The Throw n’ Mow Method

[Vikingman1981]

Vikingman.....you don't say where your land is located. Makes a huge difference in how you proceed. If your in the north....check the thread "Clover outcompetes my need for diversity" (or some such title as that.). IN that thread we talk about the need to terminate the clover to get the brassica to grow......but also plant clover at the same time we plant the brassica. IN so doing....the brassica will grow first and suppress the clover....until the following spring. Takes a bit of planning....but it can be done. The beauty of this plan is you are always suppressing weeds while growing more nitrogen and biomass for the future.

Different geographic areas (and soil types, etc) will behave in other ways......so you need to Taylor a program to fit your land. Many of us are still working on it....but closing in.

I meant to say my location...I'm in SW PA so I'd say north. Thanks for your reply I will check out the thread you mentioned. I've been food plotting for only a couple years but it seems no matter how long we're at it, there is always learning going on...while researching this I learned about annual clovers...maybe a better option for my current desires. That is exactly what I did initially. I planted clover with the brassicas. First time plotting at this location, didn't know what to expect. It has just been a field for years and it grew beautifully! Question about spraying/killing the clover. I read that the nitrogen is released when the clover dies/is tilled under. Is that the same as if sprayed/killed chemically? Will the nitrogen still be released as if it died on its own or tilled under??

 

[omicron1792]

I meant to say my location...I'm in SW PA so I'd say north. Thanks for your reply I will check out the thread you mentioned. I've been food plotting for only a couple years but it seems no matter how long we're at it, there is always learning going on...while researching this I learned about annual clovers...maybe a better option for my current desires. That is exactly what I did initially. I planted clover with the brassicas. First time plotting at this location, didn't know what to expect. It has just been a field for years and it grew beautifully! Question about spraying/killing the clover. I read that the nitrogen is released when the clover dies/is tilled under. Is that the same as if sprayed/killed chemically? Will the nitrogen still be released as if it died on its own or tilled under??

Yes. Will release slower but yes. Think about it. Where else would it go!

Throw and mow/no till is not a question or theory anymore. 100s of documented people doing on here alone. Thousands of farmers that do for a living doing it.

I have no hate is someone wants to till. No big deal. But there are lots of benefits to regenerative methods If you commit and stay the course!

Good luck my man.

 

[Catscratch]

Had a chance to check my TnM seeds. All is well, lots of germination, and lots of those little root hairs I love to see. The pinto beans seem to be doing exceptionally well, the milo is just starting, and the sunflowers that I could find are doing "ok". Not sure about the millet, I didn't dig around much looking for it.

The deer seem to be intrigued. I bet the pinto beans don't get more than a couple of inches tall.

 

[omicron1792]

Had a chance to check my TnM seeds. All is well, lots of germination, and lots of those little root hairs I love to see. The pinto beans seem to be doing exceptionally well, the milo is just starting, and the sunflowers that I could find are doing "ok". Not sure about the millet, I didn't dig around much looking for it.

The deer seem to be intrigued. I bet the pinto beans don't get more than a couple of inches tall.

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Great stuff Cat. Love reading your stuff. Beautiful deer too.

 

[Vikingman1981]

Yes. Will release slower but yes. Think about it. Where else would it go!

Throw and mow/no till is not a question or theory anymore. 100s of documented people doing on here alone. Thousands of farmers that do for a living doing it.

I have no hate is someone wants to till. No big deal. But there are lots of benefits to regenerative methods If you commit and stay the course!

Good luck my man.

I don't doubt no till at all. I have successfully frost seeded many times. All the ideas I've been reading about are intriguing and see proof in the pics and comments

 

[omicron1792]

I don't doubt no till at all. I have successfully frost seeded many times. All the ideas I've been reading about are intriguing and see proof in the pics and comments

It’s fun my man. Also makes me feel good about how I’m treating the land. Maybe silly but I do.

Good people on this board. Welcome my man.

 

[Foggy47]

It’s fun my man. Also makes me feel good about how I’m treating the land. Maybe silly but I do.

Good people on this board. Welcome my man.

I had trouble with broadcasting in time gone by.....but that was in a heavy tillage program. I would till and work the ground.....and basically lose all the organic mater and the moisture. Then.... In my sand here.....I could sometimes get things to germinate.....but (almost) invariably we would get a three week drought and those things that germinated would die. Weeds would overtake my efforts and I would be left with little to nothing. Dumb.

For me a drill has been a game changer......but I beleive I could play the throw and mow game if I didnt have a tractor and a drill. I have not sold my disk or cultipacker......as those tools still may be useful at times. But my row planter is gone......and most of my old tillage stuff has been parked for two years. Learning a bit on regenerative ag has been a real time / work / money saver. Glad to see more guys getting involved with these methods.

