LET EM GROW

can you fertilize here? IF so a shot of Urea in 4 weeks would help the slightly heavy seeded plot out.

Well I burned a vacation day Friday after talking to the farmer i lease from Thursday night. HE has 60 acres of green beans on our lease that wont be picked, and he wont be doing anything with the fields until May to plant Corn.. He gave my the okay to go plant any annual Id like. So I loaded up the truck and tractor at 5am Friday morning and took off.. I got my messy plot that didn't do a thing(figured it wouldnt), tilled it up first since there was moisture in the soil, seeded a brassica blend with added annual clovers then packed it all back in with tires.. Got to plot #2 and about half way through when I lost the ability to go in forward or reverse all of a sudden. So while I waited for help to arrive, I just over seeded these fall blend seeds into 4 locations along woood lines the deer come out in daily, right into these green beans across the property. The green beans are getting hammered and past prime for picking(why they got left). So the open dirt and hopeful incoming rains should set these seeds off. These plants wont be getting any bigger and hopefulyl only smaller as they get eaten. I "seeded" about 6 acres total of fall blends in hopes that if half of it takes off as dry as it is. Id be happy. Those beans are holding some soil moisture as you near the wood line i noticed. So we'll see. Here is a pic of the first plot I did, that i placed in front of my wifes stand in hopes she can get her first buck this year. Doe Bedding cover out front and arouns the south and west side. The Trail cam pic is where my tractor broke down half way through tilling the beans under on the 2nd plot of the day.. Was nice having the tractor while it lasted lol. Going to try a fluid filter flush/change and hope it helps or fixes. Tractor wants to move forward and reverse, but literally has no power. Hydrostatic. Wont even climb a 2x4. Everything else works fine on it still. Hopefully doesn't need a pump or internal valve rebuild. Rest of the plots all have germination but are dry as heck, needs rain bad and quick before theyre lost.

Do you still have them? If Jala Rut doesnt want them id buy them from you.

Be careful when using gly and other chemicals. IF you don't mix enough or apply enough. You "can" make some weeds resistant to the chemical. And you'll have to change your application program up at that point. ITs also the reason alot of guys mix gly and 24-d d/b together when spraying to get good burn down..

YEa thats all we have used as well, tin roofing but a softer style material basically. . Build it before raising it up. Just a pain getting it up above the unit unless you have heavy equipment or room for the ladder up there it seems lol. The more

My garden has the biggest darkest green zuke leaves iver ever seen. The plants are over 4ft tall extremely thick and producing more zuchinni than we can eat. and we are eating it every night. Picking nearly 20lbs every2 nights it seems from 3 plants.

I was going to ask what the trick is with doing roofs. we did a couple and without a 20/30ft extension ladder they are nearly impossible it seems. especially when theres only room for one man up there..

My logging rod plot is up 4" in 6 days.. zero complaints there. MY messy plot has basically zero germination. way way too much thatch to get the seed down. I thought it would happen but figured id try it, since i did the plot a couple weeks early to experiment. Ill till it up very lightly just to expose a little soil and re seed.. rain next week hopefully. keep your soils covered in this dry summer weather will help you get started on fall plots as well.. Havent checked my other plots yet, but the cell cam shows a little greenery on them. Ill check them soon.

Watering your plots can be tricky. I have watered mine before i left for vacation once. Got immediate germination, but if you don't get rain again in the next week or so and your soil is beat dry, you're going to kill those young sprouts. Once you start watering, you must continue whether its manmade rain or mother nature doing her thing.. Certainly water your plots if you can and its dry, but also, only if you can get back to them to water them again if mother nature isnt helping out. Also doing your waterings in the evenings will help conserve that moisture longer..

Congratulations! Good job on everything!

Raining this morning!

Building my first now. You dont use PT lumber on the blind itself? Hoping to get walls and roof built but for now just in case I'm setting a ground blind on top..

we barely got a sprinkle today lol

Havent taken pics but the garden is producing it sbest its ever done in the 4 years weve been here. Zukes out the ace, cucumbers struggling, corn is popping good, tomatoes are huge and the cherry tomatoes are by the hundreds/thougsands. Peppers doing good, accidentally fell into one plant and messed it up good. so i pulled it. lol. Going to put some turnips in this week, as well as new cukes, carrots, Lettuce and cilantro.

Your probably best bet is Massey right there in Hornell. Or Kubota up in Atlanta. I would avoid NEW Holland as many of their new tractors are having electrical issues, even after "repaired".. And the John deere have a couple models that require attention as well. But the Massey is a great tractor and local!

It must be done when they start eating them early. I find the closer these plots are to bedding areas the harder they hit them earlier in their grow cycle. Also watch for your woodchucks, they can still get in and put a real hurting on your plot as well. I may have to break out my electric fence on a plot I have, last time i planted it with a fall blend the deer wiped it out quick.

Not sure if mentioned before, But I use Farm logs to keep track of rainfall. IT is a great app you can keep tabs on moisture and soils your working with. I don't do anything with it more than just keeping tabs on rainfall that hit the exact field you are working. But it is neat if any of you want to check it out. Have used it for about 6 years now.

I have 7 plots spread across about 10 miles apart... The furthest south plot got .1" inches last thursday and the northern ones nothing.. Friday The northern most plots got .8" inches and the southern most got zero.. We need a day soaker asap for sure. at least the temps are going to cool down a bit.

Good group to be in in terms of plots and habitat work. ITs a different type of rewarding vs tracking your bucks. Probably much easier I would imagine too lol

If it helps you or gives you hope, I have taken a growing meadow of grasses, natives and golden rod and seeded soybeans, peas and sunflowers into.. And simply rolled them into the green growing vegetation.. Germination was less than normal but.. there was plenty of seed growing right in through the native growing browse. It was great.. Gives protection too until the planted seeds start outgrowing the rest..

Beat up that soil as best you can! Keep us posted!

Clover(perennial blends are best planted in Fall. Weeds are not growing anymore so this relieves weed competition. These legumes grow slow as they build roots first followed by top growth. They should be planted with a nurse crop like a grain of Wheat or Rye as it will stay green well into winter and be green in early April by Spring. These grains will re grow in Spring still acting as a nurse crop as the clovers really begin to take off. A simple high mowing of these grains in May or June will release a beautiful clover plot if seeded properly. Fall time is literally the best time to plant Clover/Perennial blends. No weed competition, Grasses have really slowed down as well, Cooler more moist soils.

They will certainly germinate with incoming rains. What seeds did you use again?

Got i believe my last plot in on Tuesday. I turned a long wide overgrown Logging road into what will be a perennial plot. I used Spring triticale, Oats, heavy dose of annual and perennial clovers and some Kale.. Will frost seed this in winter. May have to leaf blow it this fall to achieve perennial results. The logging road is about 225 yrds long and looks great.. Hoping this makes a phenomenal Turkey spot in Spring more than anything.. But this block of woods is loaded with doe groups. Have to check a very messy plot i tried after the next few days of rain and assess the scenario.. May mow it and till it and re seed it. Hoping some decent rains come through and those tiny seeds should pop easily Its great to have my little diesel sub compact back..

Drill your brassicas/bulbs. but as far as Rye and Clovers go.. They should go in September. Clover wont do anything this fall, but in spring will take off. The Rye and clover will compete with your brassicas and stunt their growth. Unless you thin out your seed ratios. IMO, brassicas now. Seed your rye and Clovers in mid to late September. There's no reason really to plant Rye now. Its more of a cover crop and green food source and should be around the 6" height going into Winter..