Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
A few soil testing tips
Ohio Farm Tours
- Thread starter Buckhunter10
- Start date
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
We couldn’t do what we love without those wonderful men and women. Here is our small way of supporting them!
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
There are a lot of great companies out there. Here is a little about how/why/what we wanted to bring to the table when it comes to food plotters to gardeners to farmers. Thanks for giving it a watch!
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
Ok ok. I know I know - I talk about exclusion fences a lot but I just cannot explain the importance enough. I continue to learn from them.
This field is new and has a sub 5 ph (although lime has been applied). Deer are eating in it often and it’s a good sized field (a few acres).
All that said - the Carbon Load is putting on TONNAGE right now. However, look at the inside of the cage in comparison. It’s a difference in feet! The deer have removed and kept the growth outside the fence at a reduced rate of regeneration.
Now that’s not all bad but certainly will help us to make decisions on doe harvest, foliar applications, and seeding/plant density to give us the best fields possible for our soils and wildlife.
This field is new and has a sub 5 ph (although lime has been applied). Deer are eating in it often and it’s a good sized field (a few acres).
All that said - the Carbon Load is putting on TONNAGE right now. However, look at the inside of the cage in comparison. It’s a difference in feet! The deer have removed and kept the growth outside the fence at a reduced rate of regeneration.
Now that’s not all bad but certainly will help us to make decisions on doe harvest, foliar applications, and seeding/plant density to give us the best fields possible for our soils and wildlife.
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
Just using our fish+humics - working to create more biomass, period. However, I also have plfa, conventional and Haney tests here to further analyze if needed.
In the above post when I say “foliar applications” I simply mean, that using them to drive biomass will be helpful if/when I have time. Most of my fields I don’t need to use them as my biology is so high functioning and we are cycling nutrients. Altho, it won’t hurt - time is my biggest limiting factor so I’ll focus here vs. other fields.
Hope that makes sense! Thanks for asking the questions.
Albert
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
Cannot believe we are into velvet season already!! Cannot wait to watch these suckers grow!!!
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
My attempt to explain ph in 60 seconds
TWalter91
5 year old buck +
Al, Wanted to get your opinion on this chicken manure based fertlizer. This company is a few miles from my property and they specialize in building sandy soil. I know you're not a big advocate of using synthetic fertlizer. I have been slowly getting away from it the past 2 years but looking to maybe switch to this stuff. A couple of years ago I talked to you about it on a michigan forum but you were unsure of how much was nitrate vs another form of N. Hoping a picture of the label will help. Thanks!!!
Attachments
TWalter91
5 year old buck +
Let's hear it!
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
Hey buddy!
So I don’t dislike synthetics. I just think they are used improperly by many and in far greater volumes than needed. I know this company but I haven’t used their products. They are very well respected.
This seems like a relatively fast release N product and i am curious why they’ve added AMS to it vs. just having it primarily as organic N and some Nitrate based on the chickens diet. I’m curious if they’ve added AMS due to higher levels of carbon included in the fert?
If I was to apply this product - I’d be putting it down near planting.
The largest issues I see with manures is that growers (farmers to foodplotters) will go crazy high amounts with it - especially if they have a cheap source. That’s why I like to get it tested if you’re doing large bulk pile type application.
Another quick item to consider is the Ph of manures and how itll impact your efforts of neutralizing Ph. Especially if putting down tons per acre, like many do! Not a huge issue but worth nothing.
I hope this helps.
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
Every species is carefully selected in our mixes. It would be easy to leave out chicory in our fall blend, as it’s costly!! However, we want to only sell mixes that we’d plant on our own farms. That’s why we continue to work to maximize the ratios to perfection. Add in our Seed Armr+ to every bag of seed we sell, and always back our products with the best customer service we can possibly offer.
This plot was planted last August - here is a doe feeding on chicory in May. This plot will be drilled with Nitroboost next weekend and so goes the cycle to healthier deer and soils!!
Pictures Nov. and May - same plot. Still feeding!!
This plot was planted last August - here is a doe feeding on chicory in May. This plot will be drilled with Nitroboost next weekend and so goes the cycle to healthier deer and soils!!
Pictures Nov. and May - same plot. Still feeding!!
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
@TWalter91 one other thing I’ll suggest is to watch the recent video I did on a TND test of 1% or less OM soils and cec sub 4. The amount of nutrients is astounding. We just need to unlock their availability through biology. A little fertility goes a long way. No till is very important here as is stimulating fungi relationships!
As always - I hope this helps!
Al
As always - I hope this helps!
Al
TWalter91
5 year old buck +
Thanks for the response! I believe they recommend somewhere around 400-800lbs per acre. So not to much. I would probably be around the 400lb Mark. Like I said this place is a few miles from me so it's easy to get.
TWalter91
5 year old buck +
I will give it a watch! I have been trying to plant diverse crops every year but it's tough where I'm at. Sandy soils with low OM, high deer numbers, and it's all big woods with pretty much zero ag around. I have been shooting as much does as I can but can only do so much.
The only thing that can stand the browse pressure for me is rye and clover. I do still add some brassica and a few other things but they get wiped out as soon as they pop out of the ground.
I have been trying to build up potassium in my soil the past few years with zero luck. It runs right through my soil and is back down to where it was by the time I do a soil test the following spring. I was hoping this poultry based fertlizer would help me hold some fertility a little bit longer. They do have a blend thats 3-3-10 which would give me some more K. Maybe I'm better off to just not use anything and keep trying to plant diverse blends? I want to get as much tonnage as I can and kind of scared to stop fertlizing completely. I do like your new liquid fertlizer. Maybe that's an option for me? Would be much easier to spray that then to spread a bunch of fertlizer!
Buckhunter10
5 year old buck +
Can I ask why you are concerned with K? Are you seeing plant/tissue deficiencies? Have you checked out Dr. Mulvanyes research on K? It’s similar to Dr. Christine jones work with P-
Basically we have more in soils than we think. If you need a shot of K - you can look at foliars on the plant. The source you had above. Also seaweed is a great source of K in organic forms.
Great convo. Shoot me a dm and I can give you my cell. We can have a call sometime to
Shoot the breeze about soils!!
Have a blessed Sunday.
Al
TWalter91
5 year old buck +
You know Al, you got me on that! I guess a lot of us food plotters are "brainwashed" to do a soil test and ammend soil to there recommendation. Everytime I get a soil test they always tell me my potassium is very low and I go out there and spread potash without even thinking about it. I appreciate you asking that. It's definitely making me think! Your always a big help and always answer any question I have, even though I haven't even purchased anything from Vitalize yet. I will send you a dm tonight.
