My fall plot, opinions wanted...

[weekender21]

USDA Zone 6B, western NC mountains. Elevation ~3k. Planting date 04 September (later if no rain in the forecast). I like a diverse plot and have decided on the species below based on threads on this forum and others. This is a no till broadcast application. My plan is to broadcast seed, spray 2qts GLY per acre, then cultipack. I might mow as well. I may terminate this crop in mid May 2021 and plant a summer mix. If it's not terribly weedy, I might let it go until fall planting season 2021.

Below are the species I entered and LBS per acre that the Green Cover Seed SmartMix calculator recommended:

MRC 1.7
CC 2.63
Frosty Berseem 1.17
Balansa Fixation 1.46
Aus winter peas 7.31
Hairy Vetch (AU) 2.93

WW 11.7
WR 9.51
Oats 14.6

PTT .88
Radish 1.17
Rape .88

Sunflower 1.17
BW 4.39

I'll fill in any bare spots this fall with cereal Rye or WW.

Recommendations appreciated.

 

[SWIFFY]

Thats a lot of seed. Im all for diverse mixes but with a deal like that I feel it would be tough to know whats really working and what isnt, or what the deer are preferring.

I guess if it were me, and i dont know how many total acres you are doing, but Id split it up into separate plots. Say for example you are doing 3 acres? Maybe do one acre plot with the majority of your clovers and WR. Do another acre plot with less clover, your brassicas and WW, and then do the last acre with your Peas, sunflowers and BW with the Oats. With this you can rotate the plots with the most legumes with clovers etc and also get a good visual of what the deer there actually prefer to eat and when.

Your planting strategy looks fine.... I wouldnt mow if you are planning on spraying the same day. Mow a week before maybe if necessary. Or mow before you spray but make sure you dont have "windrows" from the mowing that keep you from getting a good contact kill with your gly.

Lastly if youre broadcasting Id round your numbers to the higher 1/4 pound for small seed and 1-5 lbs for grains/big seed... its not rocket science.

Thats my 2 pennies...

Good luck down there. Have fun!

 

[weekender21]

Thanks Swift, I appreciate your feedback. I’m planting roughly 2.3 acres total, three different plots.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yoderjac]

I'm all for diversity and mixing, but that is way over the top. Many of the seeds fill very similar niches. Nothing wrong with it but cost (the premium you pay for buy small amounts of each seed). If you are only planting a couple acres it won't matter. I try to design my mixes so that I can buy seed in 50 lb bags, but I'm planting more acreage.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[weekender21]

I'm all for diversity and mixing, but that is way over the top. Many of the seeds fill very similar niches. Nothing wrong with it but cost (the premium you pay for buy small amounts of each seed). If you are only planting a couple acres it won't matter. I try to design my mixes so that I can buy seed in 50 lb bags, but I'm planting more acreage.

Thanks,

Jack

Yeah, it’s a little over the top but I’m interested in filling voids through more of the year. I love crimson clover for example but it’s done by mid May in my area. Hoping to keep something green and growing as late as possible next summer but willing to nuke it and replace with BW if necessary.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[scott44]

Looks like a good mix and T n M should do well. I's maybe add some chickory too.

 

[Rit]

Diversity is key to building soil. I like it. Imagine the root profiles on that many different seeds. Identifying what is working doesn’t matter if you are building soil and feeding the deer at the same time. The deer will eat what they want and the rest will be left behind and continue to push roots into the soil. Unless you have a real food shortage I wouldn’t be concerned in the least. I am loading up on WW and WR into my peas, beans, sunflowers, and radish in a few weeks to prepare for a 13 way summer soil builder mix.

 

[weekender21]

Diversity is key to building soil. I like it. Imagine the root profiles on that many different seeds. Identifying what is working doesn’t matter if you are building soil and feeding the deer at the same time. The deer will eat what they want and the rest will be left behind and continue to push roots into the soil. Unless you have a real food shortage I wouldn’t be concerned in the least. I am loading up on WW and WR into my peas, beans, sunflowers, and radish in a few weeks to prepare for a 13 way summer soil builder mix.

The only thing I don’t like about the SmartMix suggestion is the relatively small amount of cereal grains. The deer in our mountains have plenty to eat most of the year but our stress period is definitely winter; December through March.

I’ll likely add more cereal grain in October if it’s thin enough. Any issues with top dressing 50lbs/acre in October or November?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[IkemanTx]

Diversity is key to building soil. I like it. Imagine the root profiles on that many different seeds. Identifying what is working doesn’t matter if you are building soil and feeding the deer at the same time. The deer will eat what they want and the rest will be left behind and continue to push roots into the soil. Unless you have a real food shortage I wouldn’t be concerned in the least. I am loading up on WW and WR into my peas, beans, sunflowers, and radish in a few weeks to prepare for a 13 way summer soil builder mix.

The only thing I don’t like about the SmartMix suggestion is the relatively small amount of cereal grains. The deer in our mountains have plenty to eat most of the year but our stress period is definitely winter; December through March.

