Newbie - Recommendations!

[Newbie]

Hey all, so I'm about to start ordering seed for this upcoming year. My current plan is as follows for 4acres of no till spray/throw. I'd love to get some feedback to see if I'm missing something or should increase/decrease seed amounts prior to ordering.

Spring Planting:
Chicory - 15lb
Medium Red - 15lb
Ladino - 15lb
Durana - 15lb
Alsike - 10lb
Rye - 8 bushels

Fall:
Overseed brassica mix & terminate Rye

As I've said before, I am aiming for a low-maintenance plot, likely will primarily be a white clover plot in the long run with rye/brassicas mixed in annually. I spend enough time maintaining the property in many aspects and just want a decent draw for deer without spending my entire summer tending the field.

Do the seed quantities seem appropriate? Anything I should add/subtract/modify?

Thanks in advance, I hope you all had a good winter & are ready for the upcoming spring.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Are you planting the rye in the spring? Or just ordering the rye for the fall? I’d just plant clover and chicory after spraying in the spring, but you might want to add some oats as they will take some grazing attention away from your newly sprouting clover and chicory which the deer love. You get the same benefit with the oats as the rye (as in shading the new clover) though oats in my opinion are a little harder to grow than rye. Either way, the only maintenance you should have to do is to mow (though that’s up for debate). My only suggestion would be to add some Mammoth red (in a like amount to the others). That stuff just grows fast and large!

 

[Newbie]

Are you planting the rye in the spring? Or just ordering the rye for the fall? I’d just plant clover and chicory after spraying in the spring, but you might want to add some oats as they will take some grazing attention away from your newly sprouting clover and chicory which the deer love. You get the same benefit with the oats as the rye (as in shading the new clover) though oats in my opinion are a little harder to grow than rye. Either way, the only maintenance you should have to do is to mow (though that’s up for debate). My only suggestion would be to add some Mammoth red (in a like amount to the others). That stuff just grows fast and large!

The intent was just to provide a little cover and relieve the grazing pressure as you stated with the rye. I know it isn't the traditional time to plant rye but I believe it will provide some cover and reduce the grazing pressure, as well as add some biomass and improve soil quality. I may spread some again in the fall. I'm not open to other recommendations, such as oats or otherwise, but I know that rye establishes quickly and grows well on this area and the deer seem to love it so I was just going with what was familiar.

 

[omicron1792]

The intent was just to provide a little cover and relieve the grazing pressure as you stated with the rye. I know it isn't the traditional time to plant rye but I believe it will provide some cover and reduce the grazing pressure, as well as add some biomass and improve soil quality. I may spread some again in the fall. I'm not open to other recommendations, such as oats or otherwise, but I know that rye establishes quickly and grows well on this area and the deer seem to love it so I was just going with what was familiar.

40-50lbs/acre of spring wheat would work well there. Then, in fall, overseed with 100-150lbs/acre of rye.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I get that wanting to have the biomass and easy germination of rye..please let us know how it works!! (Definitely will do it on new spring-planted clover stands if it works well for you!)