Novice Question: Spring Planting vs Fall Planting

[bueller]

If there is grass and/or weeds growing with the buckwheat (usually is for me) I spray it first and then roll/drag it down as mulch over my broadcasted fall seeds.

 

[Bowman]

Trying to get current. I have never gotten 5' buckwheat. Your soil must be good. Did you do a soil test? How did the overseed mix do? I will take another direction. I would not spray the buckwheat as it is an annual. I would mow for thatch for the fall planting or to release the overseeded clovers. Asking again about the overseeded clovers. If you are going to plant the buckwheat again, plant after the soil temperature is 65 degrees. Are you getting the free newsletter from Grandpa Ray's? Right now, I have more snow than in my avatar.

 

[yoderjac]

Trying to get current. I have never gotten 5' buckwheat. Your soil must be good. Did you do a soil test? How did the overseed mix do? I will take another direction. I would not spray the buckwheat as it is an annual. I would mow for thatch for the fall planting or to release the overseeded clovers. Asking again about the overseeded clovers. If you are going to plant the buckwheat again, plant after the soil temperature is 65 degrees. Are you getting the free newsletter from Grandpa Ray's? Right now, I have more snow than in my avatar.

When you spray, it is not to kill buckwheat. As you say, it is an annual. Whether to spray or not depends on how much weeds have infiltrated the buckwheat. It also depends on what you are planting. If I was just planting cereal, I probably would not spray in my area. Cool temps of fall favor the cereal over my weeds. However, if I am trying to establish perennial clover planting it with a nurse crop of WR, I want to start out with as clean of a field as possible. In that case, I'd spray.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bowman]

I don't yet know about those non-clover species (although I DO have each one of those seeds right now waiting to be planted), (more on that in a minute.)
Those clover varieties are not exactly great for long term plots in the North. My deer hammer Crimson, but for a Northern variety, it's more of an annual. Not that you won't get some regeneration, and not that you shouldn't include it in a fall (Northern ) planting because deer love it, but there are better choices for a perennial clover planting for our zone. Look into Ladino, Alice White, Medium Red (several choices on that one) and Balansa is possibly an up-and-comer for clover plots. I'm just getting into my second year of Balansa Fixation clover and , so far, I'm impressed. It's a re-seeding annual. It looks like I will have a decent plot from the seeds it produced last year.

I will make a comment on the Winfred Brassica. I didn't exactly "plant" it but I did buy some seed from Green Cover Seed. Well, the bag inside the shipping box had a cut in it and the UPS driver left a trail of spilled seed from the truck to my door. Some of the seed got into the relief cuts in the concrete of my sidewalk.
The stuff is growing out of my sidewalk and it's survived quite a few severe freezes. (I actually had a thread titled "My New Plot" incase you care to see some pics).

I'm thinking that a couple of those brassica varieties that you planted may over-winter fairly well and could produce growth this spring. But will your deer eat brassica? Some guys on these forums can't get deer to eat it and other guys can't get it established because deer destroy it as it emerges. If your deer are the former, then you may want to terminate the surviving plants that survived the winter.
Now, what should you do with that plot? 1st opinion...read all of the Lickcreek threads and believe what you read. The man was a gift to food plotters.
Otherwise, my opinion...plant some buckwheat in about a month and re-plant the plot this fall with stuff that fits your plan. Maybe split it in brassica annuals and then plant a Lickcreek mix in the other areas...basically clover and cereal rye (NOT RYEGRASS).

And some of those brassica varieties you've planted are not common with a lot of food plotters. Please share your experiences with us...you might be more experienced than you think you are when it comes to certain plants.
Welcome to the addiction.
BTW, where in Pa are you?

I can not find "My New Plot" with a search.

 

[bueller]

I can not find "My New Plot" with a search.

http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/my-new-plot.7145/

 

[Bowman]

http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/my-new-plot.7145/

Thanks for that one. I wonder what I did wrong? Have to laugh, wrong forum.