The Throw n’ Mow Method

[Bowman]

I am 0 for 2 on establishing switchgrass. Like Bill said, I have read that you need a clean field. I would personally not plant the oats again this fall if I am reading your correctly. Oats will not come up in the spring, your oats may still germinate. Rye has come up very well in the spring. I planted winter wheat late last September because of another drought. The wheat was an all star this spring. My rye is about 4 feet tall now in a field that I won't be able to work well because I dropped trees and have not gotten them out of there yet. I may plant into the rye, may roll because of rocks.
I too, am waiting for a response on roll versus mow, understanding the equipment issue. I will to try kickstart this for a response. Some vining plants are tougher to mow as vines clog up mowers and tillers. Some decide to spray for a kill to help out with this. I will not spray.

 

[Bill]

I can't speak to mowing as I always roll. It seems to me that mowing can produce clumps depending on what you're mowing. I always figure a seedling might have a hard time pushing through a clump rather than working its way around trash that is layed down in rows. But guys do it so.....I may be over thinking it.

With beens I drill into rye but with small seed like clover and brasicas I just broadcast. If the grass/weeds are to high to spray or broadcast into, roll first then spray then broadcast. May not work so well with large seed but a good rain will push clover through the rolled vegetation to the ground.

My last trip to the farm I sprayed 1/3 acre of weeds and just broadcast beans into it heavy. No mowing or rolling. Kinda wanted to hide the beans for a while. There's all kinds of way to do this. The important thing is kill what's growing and get seed to the ground.

Other than to get N into a beet plot earlier this month I haven't used a disk in years. When my son was little we tried to dig worms in one of my bean fields to fish with, 0 worms. We had to dig in natural clover patches to find any. That's when I decided to put the disk away. I have worms now.

It's more $ because I have to spray before planting. My neighbor disks his fields that were bare all winter to turn under the weeds before planting. He thinks he's saving $ on that first planting and he is. But I have worms! And my fields are never bare.

 

[Bill]

I did a sample on a plot for the first time this spring. It is a relatively new plot that has never had lime applied to it. It was cow pasture since settlement. The PH is/was 7.6. What are some downfalls to having a PH this high?

No expert but I don't think there are any, clover should love that.

 

[Bowman]

A couple of things. Overthinking, that applies to me. Now I am laughing. I have a couple of clover and chicory plots that I will mow to get rid of bracken ferns. Worms are good. i cleaned out the garden a couple of years ago and birds showed up to get the worms.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Good stuff fellas, just went through the thread front to back.

Have an area that I am thinking about doing a T&R experiment with.
Area is in a prime travel corridor, plot size though is limited, more like a hidden/staging plot than true food/sustenance plot.
At one time this area was a plum headge row. But without protection the first couple yrs it stood no chance. Since then smooth brome has moved in and is the dominate species the past 5 yrs.

?s
Instead of a throw an roll, was thinking a Spray throw and drag, seeing as that is what I have on hand. Any issues?

There is a decent thatch layer from yrs of bromegrass laying over. Cause for concern with just broadcasting seed?

Have it mapped out to .18a, would like for it to be primarily a perennial clover plot.
With future plans next spring that involve replacing the dead plums with 10 crabapples running N to S.
So when the plot losses some appeal after first frost, hopefully some late dropping crabs will still pull them down that path.
Any suggestions on a few plot species that would pair well.
Was thinking white an red clover, maybe WW or oats or rye, and maybe lentils?

Any tips appreciated.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Management can be an issue but I really like chicory.

 

[bueller]

Good stuff fellas, just went through the thread front to back.

Have an area that I am thinking about doing a T&R experiment with.
Area is in a prime travel corridor, plot size though is limited, more like a hidden/staging plot than true food/sustenance plot.
At one time this area was a plum headge row. But without protection the first couple yrs it stood no chance. Since then smooth brome has moved in and is the dominate species the past 5 yrs.

?s
Instead of a throw an roll, was thinking a Spray throw and drag, seeing as that is what I have on hand. Any issues?

There is a decent thatch layer from yrs of bromegrass laying over. Cause for concern with just broadcasting seed?

Have it mapped out to .18a, would like for it to be primarily a perennial clover plot.
With future plans next spring that involve replacing the dead plums with 10 crabapples running N to S.
So when the plot losses some appeal after first frost, hopefully some late dropping crabs will still pull them down that path.
Any suggestions on a few plot species that would pair well.
Was thinking white an red clover, maybe WW or oats or rye, and maybe lentils?

Any tips appreciated.

I spray, throw, and drag with great success all the time.

 

[Bill]

There is a decent thatch layer from yrs of bromegrass laying over. Cause for concern with just broadcasting seed?

Take a handful of clover seed and toss it, then just run over the area it landed with a 4 wheeler or anything. I bet you won't be able to find much seed unless you pull the thatch up. The beans I just broadcast had a green coating so they were easy to see. I went way heavy because of thatch. I was amazed at how much worked its way to the dirt when I dug because I couldn't see many seeds on top.

