The Throw n’ Mow Method

[scott44]

A couple weeks ago I planted my cereal grains before rain. There was a lot more clover already in there than I thought, mowing it released it.

A dry year since I planted my brassicas back the first part of July, some seed is just taking off with the rains of the last couple weeks. I over seeded these spots when I planted my cereal grains but it looks if its not turkeys eating the seed it's sandhill cranes a lot of pics of the cranes since planting the cereal grains.

 

[Rit]

A couple weeks ago I planted my cereal grains before rain. There was a lot more clover already in there than I thought, mowing it released it.

A dry year since I planted my brassicas back the first part of July, some seed is just taking off with the rains of the last couple weeks. I over seeded these spots when I planted my cereal grains but it looks if its not turkeys eating the seed it's sandhill cranes a lot of pics of the cranes since planting the cereal grains.

I am not adding anymore clover in with my grains or planting grains into existing clover. The first few years I was tossing in clover with the grains because I wanted clover available in the Spring. I have now separated the clover in each plot. I’ll still add Radish and Peas to the grain. This year I did strips of clover around my grains or between them. This has been a little easier to manage for me.

My plan is to rotate BW into the WR next year before going to the fall mix.

For my Brassica strip next year I am going to do half in BW and half in Oats as a comparison for August planted brassicas.

I should have a roller crimper come Spring so both strips will be done the same way.

 

[mikmaze]

I'm trying to head down in a bit to my place, give the one plot a second mow to get the stuff that was too nasty for one pass, then cast some Bearcat red, and maybe Winter rye. giving the tnm a try in a few spots see how it does.

 

[SWIFFY]

We had a very dry July in central MN. This year my Thrown'Roll plots outperformed my "tilled" plots by far! Really start to appreciate all that thatch holding in moisture when you see it next to the tilled dustbowl plots.

 

[35-acre]

In addition to my plot, I tossed out some horse oats in the woods along my property line 2 weeks ago. This trail ends up being a travel route later in the fall. I think this might slow them down.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

[Belchertown Bowman]

That's nice,.. did you lime at all or just chuck it?

 

[35-acre]

I "just chucked it" but I have a hand spreader. I didn't lime or fertilize. I read and through experience that oats are very tolerant to shade and poor soil conditions. This confirms that pretty well. I did ride over that trail with my atv after I put the seed down. While the photos look like you could drive a truck through there, the trail is about 5 feet wide and maybe 100 yards long. I put down 50 lbs for $11. If I were to do it again, I drop 100lbs.

 

[Belchertown Bowman]

Thanks I will be trying that,..

One thing I can add is to try several seedings over the season. That small area could get browsed out real fast and if you have a continual supply of new sprouts coming up,.. might work better than just one spreading. A guy recommended that for the Rye/Wheat that I put into my plots. Not sure when Oats stop germinating but plenty of planting time left even in Mass here up north!

Just be like Jonny Apple Oat Seed! carry a small bag of it when hunting spread it around ,.. LOL

 

[35-acre]

The oats seem to handle heavy browsing pressure too. I have a 2 acre plot that I have over-seeded with oats 3 times this year (50 lbs each time) inter-mixed with my current clover and other planting schedule for of barley & tritcale in the spring followed by late summer brassica, purple top turnips, forage and groundhog radish, austrian peas, etc. Next weekend, I'll be over-seeding that plot with 50 lbs winter wheat and 50 lbs winter rye. A lot of those things need more sun than oats along with better soil and things like lime and fertilizer. That is what I do with the plot. But I'm starting to play around with these small strips of oats as something that additional on my land to help move the deer in certain directions.

I keep remembering each fall that I waste a lot of time and money planting all of those other things that have limited success when the deer in my woods just hammer my plot. I have the only field (plot) around for 3 miles. They keep the oats looking like a fresh cut lawn - especially in the fall. It's probably the browse pressure that limits my success on the other things. I even tried a plot saver fence system this year and that didn't help at all.

 

[SD51555]

Oats will tolerate shade, but they won't do well. You see how the blades are really thin and they're starting to lay over? When they're in the shade, they won't put down a root. They'll spend all their energy reaching for sunlight, and after a while will peter out and die. Spot like that, I'd plant white clover if you want food.

 

[Belchertown Bowman]

Ya SD ,.. but if you do clover aren't you now into liming and lots of it!

I read you on the oats though.

