The Throw n’ Mow Method

[trampledbyturtles]

Had an idea this evening and I think I may try something first before buying anything. I’m just curious to see if this idea will work. Off to either side of my field are a bunch of BIG water oaks that make a little oak savannah. Around the base of those trees is nothing but pretty thick decomposing leaf litter. If you rake back the top layer of leaves there’s a really rich layer of dirt under there that has strong earthy smell to it….I think that layer of super rich soil right around the base of the trees should be teeming with microbial life. I may get me a few scoops of that rich soil layer using the box blade and bucket of my tractor and then spread it around the field with a shovel or something just to see if I can import the microbes. I’m thinking I might be able to inoculate the soil with that super rich layer of dirt. What I may do is throw a screen over my 3 pt cone spreader and shovel that rich dirt onto the screen and sift it into my spreader. I think its light enough that the fine sifted stuff should sling out of the spreader. It’s got an agitator. I guess it just depending on how well it sifted.

Crimson.

If you really want to go down the rabbit hole.
Start doing a bit of research into biodynamic preparations. Focuses on bio-activity in the soil. Rudolf Steiner was a mad genius. Kinda hard to follow at parts. But have been on a few farms that use the preps with suprising success.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Have you ever tested your base saturation levels? If and when you limed, what kind of lime did you put on?

I’m not sure what kind of lime it was….it was just all I could get around here. It came from the local Co-op….they sell a bunch of it in bulk to farmers and food plotters. It’s been about 4 years now since I limed it. Not sure on Base Saturation rates…I understand what it is but I'm pretty sure it wasn't on the tests. .I’ll have to request that next time. Auburn just does a real basic test for ph and nutrients. My K levels were around 200 lbs/ac last time and P was around 80 I believe. I’ve got them saved somewhere.

Let me pull back the reigns on myself a little first before I do anything. I’ve been putting some finishing touches on some shooting lanes this morning and looking at the plot I realized that I’m being impatient. Its only been a month since planting. My soil is actually devouring that summer biomass. The hay is disappearing a lot quicker than I’m giving it credit. I think maybe all my field needs is a big dose of patience.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

My harsh, dry east texas summers preclude success growing perennial white clovers

I do,however, have success with arrow leaf and crimson clover on my sandy soils

bill

I can grow it in areas where I have more clay content in the soil but in the sandier areas the only place I've seen it do any good were areas of really rich organic matter with a little midday shade.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Crimson.

If you really want to go down the rabbit hole.
Start doing a bit of research into biodynamic preparations. Focuses on bio-activity in the soil. Rudolf Steiner was a mad genius. Kinda hard to follow at parts. But have been on a few farms that use the preps with suprising success.

I haven't heard of that before. I'll check it out. Thanks!

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

 

[Bowman]

I tried something new this year and went with a “Throw n Go” approach….I simply broadcast my seed into the standing vegetation around Oct 18 with the bucket on my tractor running low to ground to knock over the standing vegetation……..

So far so good…..i would only recommend doing this though if you’ve been rebuilding your soil for several years and have the right conditions….it’s all about the conditions you broadcast the seed into. I’ve not only got a favorable situation above ground but below ground as well.

What was broadcast?

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

It was a mix of cereal rye, wheat, oats. crimson clover, rape, winter peas......I sowed it heavy at 150 lbs/ac....It gets a lot of browsing pressure.

 

[chaded]

I am leaning towards trying some things on this thread and was hoping for some ideas. I have read several pages of the thread from the beginning and then went to the end and worked backwards quite a ways and it seems there has been some evolving with the method, at least with some.

Anyways, I have a 2 acre area I am planning on doing next year. It currently is made up of cool and warm season perennial grasses, fescue and a prairie type grass. I am primarily wanting something to attract in fall/winter, probably cereal grains and brassicas.

I guess I am wondering how and when to start and just some general ideas. Should I keep something particular there spring and summer and terminate it and then plant late season food or just keep the grass mowed and plant later in the year every year?

I have a tractor, cultipacker, brush hog, and sprayer. Thoughts on order of events for planting? Spray, throw, roll, etc.? Thanks in advance.

 

[Bowman]

I am leaning towards trying some things on this thread and was hoping for some ideas. I have read several pages of the thread from the beginning and then went to the end and worked backwards quite a ways and it seems there has been some evolving with the method, at least with some.

Anyways, I have a 2 acre area I am planning on doing next year. It currently is made up of cool and warm season perennial grasses, fescue and a prairie type grass. I am primarily wanting something to attract in fall/winter, probably cereal grains and brassicas.

I guess I am wondering how and when to start and just some general ideas. Should I keep something particular there spring and summer and terminate it and then plant late season food or just keep the grass mowed and plant later in the year every year?

I have a tractor, cultipacker, brush hog, and sprayer. Thoughts on order of events for planting? Spray, throw, roll, etc.? Thanks in advance.

Add your location.

 

[chaded]

Add your location.

Sorry about that. It is Southeast Ohio.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

burn the grass. Spray about 2-3 weeks later. plant annual clover (crimson or and oats. TNM your fall plot early August with 2# radish & 2# purple top turnip. Broadcast 50# winter rye early September.

 

[scott44]

I am leaning towards trying some things on this thread and was hoping for some ideas. I have read several pages of the thread from the beginning and then went to the end and worked backwards quite a ways and it seems there has been some evolving with the method, at least with some.

