green in the fields and the deer quite happy ..
If you care to share I'd be much obliged as I am certain others would also be interested ... pounds per acre .. specific seeds as well as percent of each seed per pound would be enormously helpful to those of us just starting out on this Green road!

Thanks
Bear

 

[omicron1792]

This is a great thread fellows and as a newbie to plant/grow green I am like a sponge here!
Quick explain ..due to creek erosion (SE Missouri) I just had a dozer/excavator/dirtpans straighten up my bottoms ..but did not get to plant until mid June and bare dirt I simply used a field cultivator to surface scratch and a traditional drill to plant beans and broadcast some annual rye simply to get some root system established ... and of course not a drop of rain since planting ..Ugh!
Getting ready to spray for weeds which is currently all that is green
But on a positive note that our rain cycle will straighten up I am trying to solidify my plan for my fall "Buffalo" system planting into my currently non existing beans
As this is my first true start point of the Dr Woods philosophy I will be using a Great Plains 706NT ($50 rental from the Soil Conservation District ) and will of course will want to include Winter Rye, Crimson Clover and some Brassicas to name a few ..
As I look at the GreenCover prices for any of the "fall mixes" it gets pretty pricey per acre real quick except the "Over Winter mix" which runs $50 an acre and the "Premium fall mixes) run $125 to $150 an acre and that does not include shipping in some cases ..plus as I read here for both weed control and added mass that additional Winter Rye needs to be added to improve the rye stand on any of the mixes
I am sure you bright fellows have figured out your own "home brewed" mixes you make up yourselves that functions well and keeps more "Green" in your pocket and still do a good job of keeping green in the fields and the deer quite happy ..
If you care to share I'd be much obliged as I am certain others would also be interested ... pounds per acre .. specific seeds as well as percent of each seed per pound would be enormously helpful to those of us just starting out on this Green road!

Thanks
Bear

Couple of different options.

1. Look at green cover summer release and fall release. Then try to match what they have with own mix from local seed source.

2. Use a similar mix from other source. Hancock seed has similar mixes often for about 30 dollars for 50lbs (buck buffet is one).

Usually simmer mixes are about 50-60lbs of seed per acre.

5-10lbs of Milo/millet/sorghum Sudan/Egyptian wheat
5lbs of sunflower
10lbs of buckwheat
5lbs of sunn hemp
10-20lbs of cowpeas
Maybe 10-20lbs or soybeans. Typically don’t do as well in a mix
2-5lbs of a summer brassica

Fall mixes are 100-150lbs of seed per acre

50-150lbs of grain. When starting, use cereal rye, not ryegrass. Uses whatever your local source has. Wren aruzzi a classic. Can do 50lbs of oats and wheat (I like awnless) with 100lbs of rye.

5-15lbs of clover. I use mixes of annuals (crimson, arrowleaf, fixation balansa, berseem, medium red) and white (alberlasting, durana, landino).

2-4lbs of brassica.

Go to local coop and they can tell you what variety of each of these do well in area. Can also premix for you.

Good luck.

Read the throw and mow thread by crimson n camo. Has all this stuff in it.

 

[Brokenbear]

Thanks Omicron .. now to study on all this!

Bear

 

[omicron1792]

Over 10 feet tall.

 

[Brokenbear]

Couple of different options.

1. Look at green cover summer release and fall release. Then try to match what they have with own mix from local seed source.

2. Use a similar mix from other source. Hancock seed has similar mixes often for about 30 dollars for 50lbs (buck buffet is one).

Usually simmer mixes are about 50-60lbs of seed per acre.

5-10lbs of Milo/millet/sorghum Sudan/Egyptian wheat
5lbs of sunflower
10lbs of buckwheat
5lbs of sunn hemp
10-20lbs of cowpeas
Maybe 10-20lbs or soybeans. Typically don’t do as well in a mix
2-5lbs of a summer brassica

Fall mixes are 100-150lbs of seed per acre

50-150lbs of grain. When starting, use cereal rye, not ryegrass. Uses whatever your local source has. Wren aruzzi a classic. Can do 50lbs of oats and wheat (I like awnless) with 100lbs of rye.

5-15lbs of clover. I use mixes of annuals (crimson, arrowleaf, fixation balansa, berseem, medium red) and white (alberlasting, durana, landino).

2-4lbs of brassica.

Go to local coop and they can tell you what variety of each of these do well in area. Can also premix for you.