SD keep me posted on how it goes,.. lets see some browse is all I need! LOL

 

[scott44]

Back in April I broadcast some oats and a clover mix into last years brassica plot no prep just broadcast and cultipack, I was just doing this so I had something to do a throw and mow cereal fall pot. As summer went on this clover starting looking pretty good so I changed gears and just left it and now I have a pretty good clover strip, I usually don't have this clean of spring planted clover but this one took.

Before

After

 

[Catscratch]

I sprayed a month ago, then it got hot and dry!

I like to broadcast into standing thatch, but due to the hot and dusty conditions I had to wait and my thatch fell over and matted.

Last friday I spread seed and my fear of it staying on top proved to be true. Once over with the mower shook most of it down (even though the blades stayed above most the matted down thatch).

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[Catscratch]

Exactly 1 week later.

The plots are green. Wheat and rye have pushed up through the thatch. The 6 different clovers, alfalfa, and chicory are germinated. No idea yet what's what. I was going to save a little of each seed and grow in pots for identification purposes... but I was rushing to beat a rain and completely forgot. I wouldn't have forgotten in my younger days.

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[SD51555]

Exactly 1 week later.

The plots are green. Wheat and rye have pushed up through the thatch. The 6 different clovers, alfalfa, and chicory are germinated. No idea yet what's what. I was going to save a little of each seed and grow in pots for identification purposes... but I was rushing to beat a rain and completely forgot. I wouldn't have forgotten in my younger days.

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Textbook! Nice work man!


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[Catscratch]

Textbook! Nice work man!


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Thanks sd. It's certainly not textbook though as I had to adapt and overcome the weather and thatch matting over. I got lucky and made it work though. I love this throw n mow stuff! Almost every year has some sort of puzzle to solve and making it work is fun. I can only think of 1 failure so far and it turned out ok anyway.

 

[35-acre]

The oats seem to handle heavy browsing pressure too. I have a 2 acre plot that I have over-seeded with oats 3 times this year (50 lbs each time) inter-mixed with my current clover and other planting schedule for of barley & tritcale in the spring followed by late summer brassica, purple top turnips, forage and groundhog radish, austrian peas, etc. Next weekend, I'll be over-seeding that plot with 50 lbs winter wheat and 50 lbs winter rye. A lot of those things need more sun than oats along with better soil and things like lime and fertilizer. That is what I do with the plot. But I'm starting to play around with these small strips of oats as something that additional on my land to help move the deer in certain directions.

I keep remembering each fall that I waste a lot of time and money planting all of those other things that have limited success when the deer in my woods just hammer my plot. I have the only field (plot) around for 3 miles. They keep the oats looking like a fresh cut lawn - especially in the fall. It's probably the browse pressure that limits my success on the other things. I even tried a plot saver fence system this year and that didn't help at all.

I think that this will work. I left my camera n video mode for the first time (ever). I uploaded one of the videos to YouTube and and pasting the link below. Seems like the deer like the oats in the woods. I've got bucks and does cruising that trail.

Buck in the oats

 

[SD51555]

Textbook! Nice work man!


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Thanks sd. It's certainly not textbook though as I had to adapt and overcome the weather and thatch matting over. I got lucky and made it work though. I love this throw n mow stuff! Almost every year has some sort of puzzle to solve and making it work is fun. I can only think of 1 failure so far and it turned out ok anyway.

You know, now that u mention that, my plot was a throw and mow failure this season, and still the best I’ve ever had. This, only because I failed to get anything extra growing after throwing.


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[Belchertown Bowman]

35,

Camera mode teaches me more about the behavior than just a pic. See if you can turn on the sound while using video next too!

 

[tootall71]

Due to time constraints(and a 2.5 hour drive to property), I had a tough time getting to my property for any kind of maintenance of my plots this year. Basically let the field go fallow for the summer, and finally got to it 3rd week of August to mow.

Mowed pretty high, came back a week later and nuked it w gly. 10 days later(sept 10, bout as late as you can go in Central Ohio) came back to plant. Knew I needed something that grows quick so I threw down 150# of winter rye and 5# of radish with 1 bag of 19-19-19 on about 3/4 acre field. This field had been frost seeded w clover the last 3 years, so I hoped the nitrogen fixed in there would help as well. Mowed over top and crossed my fingers.

Both the rye and radish are growing better than I ever expected, and now have a nice green carpet and food for the rest of the season. Had 9 deer out in this little plot on Saturday evening, heads down munching on rye most of the time. Pic is from this past weekend, just one month after planting.