Mad scientist fall plot blends

[SD51555]

Is anyone custom blending their own fall plots this year? Curious what the tinkering types are pondering and why.

I'm looking to put in a plot that is:
50% perennial clover
30% brassica (tbd)
20% rye

The idea is to turn it perennial after this year as well as let the rye go to maturity next year.

 

[wiscwhip]

Replace that 30% brassica component with a mix of 15% chicory/15% falcata alfalfa or birdsfoot trefoil. The chicory, alfalfa, and trefoil are quite drought tolerant and will not fizz out in the summer heat near as much as a white clover. Trefoil is also tolerant of less than optimum soils as well and has as much feed value as alfalfa.

 

[dipper]

I don't think I'd add the brassica if the desire is a perennial clover plot

A farmer had very thin turnips, like every 10', in a fall planted alfalfa field years back. The brassicas got huge, and the deer knew it. I put candy brassicas in all my new clover plots. It doesn't impact the clover.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

i have a friend that has been using brassicas essentially as his cover crop for ladino clover plantings for years and his clover looks pretty darn good come spring. I was actually planning on seeding my usual LC brassica mix (DER, PTT, GHFR) and some medium red clover in july as an experiment to see how the clover does next spring.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

My deer seem to prefer grains (oats,wheat,rye) better than brassicas. I plan to scale back on brassicas from here on out

 

[Native Hunter]

I agree with the chicory suggestion. My deer hammer it.

 

[Greta&Gus]

I agree with the chicory suggestion. My deer hammer it.

I couldn't get the deer to touch mine. I would see them walk right through it to get to the clover. Might need to try it again to see if their habits have changed.

 

[Greta&Gus]

My deer seem to prefer grains (oats,wheat,rye) better than brassicas. I plan to scale back on brassicas from here on out

Interesting. Brassica is the backbone to my fall plantings, specifically turnips. If I could only plant one plant from now till the end of time it would be turnips.

As for custom blends, I am going to do a turnip/kale mix with rye as a cover crop. It is going into a slightly shady spot just to see what happens.

 

[Native Hunter]

I couldn't get the deer to touch mine. I would see them walk right through it to get to the clover. Might need to try it again to see if their habits have changed.

Hey just inhale those big leaves here and eat the stems too.

 

[scott44]

Last year I had a clover plot that I hit with the disc a couple passes and broadcast a brassica mix into, it turned out ok. I might have broadcast a little too much brassicas or the clover kept them smaller but they only were between golfball and tennis ball size. The deer still ate them, I have never planted a mix like you are talking about but I think it should work, maybe cut back on the brassicas a little IMO.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We have a plot of Ladino, White Dutch and Alsike clover, with chicory planted last spring at camp. I just walked thru it this past weekend & the deer are hammering the clover AND the chicory. Chicory stays green during hot, dry weather when clover fades some.

Our fall / winter seed blend is PTT, DER, Appin forage turnips, GFR, Pasja forage brassica with a sprinkling of red clover & W. rye.

 

[Rally1148]

Is anyone custom blending their own fall plots this year? Curious what the tinkering types are pondering and why.

I'm looking to put in a plot that is:
50% perennial clover
30% brassica (tbd)
20% rye

The idea is to turn it perennial after this year as well as let the rye go to maturity next year.

I'm planting in the fall with hopes of getting it into a perennial. My mix will be pretty similar to yours. For half an acre, I'll be doing something like 35# rye, 1# brassicas (nurse crop) and 10# clover/chicory/small burnet mix. From there on out I'll just broadcast some rye (or just let it mature each spring and knock over the seeds) and brassicas into the plot in August just to have something sweet for bowhunting.

 

[Rally1148]

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm going to be planting some peas in there as well. I might replace half of the rye with that.