Planting sequence

[DMP]

Hope to start no-till planting this fall.

Should we spray, drill, and then mow?
Or spray, mow, and then drill?

Don’t have a crimper.

 

[West_Fork]

Typically when using herbicide the more leaf area the better. Mowing and spraying sounds redundant to me unless you are dealing with a rhizomatous weed.
I would think drill before mowing, but maybe consider drilling to a shallower depth. The litter from mowing should help retain moisture and creates a microclimate that can be beneficial.

Seeding after mowing might be easier because you can just broadcast some species.
All depends on specifics.
Crimper?

 

[Bill]

I'd mow over the summer and then again about 2 weeks before planting. Only because I find it difficult to see my drill lines in high weeds. No other reason.

Drill then spray or spray then drill. What ever works at the time. I just sprayed waited 2 days and drilled because the field was wet and I could get the sprayer on it but not the drill. When it dried out more I drilled.

I didn't mow and it was difficult to see my drill lines in this

 

[West_Fork]

I suppose if you were dealing with an annual, you could just mow it right after it is done flowering and skip spraying.

I wish we could use fire without upsetting people.

 

[bigboreblr]

If this is your 1st try at using the drill in vegetation, drill a bit. Any part of the drill can get clogged with plant material. Some drills don't like tall stuff, some drills don't like piles of mowed stuff.

Assuming a regular brush hog. I prefer open non shrouded finish mowers. Sharpen those blades, bring the rpm up to proper pto speed, and be mindful of the speed.

You could just drill if you put spray nozzles on the back of the seed drill.

What drill do you have? what spacing, what seed boxes? Whas growing there now? What do you want to plant? What kind of soil do you have? how level, rock, stumps? Some drills just want to dive in loose soils. Some drills are more designed for prepared soils and have lighter openers and press wheels.

You may want to get there a weekend before and toy around with the drill. Rye is generous in seeding depth, other seeds are not. Some no till offerings work well because they need to be seeded very shallow. Mow a section, dont mow another section.

 

[DMP]

Great Plains 7’ drill is what we will be using.

Soil is good old southern red clay. Planting food plots that have been plowed for years. Looking to get out of all the plowing every year.

We don’t do summer plots, so they are typically full of various grasses by the time we get ready plant again in the fall.

 

[goatman]

Spray 2 or 3 times over the summer. I have had moisture in those plots come fall in a dry year. I would also put up with some broadleafs rather than have grass to deal with. I always drill first then mow if it needs it. Probably depends on the drill. I have a notil Tar River.

 

[DMP]

Spray 2 or 3 times over the summer. I have had moisture in those plots come fall in a dry year. I would also put up with some broadleafs rather than have grass to deal with. I always drill first then mow if it needs it. Probably depends on the drill. I have a notil Tar River.

This is what I am leaning towards. Spray now and again before planting to get the grasses knocked back good.
Hopefully going forward the grasses want be as bad since we want be disturbing the seed bank every year.

 

[omicron1792]

This is what I am leaning towards. Spray now and again before planting to get the grasses knocked back good.
Hopefully going forward the grasses want be as bad since we want be disturbing the seed bank every year.

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[bigboreblr]

There's a fine line between sedges and grass from lookig at it. Clethodim once or twice late spring early / mid summer can be quite helpful. Still gives boradleaf plants food for deer and nutrient mining to relieve fertilizer load.