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5 year old buck +
Been going on 3 years in my backyard foodplot since tillage was done. Im past the weedy nightmare stage where I need to redo a plot.
However, this year I planted rye labor day weekend. Sprayed about a week ahead. Spread rye and mowed the existing 3ft tallish rye and weed stand. About 3 passes with the ATV mower.
A week afterwards I finished up my drainage trench is the yard about 50 yards away. I used the soil from the lawn to fill up the stump holes from the old orchard trees removed maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Spread rye on them, no fertilizer or lime. The rye in the stump hole area grew twice as tall. A light amount of lime and fertilzer was applied to the new trench area. That grew 3 times as high and was planted a week or two later.
Thinking I have compaction issues. Debating buying a used baretto commercial rototiller tomorrow. Rototilling a 1/3 of the plot every year. It's about a 1/2 acre spot, once I opening it up a touch more. Walk behind tiller, but 13hp 20 inch width. Does about an acre every 3 hours.
Apple trees are in the same soil. Where I amended the soil with lighter peat moss and/or potting soil, the trees did that much better.
I will add pictures tomorrow.
However, this year I planted rye labor day weekend. Sprayed about a week ahead. Spread rye and mowed the existing 3ft tallish rye and weed stand. About 3 passes with the ATV mower.
A week afterwards I finished up my drainage trench is the yard about 50 yards away. I used the soil from the lawn to fill up the stump holes from the old orchard trees removed maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Spread rye on them, no fertilizer or lime. The rye in the stump hole area grew twice as tall. A light amount of lime and fertilzer was applied to the new trench area. That grew 3 times as high and was planted a week or two later.
Thinking I have compaction issues. Debating buying a used baretto commercial rototiller tomorrow. Rototilling a 1/3 of the plot every year. It's about a 1/2 acre spot, once I opening it up a touch more. Walk behind tiller, but 13hp 20 inch width. Does about an acre every 3 hours.
Apple trees are in the same soil. Where I amended the soil with lighter peat moss and/or potting soil, the trees did that much better.
I will add pictures tomorrow.