Good luck.

Read the throw and mow thread by crimson n camo. Has all this stuff in it.

Correct my thinking here as I am presently the dullest knife in the drawer but ...I am about to pick up Wednesday my new to me used 3P606NT that has small, native and large seed boxes ..which place the large box seeds in the trench ..the small box flutters seed out behind the openers behind the the big box drop and drops the small seed in and around the trench for the press wheels to tamp to ground contact ..where and how the native seed box works is for me an unknown at this time

Excuse me I digressed ...I know mixes will work coming from a drill with a big box only as that is all many of you habitat pioneers have had to work with

The question in my mind or I should say suspicion is rather than a mix (for even better seed management and results) all size seeds in one box (first year 8-10 AC) maybe small seeds/small bury in the small box and the rest in the big box as a mix ??? if the 2 two box approach has merit .. which seeds in your above formulas of summer n winter plants would you delegate to each box

I am familiar with some of the seed mentioned but have never seen seeds of several of the varieties

I do know I will heavily over seed Elbon rye over most of it except a couple of woods edge borders where I Turkey hunt I will plant awnless wheat or oats in place of cereal rye

Is there a known deer preferred oat or wheat variety ?

Bear

 

[omicron1792]

Correct my thinking here as I am presently the dullest knife in the drawer but ...I am about to pick up Wednesday my new to me used 3P606NT that has small, native and large seed boxes ..which place the large box seeds in the trench ..the small box flutters seed out behind the openers behind the the big box drop and drops the small seed in and around the trench for the press wheels to tamp to ground contact ..where and how the native seed box works is for me an unknown at this time

Excuse me I digressed ...I know mixes will work coming from a drill with a big box only as that is all many of you habitat pioneers have had to work with

The question in my mind or I should say suspicion is rather than a mix (for even better seed management and results) all size seeds in one box (first year 8-10 AC) maybe small seeds/small bury in the small box and the rest in the big box as a mix ??? if the 2 two box approach has merit .. which seeds in your above formulas of summer n winter plants would you delegate to each box

I am familiar with some of the seed mentioned but have never seen seeds of several of the varieties

I do know I will heavily over seed Elbon rye over most of it except a couple of woods edge borders where I Turkey hunt I will plant awnless wheat or oats in place of cereal rye

Is there a known deer preferred oat or wheat variety ?

Bear

My man, you are well on your way.

The native seed box has a specialized seed picking Wheel inside that grabs the native seeds. It is an awesome thing to have, but I would not worry about it until next spring.

What you have described is what a lot of us have thought about. They package small and large seeds in the same bag for ease of shipping. In reality, if you planted everything from the large seed box mixed together, with a depth of about an inch, it would grow perfectly fine. As the bigger seed push their way to the surface, they would open pathways for the smaller seeds to germinate.

However, small seeds will do better in the small, seed box, falling on top of the trench, and being pressed with the wheel. That is one reason lots of us buy our own seeds and mix ourselves so we can take advantage of the small seed box.

In reality, almost any of these cereal grains will work. Ask your local co-op what seeds do best in your region. Simple google search will do that also. Most like on awnless varieties of wheat and oats, because the deer eat the heads on those.

Elbon and wrens aruzzi are two old Rye varieties that do well. I have also used some new more expensive varieties, and they all did about the same. Most like to terminate the rye before they go to seed anyways so as long as they grow you are doing well.

 

[Wild Thing]

Correct my thinking here as I am presently the dullest knife in the drawer but ...I am about to pick up Wednesday my new to me used 3P606NT that has small, native and large seed boxes ..which place the large box seeds in the trench ..the small box flutters seed out behind the openers behind the the big box drop and drops the small seed in and around the trench for the press wheels to tamp to ground contact ..where and how the native seed box works is for me an unknown at this time

Excuse me I digressed ...I know mixes will work coming from a drill with a big box only as that is all many of you habitat pioneers have had to work with

The question in my mind or I should say suspicion is rather than a mix (for even better seed management and results) all size seeds in one box (first year 8-10 AC) maybe small seeds/small bury in the small box and the rest in the big box as a mix ??? if the 2 two box approach has merit .. which seeds in your above formulas of summer n winter plants would you delegate to each box

I am familiar with some of the seed mentioned but have never seen seeds of several of the varieties

I do know I will heavily over seed Elbon rye over most of it except a couple of woods edge borders where I Turkey hunt I will plant awnless wheat or oats in place of cereal rye

Is there a known deer preferred oat or wheat variety ?