I think if the plots were established.....a person could get along real nicely with a wheeler, a decent broadcast seeder, a sprayer, and a pull type flail mower. Maybe a cultipacker? <----that was not the way most of us got into plotting some 10+ years ago. Times have changed.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Had a chance to check my TnM seeds. All is well, lots of germination, and lots of those little root hairs I love to see. The pinto beans seem to be doing exceptionally well, the milo is just starting, and the sunflowers that I could find are doing "ok". Not sure about the millet, I didn't dig around much looking for it.

The deer seem to be intrigued. I bet the pinto beans don't get more than a couple of inches tall.

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It looks like you have fungi attaching onto your seedling sprouts......I think that makes a big difference and its something that is probably lacking with a lot of folks who are just getting converted over from tillage

 

[Catscratch]

It looks like you have fungi attaching onto your seedling sprouts......I think that makes a big difference and its something that is probably lacking with a lot of folks who are just getting converted over from tillage

Thanks. I think it makes a difference too. "Living soil" is the main reason to TnM in my opinion. Likely more nutritious plants and for sure a much cheaper way to plot. I thought it might be fungus but decided to go with root hairs in my original post. There were mushrooms out there this morning. Couldn't find any this evening. Like a lot of things in nature proof of presence can be fleeting if you aren't observant. These plots are also huge turtlerat attractors... meaning the soil is also full of bugs. And thatch dissappears very quickly. Lots of good happening out/down there.

Went out tonight after seeing your post to look around again.

Fungus.


Thatch already breaking down.


Free green from rye and wheat.


No sooner than I got to the house and I turned around to a deer had followed me out of the plot to make for an easy pic.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Here's another indicator........

 

[Catscratch]

Here's another indicator........

Nice! That'll do!

 

[Catscratch]

Same species of shroom?

Sunflowers are just starting to put out leafs.

 

[Catscratch]

And of course worm castings are good.

 

[SD51555]

And of course worm castings are good.
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Those piles are terrifying. That reminds me of Tremors. You member Kevin Bacon?


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[woodyjeremiah]

So I’m just getting started on this whole foodplot stuff outside of the wheat and oats we till in in the fall most years. I planted some summer mixes this year and am planning on just broadcasting seed into my summer plots this fall (south Alabama). For most of the fields I’m going to just use some local mixes I can get and probably add some rye. For one of our fields that usually does best I used Vitalize seed on it and it’s doing well. I’ve been looking at there fall mix and the green cover one and noticed there’s a 12.5lb difference in the mixes for a half acre. I was planning on just getting the Vitalize fall mix but the extra seed from the green cover might be nice for just broadcasting. Anybody used both or one or the other and have any insight? Thanks.


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[Catscratch]

Those piles are terrifying. That reminds me of Tremors. You member Kevin Bacon?


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I remember your affinity for worms. You were the main reason to post the pic. It was accidental, just happened to be in the background of the pumpkin pic.

 

[SD51555]

I remember your affinity for worms. You were the main reason to post the pic. It was accidental, just happened to be in the background of the pumpkin pic.

The number escapes me right now, but I thought it was something like $100,000/ac that a good earthworm population can produce in worm castings once you have it all dialed in. That was the volume produced naturally out there vs buying worm casts by the ton.


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[Wind Gypsy]

I’ve been looking at there fall mix and the green cover one and noticed there’s a 12.5lb difference in the mixes for a half acre. I was planning on just getting the Vitalize fall mix but the extra seed from the green cover might be nice for just broadcasting. Anybody used both or one or the other and have any insight? Thanks.

The total recommended seed weight per acre of the blend doesn't mean much unless they are blended with the same seeds at the same ratio. You could have a much higher/denser population of plants with a lighter blend if the blend is comprised of a larger percent of small seeds. A 10#/acre brassica blend could be too much seed per acre and a 50# cereal grain blend could be too light.

 

[Foggy47]

The total recommended seed weight per acre of the blend doesn't mean much unless they are blended with the same seeds at the same ratio. You could have a much higher/denser population of plants with a lighter blend if the blend is comprised of a larger percent of small seeds. A 10#/acre brassica blend could be too much seed per acre and a 50# cereal grain blend could be too light.

used a little google to find this comparison of seed numbers to weights. Easy to go overboard with some stuff.....BTDT.

Does anyone have a wieght chart for common seeds used for food plotters like us??

 

[Catscratch]

You all are probably tired of me posting pics, but I got to take advantage of it while I've got it. I'm starting to think if the roots can get just a little bit deeper before we start back into triple digit temps that these plots might make it. I just love to see the fresh coming up through the thatch!