DaveT,
A good example for us to pay attention to seed depth as we work on these plots. The fact that yours is doing well and only broadcast and rain fall covering it, shows how little depth is needed. The ideal depth is different for different crops and a mixture makes it difficult to be exact. The brassicas, like the clovers need only a 1/4 to 1/2 inch, where the grasses, rye, oats, wheat, etc.
may do better with 1-2 inches planting depth. What we planted last Tuesday, should be up this weekend since we have adequate moisture and still warm soil temps. We'll see when we get back home from Atl.
Treefarmer
You're 100% correct....the tough thing is knowing how to handle the combo mixes that we get up there that have wheat, oat, rye, clover, pea, and rape. The combo mixes are a good value, but its almost like you need to buy and throw the grasses, disc lightly, then go back and throw the brassicas, clover, etc, and either use a light drag, or just leave it uncovered and let mother nature handle it. Learning something from this....one of my other neighbors up there always swears by just discing, seeding, and letting it ride. I guess its no coincidence that he always has the best results with collards, turnips, and such.
Just a quick follow up on the Rye planted on 10/8/13. It is up and about 4" tall, looks like a good stand, could even use a little shower. The old antique grain drill is hard to adjust, so I set it to plant a little light, then go back over with the excess seed. That way at least I'll have the plot covered and then part will be double covered as I go back to use all the seed. A newer drill would be much more accurate and if I was doing this on a large scale, for profit, double coverage would be out of the question due to diesel cost.
Treefarmer
Clover/corn food plot Day 142
Today is a beautiful day, rye is growing where the clover and corn were supposed to be. 49 years ago I really began learning what it means to improvise. That was at a summer resort near Beaufort, SC, a place called Parris Island. If it doesn't work, you got to do something else to complete the mission, in this case, plant rye where you had hoped to have a stand of clover and a patch of standing corn. The corn was successful, just ask Bambi! Hopefully the rye patch will work as a draw during the season along with an automatic corn feeder.
There were close to 350 pictures under the pear tree this time. Same old bunch of buttheads. There were a couple of different pics with the deer and a possum squaring off. Also the dog and a couple of possums were in a few pics. Another interesting thing we have observed the last day or so are the coons both day and night digging up peanuts in the field we have rented out. The ol' boy that's farming that patch has a lot of competition, 1st it was wet weather, late planting, plus all the critters that are eating there daily, coons, squirrels, and deer.
Pics of the rye, 8 days after planting and the deer and possum under the pear tree.
Treefarmer
Deer and Possum
Clover/corn food plot Day 149
Noticed some of y'all had commented on the forum about fall weather coming, seems everybody is in favor of a little cooler weather. Our thermometer recorded a low of 51 this morning. Had to wear a shirt to drink coffee on the porch this am.
The rye patch is growing well. We had a very small amount of rain out of this cold front that is working it way through. They experienced heavier rains south and east of us, we had probably what you would officially call a "trace", but it did wet the grass!
Getting closer to opening day and still seeing lots of does around the pear tree and the peanut field. On Friday the 18th, my wife wanted to go ride around and see the food plot as she hadn't seen the rye patch since it was planted. On the way back to the house we drove across a little ridge that is grown up real thick with brush and oak trees. We used this area to feed and hay our cows in the winter, years ago. As we were riding along in the cart, the dog was having a big time running back and forth. As she ran by us, we noticed a spotted fawn laying in the bushes, the dog came within 10 foot of the little deer and it just lay there watching what was going by. We went on to the house and I returned with a camera and was able to get several pictures but none turned out very good. Thinking about the fawn, it had to have been conceived in late March or early April, based on a 7 month gestation.
Pictures this week are the rye at 15 days(compare last weeks pic) and the fawn.(will post the pictures later as there is a notice saying the web page is having an issue?)
Treefarmer
