I missed this last pic somehow but that's a nice looking stand. Couple more questions, what is your soil ph, phos, potassium levels where you planted this combo? Did you notice any preference between the two from the deer? Is one seem more drought tolerant over the other? My cousin planted about an half acre of alyce this year and it feed lots of deer from june- early part of Sept. They were in it 24-7 and still plenty of forage. I'm definitely going to try this next year.
Trying a couple of aeschynomene/Alyce clover plots.
- Thread starter omicron1792
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omicron1792
5 year old buck +
So,
PH was 5 when I started working on plots. I used some liquid lime to get things going several years ago, but had lime delivered to put in ponds so had 2 tons/acre added last year.
My phos was low and k high. These plants love phos so I did add 0-20-20 at planting.
That said, I’m not big on fertilizer and won’t add more to the plots above this next year. I will add for the plots I am starting in this mix for next summer. If you think about it, if the plants grow well and you don’t harvest like a crop, all of those nutrients stay in plot and decompose back into the plot. So after diverse mixing for a while, fertilizer is no longer needed. Also, the good plants mine specific nutrients, so the levels will actually improve over time. Most here have moved away from using fertilizer in regenerative ag fields.
The deer vetch likes moist soils better, and Alyce clover likes drier. It went exactly like that for me with lowland fields having way more vetch and upper ones more Alyce. Over time where both grow well and you get reseeding, people like Baker here (look up his posts and videos) have said the deer vetch will dominate long term.
The deer absolutely prefer the vetch over the alyceclover. In fields dominated by Alyce, they ate a ton of Alyce. In fields with both, they ate more of the vetch.
Hope this helps!
Yes it does. I'm thinking about going with straight alyce because of our farm not having any lowlands and the vetch availability. Deep down inside Im really wanting to try a little vetch. Maybe I could order a small amount to test. I really appreciate the responses!
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Only place I’ve seen small amounts of vetch is Amazon. I think people buy a big bag and break up and sell. Might be worth it to buy 5lbs and try it on one plot. If drilling 5lbs of each is plenty. If broadcasting probably want 10 or maybe more. Seeds of each are rarely coated so you are getting true seed weight. You don’t want seeds too deep, and if broadcasting I would probably spray a few weeks before, get some decomposition, then spray again and broadcast. I had really good luck spraying with 4oz/acre of imox and 2quarts/acre of gly at planting. They start slow, and If you give them about 6 weeks of little competition they will take over and dominate.
Sharing on here is awesome. It’s my pleasure. I’ve learned a ton from the guys here.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
About one month after planting this year. I planted the Milo in strips with deer vetch and Alyce clover in between.
It takes this mix about a month to start (besides the Milo). Can add cow peas to get early pop, but I just use the raptor herbicide and wait.
No fertilizer on this field this year.
It takes this mix about a month to start (besides the Milo). Can add cow peas to get early pop, but I just use the raptor herbicide and wait.
No fertilizer on this field this year.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
This sorghum/milo is resistant to IML herbicides (imox/imazathepyr). Why I use it in this mix.
It’s about 150$ for a 50lb bag. But I only use 3lbs or so an acre, so it’s actually very cheap per acre. I’m still on my first bag from last year and have planted two rounds of summer crops with it.
I blocked off all the holes in the main seed box except numbers 7 and 9 on the right. I would make a pass then make a second pass coming directly next to the one I just made. This planted four rows of Milo 15” apart, and it would be 12 rows of deer vetch and Alyce clover together at 7.5” apart (I planted those in holes 1-6 in the small seed box, and blocked off 7-9).
I kind of like the order of it. Milo likes to be planted in rows and so I’m anxious to see how it does. I intended to alternate Clearfield sunflowers and Milo but I didn’t have any left over from last year and didn’t feel like buying anymore.
In October I’ll come between the Milo rows and either drill my fall mix into the deer vetch/alyce clover, or I may just drive the rows and broadcast. That may be the best bet.
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omicron1792
5 year old buck +
at some point I’m going to try a summer mix of soybeans and corn, gly tolerant, and plant it the same way as above, but corn instead of Milo and soybeans instead of deer vetch/alyce clover
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
I actually got a lot of reseeding. Problem is I got a ton of weeds two.
There are two spots I missed spraying and they exploded with lush growth. But I found a lot of the weeds like ragweed and iron weed stunted the Alyce clover. I got a little deer vetch reseeding, but they ate it so dang hard last fall there weren’t many pods left.
For building biomass and soil health, there is absolutely no reason to plant every year. Tons and tons of Milo reseeded too.
That said, it kind of kills me to see such a dirty plot. So I think my ocd holds me back from just letting it go. Ha
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
One of those areas I missed spraying.
Are you planting the Milo, then spraying post-emergence, and then planting the clover, vetch?
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
No. I plant it all at one time. I drilled then sprayed.
Special Milo that’s tolerant of imox like herbicides. Called iGrowth.
How long after emergence are you spraying? I guess I was surprised the imox doesn’t affect the vetch, clover. But I’m ignorant about imox.
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omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Its good to spray preplant, post plant, or post emergent for legumes.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Great info for herbicide options for these plants plus other warm season plants.
www.msudeer.msstate.edu
Deer Ecology & Management Lab
The MSU Deer Lab is an educational unit of Mississippi State University. We focus on white-tailed deer research, management, and education.
It does my heart good to see my alma mater finding such favor and usefulness among practitioners of my favorite pastime… nationally. While I wasn’t in the forestry, wildlife discipline, most of my friends and all my roommates were.Great info for herbicide options for these plants plus other warm season plants.
Deer Ecology & Management Lab
The MSU Deer Lab is an educational unit of Mississippi State University. We focus on white-tailed deer research, management, and education.
TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
Lotta great stuff comes outta MSU about trees, habitat....and bees!!!
.......just not football
Hotty Toddy
bill
I like that too. I have a couple plots that are working out like that and as they are getting higher te deer are really using them.
Smelly buck
A good 3 year old buck
Is the deer vetch supposta get this tall? Maybe it needs mowed. I'm not even sure if it's the right stuff but its about 6 foot tall. There are some deer eating it but they're not
not mowing it down.
not mowing it down.
