Soy beans in NY?

[catskillkid]

    I'm looking for a little advice.

    Has anyone tried planting soy beans in the Delaware County area? I have been told by my local Ag store that soy beans do not do well in my area in the Catskills. I hunted my buddies farm in Ohio last year which had areas of soy beans and they got hammered by deer all season, right into the late muzz. season in January.

    Turnips or rape was a great addition to my plots until last year when the deer didn't let it get above 6 inches tall. It was wipped out before the bow season started!

    I'm looking to try something different in a couple of my clover plots that need reseeding as they are about 5 years old now and are starting to peeter out. I'm thinking about soy beans and hoping that maybe they will grow fast enough to stay ahead of the heavy deer browsing.

    Any thoughts?

Catskillkid

[growalot]

I was told the same thing by local farmers...they won't grow here...then all the plotting hunters said don't bother with a small area the deer will wipe them out...well I didn't see either happen ...The deer loved them and ate all summer and then the pods in Fall...I did  have to cut and redo a lrg section of one plot because it was invaded by deadly night shade....I had a few differant small plots and they were taken down to just stems and that caused them to branch when they regrew...making them thicker...I had a light mixer of buckwheat in another plot and the deer ate the buckwheat ...allowing the beans to get 19in. tall....Not all deer in all areas eat or act the same .....give em a try...mine only cost 26.00 for 50#'s....I have already ordered mine for this year.....

Another thing I was told is that planting corn that is sold as "feed"corn wouldn't grow or produce corn...well I only planted it as a visual barrier and it did that..... and the deer not only ate the corn plants them selves but it produced cobs...they were under developed ...but I planted the corn plot in July...I lost alot to turkey and grackle digging it up out of the ground...and pulling the young corn plants out and leaving them lay...but I just over seeded with turnips...My neighbors told me they saw deer and turkey in there every night...and still are...because by over seeding the turnips...a bunch of the seed went under developed and those tiny bulds are now producing tasty green tops...pics in next post

[growalot]

The feed corn plot and turnips....the corn cost 7.50 for 50#...I used 1/3 bag and mixed the rest in the the goats sweet feed

[G-Man]

Your soybeans may do well the first year as the deer aren't use to them,same holds true for turnip. after they find out they like them...well like you said wiped out.  There is only a few things you can do plant larger plots or reduce the deer herd. If your just looking  for feed black oil sunflowers will draw deer to eat the heads before they bloom and if they make it thru turkey and deer will eat the seeds. As for seed.. bird seed will do same as whole corn,or oats or wheat in bulk. just do a germerination test to see if your wasting your time or not. 100 seeds placed on damp paper towels (kept damp) covered by another. wait a few days and count the number of seeds that sprout 80 out of a hundred will be 80% germ. Although you will not get the seed coating(inoculation and fungicide) that comes with certified seed, or knowing if its roundup ready it will grow. Oats(planted a few weeks late are a great draw in october as they headout)  , winter wheat is good as well.

[catskillkid]

Hey Growalot, thanks for giving me your experience with soy beans. I had a hard time believing that beans wouldn't do well in my area. Eagle Seed has a variety that is supposed to hold up well to deer browsing and stays green well into the fall. I think I'll give it a try.

I have 3 plots that total 2.5 acres that I want to plant in beans, just have to wait for the ground to dry to turn over. Alot of rain this spring.

Thanks for your help

Catskillkid

[catskillkid]

Growalot,

Great pics by the way, did you just broadcast the corn seed or did you use a corn planter?

[growalot]

What I did for both the beans and the corn was go in and make furrows with either the disc or the tiller( you need to wire up the drag plate with tiller) and then I walked the seed over with a push broad caster...I used more seed than required...We have a lot of turkey and grackle here....Then I took the drag tines up or use a chain link section with a 3in log wired to it and drag across the furrows...yes the first time will rattle your teeth ...but all of the corn and beans sprouted...if you have a roller then roll it or as I did ...drove over it with the JD turf tires

[growalot]

Catskill ...not to discourage you from the Eagle brand...but some things you should know....It doesn't always grow as tall as advertised in the north...Google the Cornell research on vining forage soybeans they did in NYS...also I went with a non RR ready...because it was a well established plot area ...But a RR forage soybean...would cost 40 something...instead of the Eagle brands 90+...Now I did this low cost to.... see how they'd grow before dishing out big$$...I liked them so well I ordered more....The trick is to keep the deer at bay early on...Thus the added scattering of Buckwheat. Our deer are use to it and love it....Then there is ...I'm so cheap...Milorganite...It helps to deter deer but is also a fertilizer and good for PH...Google that as well....Let me know how things go

[catskillkid]

Growalot,

What brand soy bean are you buying this year?

[growalot]

Crap ..I knew you'd ask me that...lol...It is a Seedway forage soybean...now you can go to their sight and read up on there soybean seeds  they have a lot and even call them and ask what might be new for what you want and best for your area...they won't sell to you, but just go to the nearest feed place that does..I think they have the list...