Anyways, I have a 2 acre area I am planning on doing next year. It currently is made up of cool and warm season perennial grasses, fescue and a prairie type grass. I am primarily wanting something to attract in fall/winter, probably cereal grains and brassicas.

I guess I am wondering how and when to start and just some general ideas. Should I keep something particular there spring and summer and terminate it and then plant late season food or just keep the grass mowed and plant later in the year every year?

I have a tractor, cultipacker, brush hog, and sprayer. Thoughts on order of events for planting? Spray, throw, roll, etc.? Thanks in advance.

I use the LC rotation and it seems to work good for the throw and mow/roll. Cereal grain mix planted late August early September, brassica mix planted early to mid July. I've also been working on a sorghum mix planted late May early June.

BTW welcome to the forum!

 

[Bowman]

Had an idea this evening and I think I may try something first before buying anything. I’m just curious to see if this idea will work. Off to either side of my field are a bunch of BIG water oaks that make a little oak savannah. Around the base of those trees is nothing but pretty thick decomposing leaf litter. If you rake back the top layer of leaves there’s a really rich layer of dirt under there that has strong earthy smell to it….I think that layer of super rich soil right around the base of the trees should be teeming with microbial life. I may get me a few scoops of that rich soil layer using the box blade and bucket of my tractor and then spread it around the field with a shovel or something just to see if I can import the microbes. I’m thinking I might be able to inoculate the soil with that super rich layer of dirt. What I may do is throw a screen over my 3 pt cone spreader and shovel that rich dirt onto the screen and sift it into my spreader. I think its light enough that the fine sifted stuff should sling out of the spreader. It’s got an agitator. I guess it just depending on how well it sifted.

I may be way off base, but if discing destroys soil biology, what would this process do to it? "As a reminder almost 85% of all plants are Endomycorrhizal. This includes almost all greenhouse crops. Ectomycorrhizae account for around 10% of all plants and are commonly defined as select hardwood trees and most conifers." If this is true, then any surviving mycorrhiza would be the "wrong" type for the environment. Some more info: https://mycorrhizae.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Status-of-Families-and-Genera-New-v1.3.pdf

 

[Catscratch]

Many of my tree plantings are in pasture (where there aren't already trees). I always try to dump a shovel full of soil from the forest into each hole when I plant trees. The assumption is that whatever microbes are capable of living with trees in my area already are, but that doesn't mean they are populated in the pastures. So I might be helping spread mycorrhizae to a tree that could use it and by using local soil ensure that it's the correct strains/species. Might also be a wasted effort.

 

[SD51555]

I may be way off base, but if discing destroys soil biology, what would this process do to it? "As a reminder almost 85% of all plants are Endomycorrhizal. This includes almost all greenhouse crops. Ectomycorrhizae account for around 10% of all plants and are commonly defined as select hardwood trees and most conifers." If this is true, then any surviving mycorrhiza would be the "wrong" type for the environment. Some more info: https://mycorrhizae.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Status-of-Families-and-Genera-New-v1.3.pdf

That is a really interesting read, especially considering alder and poplar support both. I have alder and poplar everywhere. That probably explains why my clover goes right to grand champion status the first growing season, despite never having bought the innoculant. That, along with gypsum and barley that is.

The more I seek to learn about the whole food chain and how natural systems function, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. It's a food chain, and if we mind our interventions, we can add to it, instead of severing it.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Back to Harold's original question......

If the C:N ratio is the issue as SD51555 suggests, Hairy Vetch (C:N 11:1) is an option as well

It grows well in my sandy soil in 8a

Ive been working my through references mentioned by SD51555 in another thread and am fascinated with this whole regenerative/restoration ag thing

bill

 

[SD51555]

Back to Harold's original question......

If the C:N ratio is the issue as SD51555 suggests, Hairy Vetch (C:N 11:1) is an option as well

It grows well in my sandy soil in 8a

Ive been working my through references mentioned by SD51555 in another thread and am fascinated with this whole regenerative/restoration ag thing

bill

My primary crop is white clover (w/chicory). It operates below the balance mark of the C:N ratio. Being perennial, that stuff goes all season until winter shuts it down. I focus my balancing efforts on stuffing as much high carbon (barley/oats/wheat/rye/jap millet) into it as I can. Also being a perennial, it is very tough to get a spot in there. Once that clover gets some warm weather, it's like spaghetti. No seed hits the ground.

 

[Bowman]

My primary crop is white clover (w/chicory). It operates below the balance mark of the C:N ratio. Being perennial, that stuff goes all season until winter shuts it down. I focus my balancing efforts on stuffing as much high carbon (barley/oats/wheat/rye/jap millet) into it as I can. Also being a perennial, it is very tough to get a spot in there. Once that clover gets some warm weather, it's like spaghetti. No seed hits the ground.

What is your technique for adding carbon and when do you?

 

[SD51555]

What is your technique for adding carbon and when do you?

What has worked well so far, broadcasting awnless barley before the warm season forages wake up. Can't ever say enough good about it.
What hasn't, winter cereals. My land ponds too much in the spring to keep any decent stand of winter cereals alive. I have to go with spring seeded to get any density to a stand. So I'm watching for when my puddles are almost gone, and then I'm chuckin' barley by hand. I'd bury any equipment that tried to get across the ground at that time.

 

[Bowman]

I am going to try some barley. No suggestion for the puddles.