Thanks for the info Treefarmer. Just thought I might plant some for something to do. My wife feeds the treerats, and I have peanut plants sprouting all over the yard. She wanted to plant some, and I did not just want to waste my time with the raw peanuts she buys in the bag from publix.
Clover/corn food plot Day 71
Not able to do much in the woods, garden or yard. We've had 14 rain days since the 1st of July with a total of 14.45 inches at our place. Too wet to plant fall peas, almost too wet to mow the grass, the wet weather branches are running again.
As for the clover, I'm afraid it doesn't exist, but the corn is doing fair. I'm beginning to understand my friends who tell me it's a lot easier to buy shelled corn or a hamper of peas that someone else raised rather than deal with nature and all that comes our way when the weather isn't perfect. I have only experienced one true corn crop failure years ago and it was due to a drought. Made the mistake of getting a SBA disaster loan, but that's another story.
A dry month, after a wet start to the season has effected all the farming in our area. The corn did not get a full stand, the wind has blown some of it down and now some of it is dying because corn doesn't do well grow in water :no , but we are raising a fine crop of mosquitos! Earlier we had a few little mosquitos, but in the last few days the old big black ones with the white stripes on their legs have hatched out.
After all the bellyaching, I still enjoy seeing things grow even if it is sometimes difficult to achieve the desired results. In spite of the weather, the Lord will probably allow some of the corn to make it to maturity and become deer feed and some will probably be made into corn meal and grits. I feel very blessed to be able to do the things we do!
Pictures this time will show that the corn is beginning to make, that corn doesn't do well in water and that we got some fine skeeters!
Treefarmer
Yep, I hear ya about them dang mosquitoes! We have a bumper crop this year down here in the swamp. We've had so much rain that I can't get out to mow my grass and my youngin's are making mud holes on either side of my driveway down by the road. Seems they can't hit the concrete to save their lives!! Oh well, its not the first time its been this way. It'll dry soon enough and then the grass will grow over it again...until next monsoon season.
I really enjoy your posts here Philip. Makes me wish I was up your way around my ancestors land. Maybe one day when the Lord is done with me down here!
Clover/corn food plot Day 78
As I'm posting this week's progress, it is raining again! As of daylight this morning, we've had 20.35 inches so far this month! The rain this year is like what we used to experience back in the 70's and eighty's. Annual rain fall had dropped way off and places that were wet years back have been included in most farming operations where row crops are planted. This season we are seeing where the low places used to be! Noticed lots of dead or dying crops this past week end up in south west Georgia. Our yard and garden are saturated and the red field corn plots in the woods are really suffering from the water. There is a patch of Silver Queen sweet corn that is maturing in a few days that will be very hard to pick if it doesn't stop raining, literally sink to above your ankles between the rows!
In addition to a lot of water in the fields and woods, I noticed several things that might be of interest this week. 1st, the squirrels are working the pine cones in the planted pines. I thought they were all in our yard, as my wife feeds them and the birds each day. Some mornings there are a dozen tree rats eating sunflower seeds. Pear trees are overloaded with fruit this year and as usual some limbs will sag and eventually break off. The deer have started feeding on the ones on the ground. Will need to set a camera and see what is making the dog bark at night. There is one picture of some of the corn and the clouds that "just keep on giving".
Still over 4 months till rifle season in this end of the state. A lot can change in that length of time.
Treefarmer
Clover/corn food plot Day 85
We all like to brag on our knowledge and skills when it comes to our outdoor activites and it's not often we tell about our failures, unless it's about the big deer we let slip by or the bass that broke off. This week we should officially change the name of the thread to Corn food plot. Been suspecting all along that the clover didn't make it and after rootin' under the crab grass in several locations, it is not there. Blame it on the dry weather first of all, then blame it on the wet weather, no blame it on the early wet weather 'cause it was really too wet to plow in the late winter, then it turned dry for a month, blah, blah, blah..... Whatever it was I have FAILED to get that 1/2 of the plot going and if it dries enough will try to replant it in a month or so.
Today is the last day of July and we have recorded rain on at least 20 of the 31 days, just looked at the radar and looks like we'll get some scattered showers this afternoon. Total is 21.8 inches so far for July!
There is corn making for the deer to eat, there is tall, well fertlized crab grass to destroy in order to make a new seed bed for the clover and there is plenty of water for my helper to swim in. The weather has got to get better, don't you think?
Treefarmer
