Improving soil conditions

[Joeambro25]

I have been plotting a few years now and know how important it is to spray. and lime new plots in order to prep the soil for seeding.

I am now looking for some suggestions from all of you to help me condition the soli as best as i can. I have been told buckwheat is probably one of the best crops to plant to build organic matter. Is this truly the best and most effective way to add organic matter to the soil?

I was also wondering what you all do to build your micro flora(the good bacteria’s and algae)? I see delt ag makes a product to feed existing micro flora, but is there anything out there that adds live cultures to the soil directly? Has anyone used the DeltAg product soil solution?

I have seen the videos posted by Dr. Grant Woods on growing deerTV and he uses a product called antler dirt. Is there anything like that around here in the NE?

I may be over thinking the whole micro organism thing, but i can’t see improving them as a bad thing.

Thanks for your help, Joe

Edited April 18, 2012 by Joeambro25

[landtracdeerhunter]

Growing a "cover crop" will help incorporate organic material into the soil. It is a cheaper form of antler dirt which could be wheat, rye, danish radish, or even red clover. Planted in the fall, it is left to regrow the following spring and plowed down when growth has reached an acceptable level. Using clover, u will loose a year, as it take longer to grow than the others, but u will reap the benefits of the clover for deer grazing that year. Most soils have been "farmed out", and the bigger farms use this method to improve the soil introducing organic matter. Danish radish has an advantage over the others as it locks in the N,P,K nutrients in fall and winter, releasing them in the rot down stage of spring time. It is like a huge turnip. The deer here never touched them last fall, but it was the first year I grew them. Plow down is interesting as they are rather soft now.

Edited April 18, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[SplitG2]

Landtracer makes solid points. I have use buckwheat and had good results with it. I have also looked into antler dirt but the shipping is more than the product. I was trying to find chicken litter but had zero luck finding it in my area. I will be using deltaG this year.

[G-Man]

buckwheat is deeprooted and fast growing,great for loosining hard subsoil., if planted in spring it canbe harvested by summer, if planted july its harvested in oct. i perfer a red clover /oat mix as the oats shoot up and provide shade for the clover to grow. it gives you a good foodplot of oats that fall and over winter/spring in clover , plow it under and your good to go! as for soil organisims, as long as you havent been spraying chemicals for years, and see lots of worms i wouldn't worry about it.

[dave6x6]

We have found that some of the plots we manage have been perfect for trying the liquid soil enhancement products from Aggrand and we have been very impressed. Rather then stripping the soil with chemicals, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, we've found that using these liquids will rather quickly improve the natural micro-organisms in the soil and the plots seem to respond very quickly to the applications. What started off as an effort to find a simpler way to apply nutrients to those plots that are only able to be reached by 4 wheeler, led us to these Aggrand products but we've found that they have many other benifits as well. We'll be incorporating both liquid and traditional fertilizers this year depending on what the client's needs are.

[Joeambro25]

Thanks all! i will be looking into the aggrand products. NYhunter do you do property assessments?