Lack of rain, what do you do

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Missed the rain this weekend. Got 3” at my house 2 hours away, which I couldn’t care less. Good news is the cactus should start sprouting soon and they are super high in protein

 

[bigboreblr]

Was putting my home foodplt oin like a madman. Had a big storm front come in around 1:15. Lightly disced, spread seed, then ran inside before I got hit by lightning. Went back out 2 hours later to roll it in.

Got about 1-1.5 inches of rain. Got about the same thursday too. I was putting in a new flowerbed this evening. About 4 inches in the ground, dust......

I leave a bucket around to see how much I get. Hoping the new trees at camp this year are doing ok. All of them looked ok early august.

 

[farmlegend]

What kinda land you got farm legend? Sandy? Tractor size?

You will never regret it. Buy once / cry once. Grow your own mulch. Conserve moisture. Life is short....buy a drill.

Most of my 15a of plots is clayish loam. Some silt loam. Biggest project is 9a of mostly sandy loam that was highly degraded and compacted as a result of max-tillage rowcropping; I’m in year four of the reclamation.

My tractor is a JD 990, 41hp, 4WD with loaded R1 tires. Hopefully it can handle a pull-behind 606NT. Here it is pulling my 12’ Brillion packer on 8/31, back when things were greener.

 

[hillrunner]

Depends on circumstance and what sort of vegetation you’re dealing with.

With the frequency of these August-September-October dry spells in recent years, I’m getting a bad attitude toward the investment in these fall planted plots. This time I’m not going to bother with another seed dump. Screw it, I’m getting tiredofthisshit. Definitely getting a drill in ‘26.

I'm right there with you. I've resisted the urge to buy a no-till drill for years. Next year, there's going to be one behind my tractor. I should've bought one years ago.

 

[Foggy47]

Most of my 15a of plots is clayish loam. Some silt loam. Biggest project is 9a of mostly sandy loam that was highly degraded and compacted as a result of max-tillage rowcropping; I’m in year four of the reclamation.

My tractor is a JD 990, 41hp, 4WD with loaded R1 tires. Hopefully it can handle a pull-behind 606NT. Here it is pulling my 12’ Brillion packer on 8/31, back when things were greener.

I think you may have difficulty with a 3Point no till drill.....and I see that is not what you are suggesting here. But I would urge you to consider a minimum till drill 3P600 as a few guys here have used. These are going to be far easier to manuver in tight spots and I beleive will get the job done under most circumstances.

I have a 3P 500 and a 38 HP Kubota. You would never know I am pulling anything...it pulls so nice. I was concerned about getting enough penetration...yadda yadday.....and if I had it to do over again would buy the 3P600. I am satisified with the 5'er...but another foot would be better for my rig. The lift capacity in a 3 point drill is everything...IMO. If you can lift it....you can pull it.....no problem. Myself....I could never get along with a pull type, or semi mounted drill as getting positioned in tight spots would be a PITA.

Many people with coulters are ditching them as they serve no purpose for most of us. Just adds another requirement for extra weight due to more "floatation" of the extra cutting coulters. Your openers will do the same thing....in most cases. Also consider that the Genesis drills are mostly sold WITHOUT the cutting coulters and/or the owners are pulling those coulters off and they go unused.

Talk to others with these minimum till drills. They are successfully using them in most no-till situations on a variety of soils....and I think most everyone is satisfied with the way they perform. Small seeds don't get buried deep in the soils anyway.....so mostly you will need to get through the residue and about 1" deep for most large seeds to germinate and take hold. I never try to get past 1 to 1.5" depth with large seeds. Just not needed for me.

If anything....I struggle with getting seeds too deep.....but have learned how to control pretty well after some seat time. You can likely save about 50% in the acquisition cost by getting a 3 point, minimum till drill. Talk to Omnicron....he has some pretty heavy soil and swears by his 3P600 GP Drill.

Its your money.....just trying to add what I know. Drill Baby Drill....with minimum till. Grin.

 

[Foggy47]

^. I should have added to this post: That I nuked some never tilled sod that runs through my power line area....its pretty knarly land and it has lots of rocks and boulders through this piece and the ground is virgin sod. Anyway, I flail mowed it just before replacing my flail mower teeth.....and then nuked it twice with roundup. I drilled brassica into this new "plot" / trail combination that leads from a huge swamp. The brassica is now growing very nicely and has been literally hammered by the deer. I just drilled it again this past week with more radish and clover and rye. No problems with drilling into this nasty land with my minimum till drill. I'm sold on these things for shallow planted crops....which is what I do. Not sure it's made for a steady diet of such work on a daily basis......but this thing will outlast my family.....IMO.

Iife is short.....buy a drill.

 

[Westwind]

The other option is a Woods seeder. It’s not a no till drill but there are lots of them on the used market. A lot cheaper.

 

[356]

We are in a drought at home and at our Ozark property. The broadcast plot is a total loss. The drilled plot is surviving in the shade, but a bust in the full sun. I would anticipate we may see some life I the areas drilled once rain comes, but none is in the two week forecast. I am using a Saya Tar River NT drill.


The drilled plot (August 9) in a shaded area.

 

[Kooch]

500 pounds an acre full kernel corn broadcast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[farmlegend]

Rye seed spilled outside my barn a month ago. In some years it would have sprouted and be 3” tall by now.

Nothing brings on drought more reliably than seed in the ground.

 

[matinc]

Legend Im beginning to think with this year's drought I have lost two years planting in a row. Ughhh. I'm wondering if the six week rule to plant needs to be the two week rule now.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

I planted everything a week or two earlier in the spring and in the fall. Lesson learned. Best time to plant, is when you can.

 

[farmlegend]

Getting ridiculous.
11 acres of fall plantings pretty much a bust. Some rain moved through this past week, and all but a trace of it missed me. A buddy ten miles away got over an inch.
Foodplotting meets the Old Testament.

 

[matinc]

Legend I have to say SD methods of throw and roll/crimp are the way to go. I just checked my fields from early August with no rain and their cranking away. The more duff the better the stuff. Thanks SD