The Throw n’ Mow Method

[S.T.Fanatic]

Sounds like a good mix!

Time will tell. I cant get any consistent use of brassica but will keep planting them on a rotation. I've increased the amount of Radish and decreased the amount of ptt based of past observed use of them on the property I hunt. I havent had much success with DER so I figured I give Kale a try instead and see what happens.

 

[Rit]

I didn’t spray at all last year due to equipment failure and my 1 3/4 acre plot turn out fairly nice. I planted the first Sunday in September though. I want to plant a little earlier this year and stagger the different plots.

This year I am expanding somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-5 acres. I like to broadcast seed, fertilizer if needed, and then mow. I have a new Demco sprayer so I will be spraying. I’ll broadcast and mow the same day. Once the mowing is done how much time would a guy have to spray the plot before he would have to worry about killing newly germinated seedlings and maximizing killing anything the mowing didn’t handle? The plots will be clover, WR, and radish.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Depends on moisture but I've seen brassica germinate in as little as 4 days.

 

[Rit]

I know typically you want to spray first wait, cut etc but I had such a good plot without spraying maybe I’ll skip it again. The area is mostly headed out knocked down WR and dormant clover. There are a few weeds but not many.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Rit, in your case I don't think i'd spray either.

 

[Rit]

Rit, in your case I don't think i'd spray either.

I am certainly leaning that way. I have a larger section I am planting in a destination type spot. It has a mix of buckwheat and spring Triticale in it. Most of it has went to seed.

The other half of this plot is covered in 4’ yellow foxtail. That is definitely getting sprayed but only after I broadcast WR into it. I’ll update with some photos after I get it planted.

 

[roymunson]

Planning on planting cereal grains in the next 2 weeks. It's a little early, but we have high deer numbers and I think they'll keep it mowed down.

my 1 acre corn plot is trashed. probably have 2 dozen stalks with tassles. It was slow coming up and has woods on 3 sides and is obliterated. At this point, it's cover walking to and from the stand for me, and a little bit of cover for the deer.

 

[roymunson]

That said, the corn was sprayed, so before a rain this week I broadcasted "deer max" from Merit Seed in Ohio into the corn, along w/ 3# of daikon radishes. Should give them something to come to if it takes

 

[35-acre]

It's also a time for a lot of patience. Stuff is growing through the thatch and through the stuff you knock down or mow. In this pic you'll see that my Egyptian Wheat Grass has started to come up (the tall stuff that looks a it like corn on the left) and some of my turnips (bottom right - behind the single clover). There's a lot of trash in this field too. I'm planting in sections and with reason. I have the wheat grass to screen the field. I have the top section of my field planted in "Tall Tine Tubers" which are basically purple top turnips. Both of these are coming in. If I look closely, they are coming in pretty well after a couple of weeks.

I also planted the middle section in purple top turnips today. I dropped 150lbs more of lime before I planted that middle section. I also lightly hit that section of the field with some 12-12-12. I still have one more section of my field to plant. I picked up some diakkon radish and some oats and wheat that will go in the bottom section of my field n another 2 weeks or so.

The deer are still in the field, mom and fawns plus a couple of bucks. They are in the field at different times of day (more or less throughout the day). So my property must be holding them which means my overall improvement plan is working.

It's been 3 weeks since I planted the middle of my field. That section I sprayed 2 gallons of water and gly mix. What a HUGE difference from the top section due to the spray! While the top is coming in (turnips & rape and Egyptian Wheat) there is still a ton of natural growth competing with what I planted.

The middle section has really come on strong! The spray killed off the competitors and the seed is doing well. Check out that photo! Sweet. That entire section looks like that.

LESSON LEARNED: You need to spray (or mow (duh - it's in the name)).

Today I planted the bottom section of the field with diakon radishes along with a grains mix (I also spread the grain on the whole field). In the bottom section, I dropped in 150 lbs of lime, 50 lbs of 10-10-10, I seeded, then sprayed and then knocked down everything with my drag harrow. I finished off by just running the whole section over with my ATV. A huge factor is seed to soil contact and I've found without finishing this way, the seed is less likely to take. Adding a photo of the bottom as I was knocking it down to show the amount of competition from the native grasses.

LESSON#2 LEARNED: Next year I will only knock the field down in sections mid-year. This year I did the whole thing and I'm thinking that the animals like the cover and wheat/clover from early this year.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[Barndog56]

Weakness for my throw n' mows is always a lack of thatch covering my seeds, which leads to thin stands that don't canopy, which leads to.....you guessed it.....lack of thatch for the next try.

