The Sweet Clover Thread

[SD51555]

I went back and pulled out the clip where I was making a second pass at 90 degrees to try to catch the stuff that laid down but didn't snap. I know there was a guy on here that did this earlier in the year with his rye and his packer or cultipacker. I know he got it flat, but I don't know if we got follow up reports on it.

I sped this up to 3x to move it along. It does seem like it laid down a little better with the second pass. I really don't have the right packer to do this. Mine has the sprockets between the smooth wheels. One like this without the sprockets would have better psi on those tips, and I bet would do a really nice job.

Two direction crimping with cultipacker

I've been wanting to try this. Trying to crimp my crop without having to get another piece of equipment. Not sure if this will work, but here's the try.

rumble.com

 

[SD51555]

6 days in since throwing and crimping. 1.5” of rain the moment I finished. I’ll get more pics later.

The oats are coming…

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TreeDaddy]

I've always assumed that all bees return to their hives each night. I think that is true. I never see many bees an hour or so before dark. Here is an article on bees at night....

Where Do Bees Go At Night? Exploring Bee Behavior, Sleep Patterns, And Foraging Habits | PollenPaths

Learn about the fascinating nocturnal activities of bees, including their sleeping arrangements, communication methods, and foraging habits at night.

pollenpaths.com

I doubt that you will kill many with a roller crimper......but what do I know?

This is why I move hives and swarms at night

most of the girls are home

bill

 

[SD51555]

Ok, 7 days since throwing and crimping. It looks a little hairy from here.

The oats are coming really well. I may have underestimated how well they’d germinate under the duff.

There are probably no less than ten different microsites like this where there’s something different happening.

Seems the crimp worked fairly well. I’ll have to see what pops thru in the end to be sure.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MN Slick]

Did you retire the seed blower?

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Did you retire the seed blower?

I think he's said it doens't hold enough volume to justify use for large seed.

 

[SD51555]

Did you retire the seed blower?

Oh no. You must have missed the mow video. I opened with the blower. That’s the only way to do small seeds short of a drill.

Annual Plots and Trails Mowing 2024

Had a buddy come in and help me get the bush whacked down and ready for deer season. This was slick!

rumble.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SD51555]

Day 14

The oats are way out in front of the clover.

I’m starting to wonder if not mowing has really slowed down the volunteer clover because it’s still hung up in those dried flower heads. Two weeks post last year, this was solid clover. There ain’t much now.

I think every oat germinated and punched thru. Didn’t plan on that either.

I’ve been thinking about what STfanatic said about crimping chicory in the rolling white clover thread. Maybe it’s a good thing I used a less effective crimping tool? My chicory is bouncing back bigly.

Here’s the star of the show, and hopefully its residency in this plot will end soon. I’ll post over to the gypsum trial thread too. Hemp nettle will run wild if left unchecked. Competitive living plants in healthy soil will put up a fight, but this stuff is still native in my soil. So I put down a 1-ton/ac rate of gypsum yesterday, and spread a little heavier where I could see the hemp nettle.

Note to self. Still not enough residue. I wish I would have added a large seeded legume like faba beans now. I think that clover will eventually come, but I don’t just want oats and chicory.

Very pleased with how this is going. Also greatly prefer the way this duff laid down vs the windrowing from that big mower in my other plots.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Foggy47]

Oh no. You must have missed the mow video. I opened with the blower. That’s the only way to do small seeds short of a drill.

Annual Plots and Trails Mowing 2024

Had a buddy come in and help me get the bush whacked down and ready for deer season. This was slick!

rumble.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I bought one of those small, battery powered (20 volt Dewalt) seed slingers from Amazon. Mine does a nice job of throwing seeds. Likely not as well as your blower....but nice for spreading small amounts of fertilizers and seed. I've used it to spread a bag or two of fertilizer when driving along a row of sorghum (for example). Sometimes it's not worth hooking up my big spreaders or the clean-up required on that machine. Mine cost about $50. and seems to work quite nicely for the money.

 

[SD51555]

The last thing this plot needs right now is more seed, but I'm not thrilled about the lack of comeback on clover. So, I'm gonna load up the blower and go blast on some perennials and biennials. I also want to use this opening to try to nudge the plant distribution in my favor. I just mixed up a blend of:

Alfalfa
Yellow sweet clover
Boston plantain
Purple coneflower

I'm going to blow that onto the road plot and the yard plot. It's pretty hot with alfalfa seed, but I've been sitting on it for a few yeas and expect it may have lost some germ. I've been trying to make purple coneflower a thing here for about 4 years, and its still not happened. I've got seed left to use, and given the gypsum rates I'm putting on at the same time, maybe conditions will change that some can punch through.

 

[SD51555]

It’s already pulling in monsters!

Already up to the belly on that bear.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SD51555]

Day 22 since rolling. This got 1-ton/ac gypsum last weekend. The tonnage is coming on now.

The browse is starting to ramp up. They’ve laid off chicory at the moment and have started on the new alfalfa.

There are some nice pockets of plantain filling in.

Those red stalks are rolled chicory. The roller didn’t kill most of them.

New chicory bolting.

That residue was no problem for the new stuff to punch thru. I was very surprised by that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SD51555]

Day 28

That residue layer is standing taller than I’d like. I’m counting on hoof action and general gravity and decay to get this stuff closer to the ground in the next 6 weeks.

Kinda wish it wasn’t solid oats in places like this.

New chicory leaves are a foot long.

Some spots have better distribution.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SD51555]

Day 35.

I don’t know if I’ve got old compaction here from when this was a log landing. It’s been a solid 10+ year, but I don’t know why else this spot is always behind.

I’m paying the price for seeding too heavy now. There are patches that didn’t get the high rate and they are further along and a much darker green.

Like this. I’m pretty sure I’m seeing flag leaves in these taller greener pockets.

And the deer have started browsing the taller and greener stuff. It’s just a nibble for now, but I found a few.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SD51555]

And the fat girls are on the chicory.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Foggy47]

Lots of chicory in pic 2 above. Nice.

 

[SD51555]

Lots of chicory in pic 2 above. Nice.

That striped broadleaf in that pic is plantain. Works just as good as chicory, but doesn't get as big.

 

[Foggy47]

That striped broadleaf in that pic is plantain. Works just as good as chicory, but doesn't get as big.

Never planted any. Does it re-seed or spread over time?

 

[SD51555]

Never planted any. Does it re-seed or spread over time?

Just a perennial. Stays where I put it so far.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Foggy47]

Just a perennial. Stays where I put it so far.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've got considerable amounts of what I consider "natural" plantain on my property. Not sure the deer eat it very much. Seems it's about the same price as chicory.....so I have bought Chicory. I KNOW the deer like chicory.