Recommend me a fall annual

[Five Seasons]

I've done small plots before, but this year I'm going all in with tools and equipment to do larger plots. Right now I have 2 plots, both about 3/4 of an acre in size. One I want to start in the spring and will plant clover or fusion.

The other I want to do a fall annual. Thinking winter peas or beets and greens. Also considering radish but some of you didn't seem like you had success there.

Anyhow I'm headed out tomorrow to take samples and send them in (wish me luck digging) and the sample form has a spot for "intended crop". 

PS I might document this whole ordeal but not sure yet. If it matters, I have tons of corn to the north and what i think this year was some kind of wheat to the east and soy. In the past this was corn too. Just south and surrounding is apples, peaches and plums. 

[Just Lucky]

I do clover and winter rye mix. Easy and seems to work well.  I have never tested soil. I just use 10-10-10 fertilizer. It was recommended by the local farm store near me

If I had the equipment I would try alfapha, and oats.

[stubborn1VT]

I think you're on the right track.  I would split each plot in half though.  It would allow you to offer more diversity and the ability to rotate crops as needed.  Half in clover or Fusion and half in a brassica blend with some cereal grains thrown in.  Any of the WI brassica blends would work.  Wintergreens is my personal favorite.  

It does matter what is available around you.  Sounds like greens would be a good compliment to the crops around you.  

Good luck with the process.  All you can do is ask questions and give it a whirl.  

[Five Seasons]

7 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

I think you're on the right track.  I would split each plot in half though.  It would allow you to offer more diversity and the ability to rotate crops as needed.  Half in clover or Fusion and half in a brassica blend with some cereal grains thrown in.  Any of the WI brassica blends would work.  Wintergreens is my personal favorite.  

It does matter what is available around you.  Sounds like greens would be a good compliment to the crops around you.  

Good luck with the process.  All you can do is ask questions and give it a whirl.  

ah now you're making it complicated haha, but I get your point. Might be a good experiment too.

[stubborn1VT]

2 minutes ago, Belo said:

ah now you're making it complicated haha, but I get your point. Might be a good experiment too.

My 1 acre plot is split into 10 separate strips!

[Robhuntandfish]

I'm adding in a plot this year and going with radish on each end and winter peas in the middle of it. Figured I would try a couple things and see what takes. 

[land 1]

oats are great and easy to grow good up till first few heavy frost same with rye but i honestly think like oats better then rye however rye is more cold tolerant... My go to is big n beasty,,, i like it as they eat the tops and then bulbs help them threw whole winter they may not get really into bulbs until after season depending on how the weather goes like this year mild so wasnt the best drawing power but still had deer hitting it...

[Kmartinson]

Geese love oats, good or bad they pound em. Rye is great, brassica seem like a good choice too. Turnips and beets keep em coming late.

[Robhuntandfish]

I'm throwing the kitchen sink out there for plots this year. Gonna see how it goes. If I'm not happy with the results for the work and time put in, then I will just frost seed the hell out of it next year with clover and just keep the areas cut down if they get too high.

One larger area this year will be radish and winter peas, one shady area will be "secret spot", and two other small spots will both get a mix of "bowstand" and "Shot Plot".   Then some bags of clover in the rest of the trails for frost seeding.  Which took very well last year. 

[Steve D]

I am no plot guy, farmer, or even a gardener. All I know is the guy that works my field planted soybeans this year for the first time. They are not an annual but have kept the deer here.

Deer have been in them all summer. Once they were picked they kept coming back for the residue. One night last week I counted 32 deer out there at once and there are least at least 8 or 10 out there every night. Looking at the tracks there looks like there has been at least a million deer out there since the snow fall this past weekend.

 The field behind mine was corn and all that is remaining is the stubble. They usually hit that pretty good also. Twice this week I have also watched 9 long beards digging to get down the remains. I hope to strap on the cross-country skis tomorrow to investigate but based on what I have seen this year; soybeans seem to be the draw.

Edited January 22, 2022 by Steve D

[corydd7]

3 hours ago, Belo said:

I've done small plots before, but this year I'm going all in with tools and equipment to do larger plots. Right now I have 2 plots, both about 3/4 of an acre in size. One I want to start in the spring and will plant clover or fusion.

The other I want to do a fall annual. Thinking winter peas or beets and greens. Also considering radish but some of you didn't seem like you had success there.

Anyhow I'm headed out tomorrow to take samples and send them in (wish me luck digging) and the sample form has a spot for "intended crop". 

PS I might document this whole ordeal but not sure yet. If it matters, I have tons of corn to the north and what i think this year was some kind of wheat to the east and soy. In the past this was corn too. Just south and surrounding is apples, peaches and plums. 

Love using beets and greens, not this year but I've had great results previously. Never heard a bad word about big n beasty. Either of those and I think you will pick a winner.

[Five Seasons]

I'm throwing the kitchen sink out there for plots this year. Gonna see how it goes. If I'm not happy with the results for the work and time put in, then I will just frost seed the hell out of it next year with clover and just keep the areas cut down if they get too high.
One larger area this year will be radish and winter peas, one shady area will be "secret spot", and two other small spots will both get a mix of "bowstand" and "Shot Plot".   Then some bags of clover in the rest of the trails for frost seeding.  Which took very well last year. 

I was thinking of maybe throwing clover down on trails too but they don’t get any sun. Idk maybe if I have leftover seed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Steve D]

20 hours ago, Steve D said:

I hope to strap on the cross-country skis tomorrow to investigate but based on what I have seen this year; soybeans seem to be the draw.

Follow-up from yesterday. Skied it today and my field looks like a war zone compared to the cornfield stubble field which is hardly touched. There are actually a couple of paths they have made while walking through the corn stubble to get to the ex-soybean field.

Almost looks like every deer within 5 miles is showing up here. Fist pic is my field for reference: