Tried something different

[Native Hunter]

This plot was planted around the first of July using "spray-throw-mow." It is a long narrow plot around 300 yards long. Rains have been outstanding. No fertilizer.

This pic was taken today. A mixture of several cool season species, including brassicas with an addition of Buckwheat as a nurse crop. They are wearing out the buckwheat and just living in this plot. I'm going to start doing the same thing here every year except that I'm going to make it strictly an annual plot. I will put it in new every year.

 

[davidhelmly]

The plot looks awesome!!

 

[Native Hunter]

The plot looks awesome!!

Thanks. Our rains have been so good, I almost feel like I was cheating.

 

[bbcoach]

Plot looks great. I hope you get some early frost and or cold weather or the brassicas may bolt and go to seed. Keep us posted on the outcome.

 

[Native Hunter]

Plot looks great. I hope you get some early frost and or cold weather or the brassicas may bolt and go to seed. Keep us posted on the outcome.

Yes, i Thought about that. This is a place near doe bedding so I think they will keep it mowed down. I had a smaller plot near here last year and they trimmed it to the dirt.

 

[Semisane]

Where do you get your buckwheat seed Native Hunter? None of the feed & seed stores in my area carry it.

 

[yoderjac]

My wife's grandparents owned a farm in South Dakota. When I first met her and started to get to know her family, when her family called, they always talked about the weather and asked about our weather. I thought there was such a generation gap, they felt the weather was about the only thing we could relate to. I have since learned that when a small farmer asks "how's your weather", the really mean "how's your life". For them, the weather makes or breaks their life.

For me wildlife management and the food plots that support it are a hobby, not a livelihood, but they have made me appreciate her grand parents much, much more. I find that if I do everything right and mother nature does not cooperate, I have dramatic failures. On the other hand, I can make almost every mistake in the book and if mother nature is kind, I still have success.

We have actually had too much rain here. My food plots are doing great, but I've noticed the trees on my deck are a little behind most years. I have not had to water them for over a month now. I think in most years, they excel because they get plenty of good sun and hot dry conditions over the summer, but the supplemental water I provide provides optimal conditions. While we have had plenty of rain, weather is cooler than normal and we have had many more cloudy days.

I think it shows that the limiting factor for our food plots is often water, but the limiting factor for the trees on my decks that get supplemental water is heat and sun because they get supplemental water.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[SWIFFY]

Great looking plot! Cant argue with results like that!

 

[bbcoach]

With all the rain we've had, you'll need some nitrogen added to the plot to keep the brassicas from yellowing. If the does eat the brassicas, as you say, then they may require a couple of good doses of nitrogen to keep them green and growing.

 

[yoderjac]

With all the rain we've had, you'll need some nitrogen added to the plot to keep the brassicas from yellowing. If the does eat the brassicas, as you say, then they may require a couple of good doses of nitrogen to keep them green and growing.

I don't know about that. I see clover in that mix. I grow mixes like that all the time with no added N and I've had turnips tubers over 5 lbs. With a complementary mix (or rotation) including legumes along with no-till technique, nutrient cycling can be good enough to produce well without adding N.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Native Hunter]

Where do you get your buckwheat seed Native Hunter? None of the feed & seed stores in my area carry it.

There are lots of places you can order on the Internet, but shipping is high.

We have a local feed store that does a mix with buckwheat. I bought some of that and added some other seed to it.

Next year I'm going to try to find some straight buckwheat seed and do a summer plot with it. Then, I want to throw some crimson clover seed in it and mow the buckwheat down on top of it when it matures. I can get crimson locally at a nice price.

 

[Native Hunter]

With all the rain we've had, you'll need some nitrogen added to the plot to keep the brassicas from yellowing. If the does eat the brassicas, as you say, then they may require a couple of good doses of nitrogen to keep them green and growing.

If they eat it down like I think, I will probably follow it with some wheat. Next year I want to do crimson clover here for a change. The standing wheat would be good to mow down on the clover seed.

 

[roymunson]

all you guys who are getting rain are upsetting me. We're dry here in Ohio and i have a suspect well that I can't even get to fill my cistern at the house. Ever tried putting a stinking 1 year old in the tub and had nothing come out of the tap?

 

[bueller]

Looks awesome. The best brassicas I've ever had were grown under spring planted buckwheat. They never bolted because the deer got them first. I was a bit concerned that the large bulbs were going to rot in the fall but the cold weather came quick enough and all was good.

 

[Native Hunter]

Looks awesome. The best brassicas I've ever had were grown under spring planted buckwheat. They never bolted because the deer got them first. I was a bit concerned that the large bulbs were going to rot in the fall but the cold weather came quick enough and all was good.

Great information bueller.

 

[Native Hunter]

There are lots of places you can order on the Internet, but shipping is high.

We have a local feed store that does a mix with buckwheat. I bought some of that and added some other seed to it.

Next year I'm going to try to find some straight buckwheat seed and do a summer plot with it. Then, I want to throw some crimson clover seed in it and mow the buckwheat down on top of it when it matures. I can get crimson locally at a nice price.

Update - saw one of the ladies at the feed store today and asked her about getting straight buckwheat. She said no problem - just let her know about a week in advance and I can get it when the regular truck runs with no shipping charges. She just ordered some for a guy the other day and had it in 3 days. Price was in the $30 - $40 range for 50 lbs. Looks like I'm set for next year. Exciting since it is cheap and eaten so well.

 

[bbcoach]

all you guys who are getting rain are upsetting me. We're dry here in Ohio and i have a suspect well that I can't even get to fill my cistern at the house. Ever tried putting a stinking 1 year old in the tub and had nothing come out of the tap?

East coast has been getting hammered for about the last 3 plus weeks. Has only missed not raining about 3 days in the month of July with rain continuing on into August.. My rain gauge has between 13 and 14 inches over the period. Ground is completely saturated. Standing water everywhere. I hope we can get our plots in the next 2 to 4 weeks. Going to be tough since we try to plant our brassicas around the 15th of August.