Large(er) Plots with UTV/small equipment

[BJE80]

The disc I have does a really nice job when I use it.

 

[scott44]

The disc I have does a really nice job when I use it.

Looks good I like the plot cut out of the woods! I tried something along these lines this summer, I braodcast seed into standing rye and rolled it down spraying after I rolled it, all I used was a quad, cultipacker and bag seeder. If you don't have a cultipacker I've just used the quad and ran back and forth over it.

 

[tooln]

Since I have no tractor my ATV, disk & drag are what I use. Granted I only do 1/2 acre but I'd have no problem going larger. It would only take longer than using larger eq. & a tractor.

 

[BJE80]

Since I have no tractor my ATV, disk & drag are what I use. Granted I only do 1/2 acre but I'd have no problem going larger. It would only take longer than using larger eq. & a tractor.

How large would you go? Would you do 3 acres? Would you disc the entire thing?

 

[tooln]

How large would you go? Would you do 3 acres? Would you disc the entire thing?

I'd go 2 for sure. But I'd also work the soil all of it only the first year or maybe 2 then try to convert to no till.

 

[MN Slick]

Phil, I assume you mow then wait a week or so to spray your strips?

 

[phil@thesidehill]

Phil, I assume you mow then wait a week or so to spray your strips?

Most often I mow and wait anywhere from 7-14 days and then spray. Sometimes....i just dont have time to wait so i mow and spray same day or next day and just run with it...and i've still had good results.

 

[Swen17]

I agree with Phil, but my plots have never been worked with a disc. Always been no till. I had issues with lack of rain and found info on this site and QDMA on the best no till process. 1) Spray clean year 1. Plant ALOT of Rye. Once it goes to seed and browns, knock it down with a drag, spray it all to get any weeds or late germinating rye. this creates my thatch and produces free Rye seed. Seed whatever you want into it. Since using this method rain amounts mean a lot less than they used to! I planted brassica, Rye, Clover this year doing this with average rainfall that usually isn't enough without the thatch and had the best plot i've had to date. I have a few weeds here and there, but the deer eat them too....

 

[Scenttrails]

Same here. I broadcast clover and winter rye in a failed (no rain on sandy soil) field last fall. I broadcast oats and winter peas early June. Let everything grow into a jungle. When the oats, rye and clover went to seed in early August, I broadcast radish and turnips and rolled the field with a cultipacker behind my ATV right before a rain. As of today I still have a lush green food plot using volunteer seed from the rolled oats and winter rye. I know the oats and clover will die this week from freezing temps but will still have the winter rye and radish and turnips plus organic matter. All this accomplished with no big equipment and 6 weeks of no rain on sandy soil mid summer. Thanks Dipper and others for the tips. I tried your methods and it worked.