The Throw n’ Mow Method

[animal1x]

So let me get this right now on this tnm method...instead of a traditional type of mow, disc, and plant, I could have sprayed, waited about two weeks and then seeded into the standing dead stuff, and then mowed or cultipacked the dead stuff down over the top of the seed, correct?

Now, what if I had already mowed but not sprayed? Could I have went ahead and seeded it on top of the thatch as catscratch shows in his third pic in post #1393, then ran back over it with the mower to shake it down under the thatch, or would I have needed to burn it down first to get rid of the weed competition? I realize he didn't mean for his seed to be on top of the thatch and he sprayed gly first, but it ended up working for him.

 

[Kooch]

So let me get this right now on this tnm method...instead of a traditional type of mow, disc, and plant, I could have sprayed, waited about two weeks and then seeded into the standing dead stuff, and then mowed or cultipacked the dead stuff down over the top of the seed, correct?

Now, what if I had already mowed but not sprayed? Could I have went ahead and seeded it on top of the thatch as catscratch shows in his third pic in post #1393, then ran back over it with the mower to shake it down under the thatch, or would I have needed to burn it down first to get rid of the weed competition? I realize he didn't mean for his seed to be on top of the thatch and he sprayed gly first, but it ended up working for him.

I just broadcast my brassica mix this year into a thick stand of Spring planted oats. Then I sprayed with gly, then ran it all down with my ATV. Or course, I added lime and fert base on a soil test. Best brassica plot ever.

So yeah, you can do it this way. I don't even own a disk.

 

[chucker66]

I made a mistake last year and disced an area I had previously had a decent food plot in. I had the best crop of dandelions after I disrupted the seed bank. So this year I just burnt it with Gly and spread the LC mix. (Oats, Clover, Radishes, Rye, Peas) and it is growing very nicely. I will not use a disc ever again

 

[Belchertown Bowman]

Animal,..

Yup,.. least for me it worked in the woods in the North East. Seeds grow all the time without tilling,.. that's natures way.

Tilling is mans way.

PS every situation is different though.

 

[Catscratch]

So let me get this right now on this tnm method...instead of a traditional type of mow, disc, and plant, I could have sprayed, waited about two weeks and then seeded into the standing dead stuff, and then mowed or cultipacked the dead stuff down over the top of the seed, correct?

Now, what if I had already mowed but not sprayed? Could I have went ahead and seeded it on top of the thatch as catscratch shows in his third pic in post #1393, then ran back over it with the mower to shake it down under the thatch, or would I have needed to burn it down first to get rid of the weed competition? I realize he didn't mean for his seed to be on top of the thatch and he sprayed gly first, but it ended up working for him.

I've found that seed will work it's way down. If you look at most seeds they are actually shaped in a way that contributes to their ability to reach the soil; clovers and brassica's are so small that they can't help but fall through, cereal's and grasses are elongated, beans canopy and eliminate competition that could shield from soil contact, etc... The only time I've found that I routinely don't have success is when I plant into mowed grass that doesn't have thatch (like a yard for example). Short vegetation and no thatch is tough!

 

[animal1x]

I guess I could have went ahead and did a tnm patch this fall. I mowed a patch that I had let lay fallow for this summer but didn't spray. It was real thick and heavy down low to the ground when I mowed and after mowing I had a pretty thick layer of thatch. Not quite as thick as what is shown in the pics above here but thick enough that I didn't think my seed would be able to make soil contact so I went ahead and hooked up the disc and went at it, LOL. From what I'm reading and what ya'll are telling me(and by looking at the pics) I could have saved the discing step, went ahead and broadcast seeded it, then run the mower over it again and I would have probably been just as far ahead. I am gonna try this next spring and see how it goes. If this works well for me I may end up like chucker66 and decide not disc again.

On another note, it's been 5 days since I disced and seeded my two small plots and I have clover and oats sprouted and coming up. We had 4/10 inches of rain the evening after I got seed in the ground and since then we've gotten another 2.8 inches. So right now things are looking alright.

Thank you all for the replies and help. I'm sure I'll have more questions about this as it gets closer to planting time next spring.

 

[Rit]

I guess I could have went ahead and did a tnm patch this fall. I mowed a patch that I had let lay fallow for this summer but didn't spray. It was real thick and heavy down low to the ground when I mowed and after mowing I had a pretty thick layer of thatch. Not quite as thick as what is shown in the pics above here but thick enough that I didn't think my seed would be able to make soil contact so I went ahead and hooked up the disc and went at it, LOL. From what I'm reading and what ya'll are telling me(and by looking at the pics) I could have saved the discing step, went ahead and broadcast seeded it, then run the mower over it again and I would have probably been just as far ahead. I am gonna try this next spring and see how it goes. If this works well for me I may end up like chucker66 and decide not disc again.

