The Throw n’ Mow Method

[Rit]

Still minimal rain this fall but my plot just keeps getting stronger. I am starting to think the morning dew is helping it along. I have a few bare spots that I may broadcast some more WR into as they are calling for rain Monday and Tuesday. For the most part the areas are thick and lush with WR, clover, and even have some AWPs that germinated.

Had I tilled and planted this plot like I did last year this would have been a complete failure.

For a first year TNM plot I have no complaints. For the guys that have been doing this awhile do I just let this plot go until September next year rinse and repeat? I think in the spring I will do a soil sample and fertilize half the recomendations and hit it again at planting time.

A few things of note. My soil is pretty poor, full of rocks, and doesn’t retain any moisture. Prior to this years TNM you could see surface rock everywhere. With the thatch covering the soil you hardly notice the rocks. We have had two days of good rains since September 1st yet I have a green plot. The deer have been in it a lot. Although I didn’t spray before planting I did mow twice. Probably more with the time of planting but the plot is virtually weed free. I guess the one complaint I do have is there are three newly opened scrapes on the plot and they tore up some WR and displaced the thatch.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Soil Health = Deer Health

bill

 

[Barndog56]

Turnips and radishes growing some nice tubers. Deer only eating radish tops so far. Might pick up now after the hard frost last night. Pumpkins were planted too late this year so didn't amount to much.

 

[Rit]

You Gents are disappointing me a little with your lack of participation. Just saying . 8 days ago we received 2 solid days of rain. Just beforehand I broadcast another bushel of WR to fill in a few thin spots.

My plot is exceeding all expectations for this first year TNM. The deer are thick in this plot every night. It has become the hub of action on my property. Even the does are using the giant table sized scrape opened up on the edge of my plot.

I’ll try to get some pictures soon.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Nice looking Plot Rit,

I on the other have a bit of work to do. A few deer are using the plot but not many.
Zero clover grew out of 3lbs
WR looks subpar, although I do like how it has kept growing even after 3 pretty hard frosts.
Plan is break the sod up next spring.
To mutch thatch I believe was my issue.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

 

[Rit]

Nice looking Plot Rit,

I on the other have a bit of work to do. A few deer are using the plot but not many.
Zero clover grew out of 3lbs
WR looks subpar, although I do like how it has kept growing even after 3 pretty hard frosts.
Plan is break the sod up next spring.
To mutch thatch I believe was my issue.

Did you happen to do a soil test? Fertilize etc? Just curious what your method was. I have some serious garabage soil but things are trending up.

 

[Rit]

That picture speaks volumes. How many years into the TNM are you on that particular plot?

 

[John-W-WI]

Overall I'm pretty happy. I could have done better, and will in the future. Radishes are the current favorite, but the turnips are growing well and will feed them later in the season.

Hopefully my soil building has begun:

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

That picture speaks volumes. How many years into the TNM are you on that particular plot?

Somewhere around 5 years....

 

[chucker66]

Those are nice looking plots. I don't have pics but I was up at the land last night checking on things and I am not happy. I was trying to save a few small white oaks in the plot and a buck has tore them up. I guess my plot was too good :) As far as growth and the T&M method I could not be happier. Half of my plot is in it's 2nd year and I put Brassicas and Rye in there and then the LC mix in the other half which i cleared out this year. No digging, just rolling. I have added some lime and nitrogen when the radishes came up and were a bit yellow. When I first started working on this property I was afraid that I would have to get rid of all the stumps in the area I wanted a food plot but I have just left them and worked around them. I have a few other areas I want to put plots in and I will definitely be using the T&M method along with the LC mix. That formula works for me!!!

Chuck

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Did you happen to do a soil test? Fertilize etc? Just curious what your method was. I have some serious garabage soil but things are trending up.

No, have good to great soil, been in longstanding grass for over 20yrs, fertilized once prior to seeding then again prior to a rain.

Sprayed 3 times, to ensure all grass was dead, spread, then dragged. Then flipped the drag an flattened.

No way to burn of all the dead grass residue so I just hoped for the best.
Will use this method once I break u the root bound topsoil from years of grass growth.
Honestly it is like cutting into sod. Don't think the clover could over come the root bound soil an amount of litter.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

No, have good to great soil, been in longstanding grass for over 20yrs, fertilized once prior to seeding then again prior to a rain.

Sprayed 3 times, to ensure all grass was dead, spread, then dragged. Then flipped the drag an flattened.

No way to burn of all the dead grass residue so I just hoped for the best.
Will use this method once I break u the root bound topsoil from years of grass growth.
Honestly it is like cutting into sod. Don't think the clover could over come the root bound soil an amount of litter.

If you sprayed it three times the roots will be nothing more than dirt next spring.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

If you sprayed it three times the roots will be nothing more than dirt next spring.

U know I didn't think of that, so ur assuming that when they break down it should loosen up the soil profile an allow new seedlings to penetrate the soil profile easier. Pondering.... Wanna believe, but after digging holes for trees, Im thinking it may take a few years for that root bound mess to break apart.

And it wasn't a blanket three pass spray, it was a blanket spray followed by 2 spots sprays to clean everything up.

Well the plan was to leave it be for spring, let that rye come back first thing an let the deer get some early nutrients.
Watch, see if any of that clover comes in.

Then midsummer if things r nt, looking up, rip it up, smooth it, let 2 flushes of weeds happen spray twice. Then seed an cultipack into brassicas for the fall.
Hope to either have a drill by then, or start the thrown an mow the following spring with a WW, Oat, AWP combo, then rotate back to brassicas midsummer.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

When I just started plotting several years ago our entire farm was in CRP for a LONG time. I picked out an area in the summer that we wanted to plant corn in the following spring. I only sprayed it once in the late summer. The following spring the farmer that dug it up for me said it dug up GREAT. Granted he was using large equipment but nonetheless the roots will be nothing more than loose dirt by then.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Good to hear,
In the end u did turn it over for the first planting which Im hoping goes as smooth as your saying cause Big Equip would be a no go in the tight quarters.

Sidenote:
For any new large tree planting, I think it is a must. Broke unsprayed ground with a disk ripper this fall an it went better than I had hoped.
Rested it a couple weeks an came back with a turbo till an fished the planting bed. All prepped an ready for spring planting.

 

[seadonist]

These first three pics are of my microplot, which was created this year in an 8 yr old cutover. Area was cleared of trees, grasses and shrubby, sprayed, limed and then fertilized and planted, and cultipacked, no tilling or breaking of ground whatsoever. First year plot. Planted WW, WR, Oates, chicory, three different clovers, three different rapes and winter peas. Got soil ph up to 6.2. 33-0-0 added about 5 weeks after planting.

Second set of pics are from first year plot that was sprayed, limed, very lightly disced with a Ground Hog Max atv disc, planted, fertilized and cultipacked. 33-0-0 spread 5 weeks after planting. Seed used:

Ph was raised to 6.5 in this plot.
Not too bad for first year plots in soils with normal ph levels of 4.5. All fertilizers used were recommended by soil test results. Rain has been decent but not phenomenal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mahindra3016]

Here is a throw and mow plot that i planted the first week of August, ptt and tillage radish from the coop, and some t raptor from one of those plot topper bottles.
I spread a bag of ammonium sulphate not long after germination. Plots are not getting much use due to heavy acorn crop this year, but there is some browsing of the radish leaves. I also over seeded with rye, but is mostly smothered out, hopefully it will be there in the spring.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

[Bowman]

I am impressed. Way better than mine. I will bet that the rye works. I am laughing because I have already had snow. You are going to feed some of the inhabitants. Nice work.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]