Small Plot Advice

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[Triple C]

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Easy to show off when Mother Nature gives us as much rain as she has this summer...

 

[baddave]

yep -- we planted a little clover plot 2 yrs ago and it didn't rain for 5 wks .. it is recovering but slowly .. we're getting a tru drought in taliaferro now ..looks like i sprayed w/ glyphosphate .. if i look closely i can see the clover

 

[shaftslinger24]

I really appreciate it, that is very helpful. I definitely like the sound of a couple of lower maintenance plots. Those are great pics, thank you.

shaftslinger...For what it's worth, here's a month by month progression of how I created a perennial clover plot last year that is pumping out new growth as of today. This clover plot should last me several years. I'll simply broadcast winter wheat into it again in early Oct to provide fall thru winter food source for the coming season.

Around the middle of August 2017, I mowed, waited a week and sprayed the plot with gly to kill all the summer weeds and grasses. You can see that the gly did it's job and left me a bunch of dead organic matter to incorporate into the soil. I haven't checked the ph balance of this plot in several years but i'm confident it's where it needs to be as I add lime every other year and have since 2011.
View attachment 938464

In September I planted winter wheat. I use a planter but you could easily broadcast winter wheat. Same day I used a hand spreader and broadcast Regalgraze ladino clover and Pennington durana clover. Then ran the planter over it which has a culitpacker on the back to create seed-soil contact. Climbed up in a ladder stand and took this pic after planting.
View attachment 938465

Got timely rains and by October 12th the plot looked like this. The clover is tiny at this point as it is just beginning to establish roots but the wheat is doing what it is supposed to do...attract deer and act as a nurse crop for the clover.
View attachment 938466

November 2017 and deer are using the wheat and the clover is coming up nicely under all the wheat.
View attachment 938467

Here's a close up of clover I took on 11-22-2017. Lots and lots of clover coming up in the wheat.
View attachment 938468

Took this pic on Christmas day. Deer keeping it mowed to about lip high.
View attachment 938470

Here's what it looked like at ground level on Christmas day. Clover has completely covered the ground and will be ready to go come spring. Deer are already eating the clover.
View attachment 938471

Fast forward to July of this year and the clover is really doing it's thing. The wheat died with warmer temps in early June. All I've done is mow this plot a couple of times after fawning season. I'll mow it again in September and then broadcast a grain back in it to provide fall and winter food.
View attachment 938473

Bottom line....this 1/3 acre plot of clover will be feeding deer all year long for the next 3 or 4 years with minimal maintenance. I'll just overseed with grain come fall and this time next year...should be getting pics like this. Hope this helps! Best of luck with your plot.

 

[XJfire75]

I plan to follow the same listed steps for a small clearing I’m making by hand on my new property using Whitetail Institute Fusion with clover and perennial chicory and oversees that with some oats to jump start the growth.


Gonna burn off the pine needles and spray tomorrow. Hoping to sneak in an early planting at the end of August.


Good luck man!

 

[bhouston]

shaftslinger & XJfire75 - Some very smart veterans on this site with super advice - but the VERY SMARTEST thing you can do TODAY is to get soil samples and send them to be tested. Without the right ph (6.2 - 6.8) you are wasting seed & fert and time. Its cheap, and easy. good luck.

 

[shaftslinger24]

Got soil tests back, planning on pelletized lime. Do I need to till it in?

TripleC.I have been following these steps for 2o years, Its a proven system.Only difference in now and 20 years ago I work with tractors and no -till drills instead of 4 wheelers,chainlink fence and hand spreading the lime/fert and wheat seed.I still plant the clover by hand.

 

[Crakajak]

Got soil tests back, planning on pelletized lime. Do I need to till it in?

It would be better.You get more activation in the soil when you incorperate lime/fert into the soil

 

[Canuck5]

Got soil tests back, planning on pelletized lime. Do I need to till it in?

Yes, the best thing you can do is till it into the top 4-6" of soil now. Doing it now will also help with a little weed control. The lime might take 6 months to really make any kind of ph change, so better late than never!

Then you can go back the middle of September and work (till) into the top 4-6", the fertilizer requirements, again, helping with a little weed control. Then I would wait till the middle of October, to go ahead and plant your perennial clover and nurse crop of cereal grains. Just don't go to heavy on the nurse crop seed. Maybe 50 lbs/acre of wheat and you can also add some reseeding crimson clover in the mix as well.

 

[Canuck5]

GMTA

 

[Crakajak]

GMTA

Gave my tiller away?

 

[Canuck5]

You don't need it any more, do you? (LOL, Great Minds Think Alike)

 

[Crakajak]

You don't need it any more, do you? (LOL, Great Minds Think Alike)

Hopefully before long I can go in halves with you. You can plant them and I can hunt them.

 

[Canuck5]

LOL!!! I'll put you on "that" list!

 

[Crakajak]

LOL!!! I'll put you on "that" list!

Just make sure I'm at the top of the list.