On another note, it's been 5 days since I disced and seeded my two small plots and I have clover and oats sprouted and coming up. We had 4/10 inches of rain the evening after I got seed in the ground and since then we've gotten another 2.8 inches. So right now things are looking alright.

Thank you all for the replies and help. I'm sure I'll have more questions about this as it gets closer to planting time next spring.

You’re going to find that weed pressure in the Spring is far greater than in the fall. You don’t have anything like WR to suppress the weeds and continue to grow. The clover will green up but even thick clover can fall victim to weed pressure in the Spring. Based on your profile not sure but it sounds like you are in Mississippi. It’s not too late to over seed with Winter Rye.

 

[Rit]

I don’t have any before and after photos this year or really many photos at all. Only a few of this transition area at the stand level. My TNM is outstanding again this year. Virtually weed free and growing like a wildfire. Planted on August 30th. I planted WR, Organic Barley (that’s all I could find), Survivor Peas, and tillage radish. This was broadcast into last years spent WR. Almost all the Peas have been consumed, and a lot radishes were nipped. A few more weeks and the WR will be a draw. This plot is a long transition area about 30 yards wide and 175 yards long winding through dense brush. It sits between two big bedding areas and about 60 yards off the destination field. My favorite place to sit and wait for cruising bucks. It doesn’t get much more basic or easier than broadcast, mow, and walk away.

 

[animal1x]

Thanks Rit. Yes, I am in east central Miss. Neshoba County. I may very well over seed with some WR this next week. I'm actually a little worried about the oats right. I see lots of the clover coming up but not too many oats. I may have to go back over it again anyway with some more oats if I don't see any more of them coming up but the end of next week. If so, I'll mix some WR with the oats and see what happens. If it looks like the oats are starting to come on I'll just do the WR.

I did see quite a few deer tracks in the plot closest to the house, so at least that's a good sign.

 

[ksgobbler]

We will see if the deer will eat the damn things

 

[Catscratch]

We will see if the deer will eat the damn thingsView attachment 26818

I've grown some awesome turnips. Deer never eat them...

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[ksgobbler]

I've grown some awesome turnips. Deer never eat them...

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Me too. Guys around here say the deer have to figure them out. So I keep dropping money on a 5 lb bag. They mow the tops off when they get sweet and leave the turnips.

 

[mikmaze]

pull a few up, slice em in half/ quarters and toss em where they enter the field or on a bait pile, smell and experience should do the rest. 5 lb bag? wow, wish I could get away with that little, 50 lbs last round, 25 ghr, and almost 500 wr, next round of wr may be coming soon as farmer started taking corn off the 26 acre field of it and will leave the field bare all winter.

 

[ksgobbler]

pull a few up, slice em in half/ quarters and toss em where they enter the field or on a bait pile, smell and experience should do the rest. 5 lb bag? wow, wish I could get away with that little, 50 lbs last round, 25 ghr, and almost 500 wr, next round of wr may be coming soon as farmer started taking corn off the 26 acre field of it and will leave the field bare all winter.

I did that. Deer didnt touch them. Rabbits ate them though. I was piling them under the corn feeder 2 years ago and they got ignored.

 

[Catscratch]

pull a few up, slice em in half/ quarters and toss em where they enter the field or on a bait pile, smell and experience should do the rest. 5 lb bag? wow, wish I could get away with that little, 50 lbs last round, 25 ghr, and almost 500 wr, next round of wr may be coming soon as farmer started taking corn off the 26 acre field of it and will leave the field bare all winter.

I did that. Deer didnt touch them. Rabbits ate them though. I was piling them under the corn feeder 2 years ago and they got ignored.

Same.

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[Bowman]

We will see if the deer will eat the damn thingsView attachment 26818

I can't get growth like that. Couple inches of growth, then foliage get smoked. When did you plant? This year, frost in June, then drought. Finally getting rain, but I have some rye that has not sprouted yet.

 

[mikmaze]

I seem to have problem with some of my rye as well, one bag seemed fine, others not so much........... one in particular is bad, 150 yds from a plot with 2 inch tall rye, the next is just showing a root, weeks later.

 

[Bowman]

My co-op returned a bunch after running germination tests. Somewhere I read that rain disrupted grain growth and harvest this year.

 

[ksgobbler]

I can't get growth like that. Couple inches of growth, then foliage get smoked. When did you plant? This year, frost in June, then drought. Finally getting rain, but I have some rye that has not sprouted yet.

2nd week of august if I remember right. Ive got some bulbs the size of softballs.

 

[Bowman]

I am impressed. I would like to grow some bulbs to help with feed over winter.