Bear

I agree with omicron. Use the separate boxes for the different sized seeds and let the drill work the way it was designed.

I mix my own seed blends but these are pretty similar to what the Green Cover blends might be.

Here are some notes from my summer and fall cover crops last year that will help you with seed sizes:

 

[Brokenbear]

I agree with omicron. Use the separate boxes for the different sized seeds and let the drill work the way it was designed.

I mix my own seed blends but these are pretty similar to what the Green Cover blends might be.

Here are some notes from my summer and fall cover crops last year that will help you with seed sizes:

View attachment 54347

View attachment 54348

View attachment 54349

View attachment 54350

My goodness WT that is a serious amount information and some one has paid dearly to learn all that ...
and to Foggy and Omicron I owe all you old boys a sweet tea and a plate lunch somewhere down the road

Bear

 

[Wild Thing]

My goodness WT that is a serious amount information and some one has paid dearly to learn all that ...
and to Foggy and Omicron I owe all you old boys a sweet tea and a plate lunch somewhere down the road

Bear

Happy to hear that you find it useful Brokenbear....and we will take you up on the sweet tea and plate lunch at some point down the road. Best of luck with the new drill

 

[Wild Thing]

And here are my notes from my calibration worksheet for the setting for the small box for the Summer 22 Cover Crop:

My goal for the clovers, rape and chicory was 5.0#/Acre. After calibrating at various settings I found that setting #25 gave me 5.13#/Acre. Keep in mind that this is on my Land Pride 606NT (pull behind model). YMMV.



Here are some of my other notes that may get you in the ball park on your new drill. These are from actual calibrations that I have done on my drill, so again...YMMV:





BTW @omicron1792 likes to see pics of my drill so I will include one for him here as well

 

[Brokenbear]

OK one last thing for now (notice I left the gate open for "possible" further questions ;-) ..am I thinking right on this .. OR is there a differen "Kentucky Windage" that has been proven??
EITHER Box: set the gate for the biggest seed and feed rate (lbs) by percentage of weight in the mix ..say a 50 lb mix and of that 25lb is cowpeas and since 50 / AC is the planting target but if seed rate set on cowpeas when the other half is oats n wheat .. you are going to have to throttle back on feed rate since small stuff is going to fall faster than cowpeas as it is a volume measure at the feed cup ..ameofjrnso&#VYien
You know someone has already told me to not over think this and it is good advice however I have a young nephew that has shown interest and I want him to see it work fairly smoothly because the move from our regular old 12" drill is scaring him to death
So I want him to see tweaking ..slight dialing it in so he sees it is not black magic

So my guess at the start of calibrating would be to set it on 45 lbs .. and test

I gotta go back to work ..thanks everyone

Bear

 

[Brokenbear]

And here are my notes from my calibration worksheet for the setting for the small box for the Summer 22 Cover Crop:

My goal for the clovers, rape and chicory was 5.0#/Acre. After calibrating at various settings I found that setting #25 gave me 5.13#/Acre. Keep in mind that this is on my Land Pride 606NT (pull behind model). YMMV.

View attachment 54351

Here are some of my other notes that may get you in the ball park on your new drill. These are from actual calibrations that I have done on my drill, so again...YMMV:

View attachment 54352

View attachment 54353

BTW @omicron1792 likes to see pics of my drill so I will include one for him here as well

View attachment 54354

Really really awesome stuff ..I feel unworthy of such gifts ..I hope I can pay it forward someday!

Bear

 

[omicron1792]

And here are my notes from my calibration worksheet for the setting for the small box for the Summer 22 Cover Crop:

My goal for the clovers, rape and chicory was 5.0#/Acre. After calibrating at various settings I found that setting #25 gave me 5.13#/Acre. Keep in mind that this is on my Land Pride 606NT (pull behind model). YMMV.