It was just a # to me and I went to my seed guy and asked him to order what we did last year....I won't be out that way until next week..I'll stop and ask......I start in January and read every thing I can on seeds..... actually last year I had a thing going about the EB seed and called them...got some others to do the same and this year they finally opened a source for them, in NYS...Ya never know unless you ask ...This year I'm looking into tall seed sorghum...I want to cut the heads and store the seed to supplement my very hungry chickens

[growalot]

One more thing... Kids "metallic" plastic whirly whigs..... do a great job helping to keep birds away...the wind is aways blowing here...99cents and they are reusable for a few years

[catskillkid]

Grow

Wow, great idea! Sure beats erecting an eight foot tall fence around each plot. Maybe the little windmills will keep the critters out just long enough to get the plots established?

And thanks for the info.

[SplitG2]

Catskilled, I grow both ag beans and ealge beans.  My eagle beans get over 4ft high with deer browse and my ag beans grow 18".  I love them both!  Do a search on this forum and you can see my pictures.  Also, ealge soybeans are the only forage soybean that is round up ready.  You get what you pay for.

[growalot]

The other thing to remember is when do you really want to draw the deer in ...for all soybeans will dye back after a heavy frost....when do you usually get your heavy frost?...and the eagle brand does produce some beans but not like the forge/ag beans...I say forage because I believe they classify them as such because they are seed producers but also are tall with a bush canopy...as I mentioned research the site....Even if your frosts are early ...you'd still have the beans on the plant that the deer will hit later...and the added benefit of having more light reaching the ground so you could over seed the beans when the lower leafs start to turn yellow...ppl are starting to use the Diakon radish(hog radish)...I believe you can read up on them at that site as well ...it is a great soil builder and weed suppressant that deer will be drawn to...and make it easier to get an early start on your plot next year.....Just gather all availible info and see what would fit your particular needs and wants...Good Luck

[catskillkid]

Growalot,

I'll look at the radishes and both soy beans as you recommend.

Maybe I'll plant one plot in radishes and one in beans and see how the deer react to each one.

Thanks for your help!

[catskillkid]

Well, I finally got my Eagle RR soy bean seeds in the ground over the weekend. We have been getting alot of rain in Delaware County but we had a couple of dry days last week. I put in about 1.5 acres, plowed under the old clover then disced a week later. I broadcast the seed and fertilizer and disced it all under again.

We'll see if NY can grow soy beans

My local Ag store tells me no, I would like to prove him wrong

[growalot]

Funny thing...I asked a local farmer that last year..."nope the grounds too rocky around here"....really?...because I saw them growing all over the place on farms...more so than corn...and mine grew great...well I stopped to ask same farmer a ? the other day...what are you calibrating for? ...he was working on a seeder...."Soybeans"....hhhhmmm....

I have to get mine in this weekend....good luck

[catskillkid]

I planted last weekend and this weekend they are starting to poke through the ground already. I'll try and get some pics when the field gets higher

Thanks for the advice

[landtracdeerhunter]

I usually plant about 3 acres.  Just starting to be able to walk across the ground.  Like to get them in during May, but not this year, to wet.  Last year, I got them in early and all came up very nice. In a few days, all that were showing were stems.  Think every deer for miles around came in and cleaned them off.  They did grow new leaves, but never made alot of beans. I worked up part, and put it into wheat in September. You should see the heads on that wheat, from the nitrogen fixed into the soil from the beans.  Maybe 3 inches long, There is ample clover and alfalfa in my fields, but they know when the beans are up .I'll be putting in acres of alfalfa some time before August 15th, but don't know about beans this year.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I am just noticing some of the local farms starting to get their beans in. The guy next door has all of his corn in (growing nicely), but hasnt gotten any beans in yet. If we can get a few nice, sunny days in a row with no rain, then he might be able to get it done.

[growalot]

I got the top plot in and will work on lower this week....decided to add grain sorghum 1/8 ratio...this is not the tall kind I was going to get...most grain sorghum has at least two "short" genes in them now....where sweet or forage sorghum doesn't....new plant for me so it is going to be an experimenting year ....my clover and brassica seeds arrived ....but the weather just messed up the clover plans so re tooling for that.......This years weather has turned my plotting from a checkers game to a chess match for sure

[Fantail]

Thread bump. Thinking about using a perennial this year such as soy / mix. Figgure plant just after May with something like tecomate deer pea plus.

[SplitG2]

Fantail, what perennials are in that mix?

[ants]

Dont know about your area but a spot I hunt, in the Onondaga Hill area ,has them and they attract deer like no other plot I've seen. And from what I've been told, they are real good for the deer...If you can get them to grow go for it....its worth a shot

[Fantail]

Well let's see, the product page says ebony black seeded pea, long juvenile soy & white grain milo. Where the milo establishes faster and provides screening / trellising plant. No idea if it is good forage as well.

But gander usually stocks tecomate and it's off 81 on the way to camp. I saw a video on eagleseed which looks great, and can't find anything local on seedway. And since the plot is under an acre, so if new growth gets hit hard might not mature into the fall, and a perenial, I guess I'm thinking convenience.