Habitat out loud

[SD51555]

The new plot is surging forward. I couldn’t be happier with how this is going. This spot is on my north end. I didn’t really dig up the soil other that popping stumps out and taking brush away. I was concerned it’d struggle with compaction and subsoil being brought up from digging.

I only put on lime and gypsum after the dig, but the cheat code is that this is forest soil. It’s loaded with Myco fungi, and I ripped it open and put it back and seeded in 72 hours and caught rain.

I was really hoping to see the sun hemp take off, but so far the millet and sorghums are leading the pack.

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[SD51555]

I filmed the throw and roll on my 5 year old plots today. They were bushy, but lots of good stuff in there yet. It laid down pretty well with one pass too.

Broadcast barley
Roll
Profit

https://rumble.com/v6x3scu-throw-and-roll-barley-2025.html

 

[SD51555]

I have one big bee balm plant in my south plot. I didn't count how many bumble bees were on it, but it had to be 30+. I spared it from the roller. You have to watch this in full screen to appreciate it.

https://rumble.com/v6x3svw-bees-on-bee-balm.html

 

[SD51555]

I circled the ones I could see in the picture. There were more on the back side.

 

[TreeDaddy]

With all that bee balm and YSC, keeping bees will be the next project

A natural for your place and philosophy

bill

 

[Kdog]

Approximately how fast go when spreading seed?

 

[SD51555]

Approximately how fast go when spreading seed?

Oh man, I have no idea. I'm far from calibrated. I also have my dash displaying rpms instead of speed.

I am no role model when it comes to precision on cereal grains, and I don't worry about even coverage too much. There's a chance the barley doesn't do anything in all that vegetation. There's gonna be a lot of legumes and broadleaves stand right back up and the grass will largely stay down, so I can afford some failure.

 

[SD51555]

With all that bee balm and YSC, keeping bees will be the next project

A natural for your place and philosophy

bill

I would really like to do that. I'd love to have my own honey without glyphosate in it, and I think I could do it at my place. I'm isolated enough and have good enough habitat, I wouldn't imagine the bees would ever leave my property.

 

[SD51555]

Ever wonder what my 5 year always-green plots look like? Here’s some samples.

The bad: the upside to those thistle patches is they make perfect throw and roll vegetation. They lay flat and stay flat.

The good: even in those rough looking spots above, there is lots of good stuff. I’m testing this throw and roll live with everyone watching to see what pops up after.

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[matinc]

SD the above throw n mow pics you can lay completely flat with your roller? Do you broadcast first and if so what concoction of seed before crimping?

 

[SD51555]

SD the above throw n mow pics you can lay completely flat with your roller? Do you broadcast first and if so what concoction of seed before crimping?

Go back up to post 482 in this thread from yesterday the video is there. In these two plots, I just spread awnless spring barley and then rolled it down. What used to frustrate me so much, I’m counting on making these plots shine. Those brown grasses won’t stand back up, but the legumes and broadleaves should be up in a week or two.


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[T-Max]

I noticed you using a cultipacker to roll. What are your thoughts on a crimper? Would that terminate the things you wish to leave?


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[SD51555]

I noticed you using a cultipacker to roll. What are your thoughts on a crimper? Would that terminate the things you wish to leave?


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Yes, based on feedback from @stfanatic . He had run a crimper thru his plot and lost his chicory. I know the chicory will be the first to stand back up and keep on growing. I saw that in my sweet clover plot last year.

The theory here is most of the grasses in my plots are gassed and done for the season. That’s the browns you see. I’m sure some grass will pop up thru this, but I’m banking on the clovers and chicory and plantain to shoot up as well, and fill in as they get sun. I’m also expecting some barley too.

It was early for the barley, but I wanted my chores done back there now.


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[matinc]

Sd. Thank you for the cool video. My crimping will begin in 3 weeks. I did see your roller bouncing, how heavy is it? As max said we both wonder I'd a crimper would flatten everything better and you won't get the bounce back? Curious on your thoughts on mowing that plot in 30 days after rolling it?

 

[SD51555]

Sd. Thank you for the cool video. My crimping will begin in 3 weeks. I did see your roller bouncing, how heavy is it? As max said we both wonder I'd a crimper would flatten everything better and you won't get the bounce back? Curious on your thoughts on mowing that plot in 30 days after rolling it?

Flat is good, but not required. The big idea behind getting as flat as possible is just sunlight. If some stuff pops up or doesn’t lay down perfectly, it’s ok as most does. What I like most about rolling like this is the residue stays evenly distributed because none of it moves.

That packer is extremely heavy. I would guess two guys would hurt themselves trying to lift it off the ground. I had to use a skid steer to get it out of the truck I used to deliver it to my place. Where you saw bouncing, it was likely hitting logs I’ve got poorly buried out there, and there are some, fledgling excavator skills on display there from 2023.

And I wouldn’t mow it. I’ve got 60 days to get my fall forage grown. After September 1st, my heat and daylight drop significantly. By October 1st, the chow down begins and I’ve got to have as much out there as possible. Also, I don’t want to cut any of the grass. I want that to stay stuck in the back end of that sigmoid growth curve and regen as little as possible.

It’d be interesting to see someone trying throw and roll in a stand of canary grass late in the season with a big seed like beans or peas. I was driving thru some canary grass this weekend doing chores and that stuff laid dead flat after going over it a few times. Those RCG stems were coarse and busted right over. They ain’t standing up.


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[matinc]

SD in reference to the grass still standing and not mowing it can you please explain why. Also in michigan where my property is located it was bone dry last fall and now it's still bone dry. Do I wait for rain or plant as you did and pray for rain. I understand that first frost is 50 days away and don't know whats the best choice.

 

[SD51555]

SD in reference to the grass still standing and not mowing it can you please explain why. Also in michigan where my property is located it was bone dry last fall and now it's still bone dry. Do I wait for rain or plant as you did and pray for rain. I understand that first frost is 50 days away and don't know whats the best choice.

Far as leaving the grass grow, have a look at this article. I posted this over in the soil fundamentals library too. It’s about leaving the old grass alive. It’s old and in the way, and new grass can’t really grow if the old stuff isn’t grazed or mowed off. It’s not gonna be perfect, but I’m trying to use the old grass against the new grass.

https://pasture.io/20/understanding-sigmoid-growth-pasture

Far as yours goes, if you have the standing duff layer, get it spread and rolled flat now. The residue will protect your seed from sunlight and killing heat. When the rain comes, it’ll go. Having that duff layer takes out all the risk of that and predation. Turkeys may try to go after it, but they will fail. I’ve got 25 turkeys living in my place and I’ve yet to see them try to rip up the duff to get at my cereals.


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[SD51555]

Here are the post roll pics of one of my plots. I’m happy with how it laid down.

The canada thistle, the ultimate residue maker.

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[SD51555]

I put a pink banana jumbo squash plant in one of my failed garlic beds to see how it would really do if it had good conditions.

This plant spans the entire frame of this pic. These squash are said to reach 50 pounds if they have the juice and time to go the distance.

Scratch that, 70 pounds.

https://trueleafmarket.com/products/squash-winter-pink-banana-jumbo-seeds

60 days to go for these to fill out. It could be a photo finish for these if they get to the end. There are at least 10 growing here and more developing yet.

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[SD51555]

And there's a germinator rolling across central MN tonight.