Looks like my timing was pretty good and just enough rain to get the buckwheat and turnips started, along with some volunteer rye. Now to just wait for more rain to hopefully get the larger radish seeds going.

 

[bueller]

Weakness for my throw n' mows is always a lack of thatch covering my seeds, which leads to thin stands that don't canopy, which leads to.....you guessed it.....lack of thatch for the next try.

Looks like my timing was pretty good and just enough rain to get the buckwheat and turnips started, along with some volunteer rye. Now to just wait for more rain to hopefully get the larger radish seeds going.
View attachment 19837

That is a great description of the struggles plotting in the sand. Along with not getting enough rain at the right times.

 

[tbarile]

I’ve read every page of this thread and I’m sure I’ve missed it but need to ask. It seems like everyone is planting winter rye, oats, etc... the year before and then throw n mow the following season. I have a 4 acre clover plot that I would like to replant in a clover/chicory mix as its getting pretty heavy with weeds. I wanted to throw seed, spray, roll. Will this work? Thanks

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I’ve read every page of this thread and I’m sure I’ve missed it but need to ask. It seems like everyone is planting winter rye, oats, etc... the year before and then throw n mow the following season. I have a 4 acre clover plot that I would like to replant in a clover/chicory mix as its getting pretty heavy with weeds. I wanted to throw seed, spray, roll. Will this work? Thanks

I hope so because i'm doing the same thing in a few weeks. I'm not going to spray though. I do need to get out there asap though to mow off the tops of whats growing before the seed matures.

 

[mikmaze]

I would say a lot has to do with what competing weeds you have, if there is PA smartweed, good luck, that junk will tower and smother anything under it. makes a ton of seed, likes to come back with a vengence if not killed completely............

 

[Catscratch]

I’ve read every page of this thread and I’m sure I’ve missed it but need to ask. It seems like everyone is planting winter rye, oats, etc... the year before and then throw n mow the following season. I have a 4 acre clover plot that I would like to replant in a clover/chicory mix as its getting pretty heavy with weeds. I wanted to throw seed, spray, roll. Will this work? Thanks

Weeds work just fine for throw-n-mow. Thatch is thatch and the seed doesn't care what covers it as long as it's covered. The worst part of weeds is if they set seed before you terminated them... if so then you may end up with a heavy crop of weeds next yr.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Grasses, pig weed, and lambs quarter for the most part. It was going to be a soybean plot but for some reason I had horrible germination.

Annual weeds will be taken care of through mowing next june and or september.

 

[pointer]

I’ve read every page of this thread and I’m sure I’ve missed it but need to ask. It seems like everyone is planting winter rye, oats, etc... the year before and then throw n mow the following season. I have a 4 acre clover plot that I would like to replant in a clover/chicory mix as its getting pretty heavy with weeds. I wanted to throw seed, spray, roll. Will this work? Thanks

I think you'll be fine. I've done similarly in the past and have been happy with the results. I posted a timeline of one of my plots on this thread. I'd suggest you add a small grain with the clover/chicory mix this fall and then have at it. If the weeds are tall, I find it easier to roll then spray..

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/weedy-clover-throw-and-mow.9583/

 

[scott44]

I’ve read every page of this thread and I’m sure I’ve missed it but need to ask. It seems like everyone is planting winter rye, oats, etc... the year before and then throw n mow the following season. I have a 4 acre clover plot that I would like to replant in a clover/chicory mix as its getting pretty heavy with weeds. I wanted to throw seed, spray, roll. Will this work? Thanks

It should work ok for you, maybe add some rye and oats to it and mow the rye next summer.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

What do y'all have against "weeds"???...Don't they repair soil and produce biomass??.....My deer don't seem to be nearly as bothered by them...

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I have grown to become very weed tolerant. I have food left over in the spring so yield isn't an issue. I generally plant my spring annuals Mem. Day weekend. Sometimes I spray a couple weeks before sometimes I dont. It depends on what I had growing the year before and what I am planting at that time. I love a weedy soybean plot. The deer seem to be very comfortable feeding in it during day light even after being chased around and shot at for 3 months.

I'll try to get a picture of what It looks like. I'd like to hear what some of you think about it. Is it to weedy or maybe not weedy enough?