View attachment 54351

Here are some of my other notes that may get you in the ball park on your new drill. These are from actual calibrations that I have done on my drill, so again...YMMV:

View attachment 54352

View attachment 54353

BTW @omicron1792 likes to see pics of my drill so I will include one for him here as well

View attachment 54354

Brings a tear to my eye

 

[Wild Thing]

OK one last thing for now (notice I left the gate open for "possible" further questions ;-) ..am I thinking right on this .. OR is there a differen "Kentucky Windage" that has been proven??
EITHER Box: set the gate for the biggest seed and feed rate (lbs) by percentage of weight in the mix ..say a 50 lb mix and of that 25lb is cowpeas and since 50 / AC is the planting target but if seed rate set on cowpeas when the other half is oats n wheat .. you are going to have to throttle back on feed rate since small stuff is going to fall faster than cowpeas as it is a volume measure at the feed cup ..ameofjrnso&#VYien
You know someone has already told me to not over think this and it is good advice however I have a young nephew that has shown interest and I want him to see it work fairly smoothly because the move from our regular old 12" drill is scaring him to death
So I want him to see tweaking ..slight dialing it in so he sees it is not black magic

So my guess at the start of calibrating would be to set it on 45 lbs .. and test

I gotta go back to work ..thanks everyone

Bear

Yep - Don't overthink it too much bear. Just mix up your seed for the large box and try to dial in the Seed Rate Handle setting that is going to be closest to 50. Notice those settings on the second to the last photo (Large Box Settings) I posted of the Seed Rate Settings - Most are in the ball park somewhere near 50. When your goal for #/acre and your Seed Rate Handle setting correspond closest to 50 your drill will meter the seed most efficiently.

You only have one adjustment handle for the small box but for the large box you have 3 - Drive Gear, Seed Cup and Seed Rate Handle. You can get to the same point by a number of different combinations of those setting but you want the combination where the Seed Rate Handle is closest to 50.

Here is an example:

For the Large Box (where I like to plant my radish seed from as it is quite a bit larger from other brassica seeds), my goal was 6# per acre (See very top of page). Now, if you look in the middle of the page you see I selected Drive 2, Seep Cup 1 (Closed) and Seed Rate Handle setting #1. This gave me a rate of 6#/acre but it is pretty hard to dial in such a small setting as #1 on the Seed Rate Handle. I used it that year but the next time I planted brassicas I tweaked it to get the seed rate handle setting closer to 50. See second photo.


At the bottom of these notes you see that I selected Drive 1 instead of Drive 2 for my 6#/acre Radish goal. I still used Seed Cup 1 but I was able to open the gate a little further on the Seed Rate Handle to setting #8. Both of these setting combos gave me 6#/acre of radish in the large box but the preferred setting would be the combo that gets that Seed Rate Handle closer to 50.

 

[omicron1792]

Really really awesome stuff ..I feel unworthy of such gifts ..I hope I can pay it forward someday!

Bear

Foggy, Wild thing, and me all have very similar drills, but Wilds is the most like yours. His info will be very helpful for you.

 

[Wild Thing]

Brings a tear to my eye

LOL - I just knew it would

 

[omicron1792]

These charts are good starting points for me.

https://cdn-assets.greatplainsmfg.com/manuals/pdf/150-287b.pdf

 

[Wild Thing]

Mixing Seed:

I used a variety of different scales when mixing my seed but probably most use this handy digital scales. I have an older kitchen scales as well as a 100# Hanson scales for weighing the cereal grains and larger seeds.



These larger rubber/plastic bins you get at Home Depot or Walmart are fine for mixing seed. Of course a few 5 gal pails are nice to have also for premixing. Once I pour the pails of seed into the bin I can easily mix it up well with just my hand. This is smaller seed pictured here which will be going into the small seed box.


Sunflower seed here...


Sunn Hemp...


Peas (and inoculant)...


a little sorghum...


Mix it up pail to pail first...


and dump it into the bin with the rest of the large seed and just mix it by hand. You can tell that this seed is pretty much perfectly mixed and it will stay that way in the hopper.


Large seed in the large box and small seed in the small box. Of course, I have calibrated the seed in both boxes before I fill them completely.




More to follow:

 

[Wild Thing]

I assume you will get the seed port covers with your drill. You won't always want to plant from all 9 tubes - at least I don't. When calibrating, I just catch seed from the first 3 tubes and block off those beyond #3 in the large box. In the small box I just cut a brochure card to block off the seed tubes beyond #3...





This way I can pour my small seed in the left side of the drill and not lose a bunch of seed on the remaining openers while I am calibrating.


There are other threads on this forum which give pretty good instructions on how to calibrate these drills. If you use the search function you should be able to find them.

 

[Brokenbear]

These charts are good starting points for me.

https://cdn-assets.greatplainsmfg.com/manuals/pdf/150-287b.pdf

Pleaze Lord let mine come with an English measure of charts