I’ll likely add more cereal grain in October if it’s thin enough. Any issues with top dressing 50lbs/acre in October or November?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On the smart mix calculator, let their calculator determine all the species ratios you want, then switch off the auto adjust button and manually type in the cereal grains amounts you want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[weekender21]

Diversity is key to building soil. I like it. Imagine the root profiles on that many different seeds. Identifying what is working doesn’t matter if you are building soil and feeding the deer at the same time. The deer will eat what they want and the rest will be left behind and continue to push roots into the soil. Unless you have a real food shortage I wouldn’t be concerned in the least. I am loading up on WW and WR into my peas, beans, sunflowers, and radish in a few weeks to prepare for a 13 way summer soil builder mix.

The only thing I don’t like about the SmartMix suggestion is the relatively small amount of cereal grains. The deer in our mountains have plenty to eat most of the year but our stress period is definitely winter; December through March.

I’ll likely add more cereal grain in October if it’s thin enough. Any issues with top dressing 50lbs/acre in October or November?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On the smart mix calculator, let their calculator determine all the species ratios you want, then switch off the auto adjust button and manually type in the cereal grains amounts you want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m buying the heavier seed locally and ordering the rest. I like the smart mix calculator but I’m not paying more for shipping than the cost of the seed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Barndog56]

Diversity is key to building soil. I like it. Imagine the root profiles on that many different seeds. Identifying what is working doesn’t matter if you are building soil and feeding the deer at the same time. The deer will eat what they want and the rest will be left behind and continue to push roots into the soil. Unless you have a real food shortage I wouldn’t be concerned in the least. I am loading up on WW and WR into my peas, beans, sunflowers, and radish in a few weeks to prepare for a 13 way summer soil builder mix.

I couldn't agree with this more.

 

[Rit]

The only thing I don’t like about the SmartMix suggestion is the relatively small amount of cereal grains. The deer in our mountains have plenty to eat most of the year but our stress period is definitely winter; December through March.

I’ll likely add more cereal grain in October if it’s thin enough. Any issues with top dressing 50lbs/acre in October or November?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nope no issues with seeding heavier on the cereal grains in fact I would encourage it. I don’t like all the species selected and wouldn’t plant them at the same time but I do like the diversity. MRC is a no go for me and TNM. I have planted it a few times and let it go to seed and it’s almost like a noxious weed. Hard to kill and the stem is thick and smothering. Also left unchecked it can put on a lot of Spring growth. I would plant the cereals a month or so after the rest of the mix but we Northerners are fast running out of time. Around September 1st I will broadcast WR and WW about 150 lbs to the acre. I need a lot of spring thatch. I also planted the beans, peas, sunflowers really heavy also because I knew the deer would be hard on them. I have a lot of 2 inch browsed stems. The issue with having the smart mix auto mix your selections is that it weighs each forage at equal parts. I never elect the grains when I use that mix.

 

[Skeeter]

USDA Zone 6B, western NC mountains. Elevation ~3k. Planting date 04 September (later if no rain in the forecast). I like a diverse plot and have decided on the species below based on threads on this forum and others. This is a no till broadcast application. My plan is to broadcast seed, spray 2qts GLY per acre, then cultipack. I might mow as well. I may terminate this crop in mid May 2021 and plant a summer mix. If it's not terribly weedy, I might let it go until fall planting season 2021.

Below are the species I entered and LBS per acre that the Green Cover Seed SmartMix calculator recommended:

MRC 1.7
CC 2.63
Frosty Berseem 1.17
Balansa Fixation 1.46
Aus winter peas 7.31
Hairy Vetch (AU) 2.93

WW 11.7
WR 9.51
Oats 14.6

PTT .88
Radish 1.17
Rape .88

Sunflower 1.17
BW 4.39

I'll fill in any bare spots this fall with cereal Rye or WW.

Recommendations appreciated.

I'm trying something very similar this year. I'm up in 4a. I have been happy with my results so far. My high diversity mix (13 cultivar mix from GCS) works really well for me because I have 3 fairly different soil conditions across 2 plots. Depending on the conditions, I'm getting different varieties doing better than others. I have good coverage in all areas. I too am sourcing my cereal grains locally to save some shipping costs. As someone else mentioned, chicory or plantain, if appropriate in your area, would be a great addition to your mix. Maybe some flax too. Exclusion cages are also a big help to see what's actually growing and what the critters are eating. Good luck, and have fun.

 

[SD51555]

Is this a new plot or existing plot?

 

[weekender21]

Is this a new plot or existing plot?

Three existing plots. The first created with heavy equipment in September 2018, other two created March 2019. Until recently I lived 4,600 miles away so they’ve been neglected and never sprayed. Currently weeds and some to no clover, depending on spot. Three plots totaling just under 2.5 acres.

A few pictures from late July (3 weeks ago):

Plot one created in September 2018, extended March 2019. All total close to 1.5 acres. I’ll be planting into deer tongue and other weeds here.

Plot two, heavy in grasses around .75 acre:

Plot three, a small .25 acre ridge plot:

All have been limed a few times in the past two years. PH started at 5.6, I’m sure it’s better but haven’t done another test. Planning the nuke with 2 quarts/acre glyphosate prior to planting.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk