The Throw n’ Mow Method

[Crimson n' Camo]

The microbial community is a very overlooked pillar of soil health amongst food plotters. I believe a lot of that is due to the fact that we can’t see but a fraction of it and therefore it becomes out of sight..out of mind. This video is a long one and may take you watching it in pieces….but it’s a very good lecture to absorb. A major step in moving toward a planting system such as the one were discussing here is recognizing the importance of microbial life and understanding how to manage for it.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

One more video discussing the importance of microbial life......

"The Soil Food Web"

 

[landlord]

Since my soil is so acidic, (ph 4.7) How do you get a large amount of lime to incorporate into the soil without tilling? I like this idea, but I think it will take me multiple years to get the soil improved to an acceptable level to grow a food plot there. Jap millet seems to grow fairly good this year, so my plan is to broadcast brasicas into it in late Aug and roll or disc lightly.

 

[wiscwhip]

How thick is that stand of jap millet? If it is too thick, you might be forced to roll it down, but if it is fairly sparse and not too thick, I would not roll it down. Deer love the cover it provides while feeding on the stuff growing below it. Don't worry about incorporating the lime, the rains will leach it down eventually, just get it on and let ma nature run her course. Lime is measured in years no matter what you do, that is why the best time to lime was last year at this time.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Since my soil is so acidic, (ph 4.7) How do you get a large amount of lime to incorporate into the soil without tilling? I like this idea, but I think it will take me multiple years to get the soil improved to an acceptable level to grow a food plot there. Jap millet seems to grow fairly good this year, so my plan is to broadcast brasicas into it in late Aug and roll or disc lightly.

If it's not a major deal for you to get lime....I'd put it out in small increments every 8-12 months for the next few years.....maybe even every 6 months. Just broadcast it after mowing or rolling when there's plenty of biomass on the ground to prevent water runoff.

 

[John B]

I was planning to broadcast some turnips, radish and winter wheat into a plot i knocked down and sprayed over the last few weeks. Would you plant them all at the same time or hold off and overseed the wheat closer to sept? I want to give the brassicas time to grow but have always had good luck with planting wheat later.

Thanks for any replies,

John B

 

[scott44]

I was planning to broadcast some turnips, radish and winter wheat into a plot i knocked down and sprayed over the last few weeks. Would you plant them all at the same time or hold off and overseed the wheat closer to sept? I want to give the brassicas time to grow but have always had good luck with planting wheat later.

Thanks for any replies,

John B

I usually plant my cereal grains around labor day so I would wait, not sure if the wheat would out compete the brassicas or not.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

I usually plant my cereal grains around labor day so I would wait, not sure if the wheat would out compete the brassicas or not.

I agree. I'd plant it all at one time.

 

[Doug Galloway]

Southern Soil Health Conference 2016

Videos of all the talks we listened to are now downloaded....enjoy the practical perspectives.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa9o0s7ECssi__SHV7dkfXVBq1KPIpCp6

 

[ncstewart]

Doug that link is not working for me. What can I search to find it on YouTube?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PackerBacker]

Probably going about it in the wrong order but based on everything I'm reading, possible I could run the disc over this without spraying and my brassica mix may be okay?



Very worried about spraying around the crabapples but would have no problem attempting to either throw'n mow or disc in. If brassics won't do - I have some oats, rye, wheat and clover I could experiment with first.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Doug that link is not working for me. What can I search to find it on YouTube?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was able to link it from my computer with no issues.....Might possibly be a phone thing if you're trying to watch it from there.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Probably going about it in the wrong order but based on everything I'm reading, possible I could run the disc over this without spraying and my brassica mix may be okay?

View attachment 9561

Very worried about spraying around the crabapples but would have no problem attempting to either throw'n mow or disc in. If brassics won't do - I have some oats, rye, wheat and clover I could experiment with first.

You could use a backpack sprayer on a calm day and I think you'd be fine but I understand if you're not comfortable spraying. We typically mix everything together down here in the south. Not too many folks grow pure brassica plots. It's not in the most ideal shape for a throw n mow planting so if you go that route,,,,be sure to go heavy on your seeding rate this time.

 

[broom_JM]

For those of us working with very sandy soils, it is important to keep in mind that a Throw-n-Mow solution can help you gradually improve how well things grow on your property, but it doesn't magically increase the amount of silt and clay in your sand. At the end of the day, you can make dramatic improvements in how well your plots grow, but you have to be constantly vigilant about protecting the OM and nutrients you are building up on top of and incorporated into your sandy soil. The gains made are fragile and can be undone much faster than they are improved.

This is why I am always reluctant to spray and only disc (lightly!) under very specific conditions. Once you establish a great layer of thatch on the surface, and you have another standing layer of thatch waiting to be dropped on whatever seed you broadcast next, your results will begin to mirror what is seen in previous posts. Protecting and preserving those results isn't difficult, but it IS absolutely critical. At no point have you magically turned sand into deep alluvial loam. It is vital to understand the changes you are effecting and jealously guard that improved resource. A single application of the plow, or discs/tiller set too deeply, can undo years of effort. The price of good food plots, on throw-n-mow sandy plots, is eternal vigilance! :)

 

[buckvelvet]

I plant on beach sand, pull up a chair and an umbrella and all your missing is the lake access. I have added as much lime as I can afford every year. How are you able to find success with out using Gly or other options? If I don't use gly I will have ferns & crabgrasses rather than what I'm trying to grow.

 

[landlord]

After reading this thread and watching some of the videos, I found this speech by a rancher in ND, very informative and worth the hour to watch.

 

[landlord]

How thick is that stand of jap millet? If it is too thick, you might be forced to roll it down, but if it is fairly sparse and not too thick, I would not roll it down. Deer love the cover it provides while feeding on the stuff growing below it. Don't worry about incorporating the lime, the rains will leach it down eventually, just get it on and let ma nature run her course. Lime is measured in years no matter what you do, that is why the best time to lime was last year at this time.

I looked at it last weekend and it is pretty thick in some spots. I will probably roll it down in August and broadcast a mix of legumes and grains into it. I guess I will just keep adding lime right into the growing plots every time I get up there since it is going to take me years to bring the pH up 2 full points. After reading more I may wait till Sept to do it.

 

[wiscwhip]

If I don't use gly I will have ferns & crabgrasses rather than what I'm trying to grow.

I would have been happy with ferns and crabgrass, if we messed up somehow and then didn't use a sprayer, we had a great residual seedbed with plenty of seed built up in our sand, to bad it was all sandbur seed! All we got were plots full of sandburs!!!!!!:eek:

 

[wiscwhip]

I looked at it last weekend and it is pretty thick in some spots. I will probably roll it down in August and broadcast a mix of legumes and grains into it. I guess I will just keep adding lime right into the growing plots every time I get up there since it is going to take me years to bring the pH up 2 full points.

I would suggest you broadcast your seed first and then roll it down over the top to ensure you get good seed to soil contact.

 

[buckvelvet]

Yeah we still do things 'traditional' here, more as I don't have creative control so to speak so we do disc but it is lightly as its 'light' ground. I plant WR//Oats/Alsike/RC/ and chicory n some GHF but thats it and its all in the same mix each late summer/early fall.