 

[35-acre]

Thanks. Yes, you got me hooked over here. This is what things look like today. I am pumped.

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Not quite sure how this update will come up in this forum. After 4 weeks, the buckwheat is doing great! Had a lot of rain which probably helped. It's knee high in places. I fertilized today with 29-0-4. Pulled my trail can picks and had deer feeding. And for the first time ever... I had turkeys on my trail cam! I couldn't be happier. Within the next 30 days I will knock down the buckwheat and plant my turnips, kale and brassica.

 

[nchunter1989]

Not quite sure how this update will come up in this forum. After 4 weeks, the buckwheat is doing great! Had a lot of rain which probably helped. It's knee high in places. I fertilized today with 29-0-4. Pulled my trail can picks and had deer feeding. And for the first time ever... I had turkeys on my trail cam! I couldn't be happier. Within the next 30 days I will knock down the buckwheat and plant my turnips, kale and brassica.

Looks great. Went out last Saturday & my BW looked like yours did earlier . Hopefully the deer haven't mowed it b4 it got started good.


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[bueller]

Not quite sure how this update will come up in this forum. After 4 weeks, the buckwheat is doing great! Had a lot of rain which probably helped. It's knee high in places. I fertilized today with 29-0-4. Pulled my trail can picks and had deer feeding. And for the first time ever... I had turkeys on my trail cam! I couldn't be happier. Within the next 30 days I will knock down the buckwheat and plant my turnips, kale and brassica.

Looking good!

 

[Barndog56]

Peas starting to make it through the thatch. And a little amazed at how much alfalfa is growing here as I haven't spread any in this area. Guess there's some good stuff in the seedbed too.

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[ACCMan]

I recently found this website and have read the whole thread and boy is it informative. I am moving from SC to southern Va mid august. My property has a 1.5 acre field that I want to plant. The field has not been cultivated in years and is typical Va red clay, packed hard from having horses boarded on the property.

I am not sure how I should get started on the field. The field is a weedy field that is being mowed by the previous owner with a zero turn. I don't know if I should disc the field for the first planting or just rough it up with a drag. I want to plant winter wheat for this winter and buckwheat next spring which should produce good stubble for spraying, mowing and throwing. Am I on the right track, and should I cultivate or drag?

 

[Tap]

Welcome to the addiction.
I think you are on the right track and it's good that you specified your area and soil type. I've never dealt with those particulars, so you may need some tweaking. Yoder (on this forum) is a long time habitat guy from VA and should have some good advice for you.
My personal opinion... 1st time plots on fallow land are slow starters so I don't expect a gang buster plot the 1st year.
Starting slow with lower initial expectations will save grief later.
Get a soil test. Amend the soil. Learn weed/plant ID and deal with unwanted weeds PROPERLY, asap.
You can't hardly go wrong with cereal rye (not rye grass!) and buckwheat for a starter plot.
Good luck and have fun!
Btw, I'm becoming a firm believer in minimal tillage. Throw and mow, or similar tactics are quite suitable for wildlife plots.

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[ACCMan]

Thanks for the reply, and maybe Yoder will chime in. I don't have high expectations and realize its going to take work and time to get a good plot. I'm going to take soil samples as soon as I move. I'm really looking forward to this, getting back to my country roots and out of the darn city. I have absolutely nothing and will have to buy equipment but with these methods you don't need as much equipment, which is great.

 

[Bill]

If Yoder chimes in maybe he can speak to ground hog radishes. August may be to late and you may need lots of N. But if possible they would help break up horse packed ground. Maybe something to shoot for next year.

I'm with Tap, cereal rye is pretty hard to beat for a late plot this fall.

 

[ACCMan]

I had considered radishes for that very reason also. This forum is a wealth of information. This is a farming community I am moving to so I am sure I can get advise from the local farmers on soil supplements. They have moved mostly to no till practices now versus tilling the fields like when I was a kid.

 

[jackpine]

Not quite sure how this update will come up in this forum. After 4 weeks, the buckwheat is doing great! Had a lot of rain which probably helped. It's knee high in places. I fertilized today with 29-0-4. Pulled my trail can picks and had deer feeding. And for the first time ever... I had turkeys on my trail cam! I couldn't be happier. Within the next 30 days I will knock down the buckwheat and plant my turnips, kale and brassica.

Awesome Buckwheat! Hope mine is looking half that good when I check it in a few weeks.

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[Bowman]

The connoiseurs have cleaned out the buckwheat in one plot. Temperatures have been cool, at least we got some rain. Your buckwheat is working. Outstanding.

 

[Bill Loser]

I did a test plot (400 sq feet or so) of a field pea /buckwheat mix . Broadcast into corn stalks left from combining last year. Did this back in late April. No buckwheat came up but the field pea did? How bad of a farmer am I that I can't grow buck wheat??