Fall Food Plot Prep for No Till Drill

[Albuds]

Need input on best way to prepare food plots for fall planting with no till drill.

Haven't been down for a while but expect food plots now likely 2-3 feet deep in whatever has grown up since spring. Want to improve bio mass and soil so do not want to cut and herbicide fields. Have access to roller/crimper.

Options would appear to be:

1. Bush hog next couple of weeks, let things continue to grow and roller/crimp before planting

2. Bush hog next few weeks and plant into existing growth without roller/crimp

3. Do not bush hog, roller/crimp just before planting and plant into remaining material

4. Bush hog just before planting and plant into remaining material

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have

 

[tmiller]

Following along for info as well.....but my plan for two of my bigger plots is to spray them this week, we bush hogged them several weeks ago and then drill them come September. The other one I am planning on drilling is in beans right now and I think I will just spray and drill through whatever is left of the beans after the deer have eaten them all.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

I have no experience with this type of planting . Sorry to be of no help
@doomtrpr_z71 would most likely know some info

 

[mattb78]

Option 3. The roller crimper will terminate the existing planting and also lay it down pretty nicely so the drill does not have too difficult of a time penetrating the existing biomass.

It depends on the crop but you generally would want to terminate so you eliminate competition for the new seed.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Personally my choice would be spray and roller crimp at the same time or spray it early and notill directly into it. Bush hogging and planting direct won't give you a good stand. Ideally I'd spray it 2-3 weeks before planting and roller crimp it at the same time.

 

[Nitram4891]

Crimping only works at a certain stage of plant growth I think but I could be wrong.

 

[Canuck5]

Roller crimping won't kill everything, like spraying would. It's a nice idea if you have a pure stand of cereal rye and are able to crimp it at the dough stage. Unfortunately it won't kill grass, probably not thistle and a list of other broad leaf weeds.

 

[Canuck5]

If you roller crimp first, you have to drill in the same direction you laid the weeds down. If you drill first, then roller crimp, it gets easier.

 

[Albuds]

Thanks for your comments and input.

As I've done more research on the roller/crimper it's effective primarily on specific crops at a specific time and won't be effective on grass and weeds.

So if i spray first, how early and then after planting into this best to crimp or just bush hog?

 

[Canuck5]

Not sure "when" you want to plant, but if you are shooting for early October, burn it down in early September. If you have mainly grass, use 1 quart to the acre of glyphosate and if you have a bunch of other crap, go at a higher rate, but no more than 2 quarts per acre.

Burn it down and plant right thru it, the deer won't care. Give yourself lots of time before planting to get everything down on the ground. If you get lots of rain before planting, you may need to spray again or a light till. Who am I kidding? Rain in September????

 

[Ihunt]

I would spray then drill. The vegetation will die and fall over on its on. Oh to have a no till. The things I could try.

 

[gabowman]

You can spray the same day you drill. Glyphorsate wont kill seeds. If you dont wanna spray you will probably have ALOT of grasses and weeds if that matters to you. The deer will still be able to find the new growth as long as it doesnt get choked out.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

You can spray the same day you drill. Glyphorsate wont kill seeds. If you dont wanna spray you will probably have ALOT of grasses and weeds if that matters to you. The deer will still be able to find the new growth as long as it doesnt get choked out.

the other alternative is round up ready corn or beans. You can spray after the crop is up 10 inches or so

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

the other alternative is round up ready corn or beans. You can spray after the crop is up 10 inches or so

You can spray roundup ready stuff from planting to pretty much first 2 months or so if you can get in it to spray it

 

[Gadestroyer74]

You can spray roundup ready stuff from planting to pretty much first 2 months or so if you can get in it to spray it

I don’t have the experience you do as that’s no my profession. Glad to have someone that is in that business that can provide experience and help for us. I planted both and sprayed gly at about 8 to 10 inches and killed most all weeds. What it didn’t the corn and beans choked out

 

[Cwill15]

I always have the best results spraying with glyphosate and drilling the plot the same day. otherwise the weed seeds already there are going to get a head start on whatever you're planting

 

[SWAMPFOX]

I have deer still utilizing my plots so I'm reluctant to spray them but what I'm reading from this thread is that spraying and drilling the seed is the best thing to do. I was gonna bush hog them about mid-September and plant the 1st week of October.

 

[Canuck5]

What are your deer still eating in there? Clover? Or did you plant a summer crop?

If it's clover, is it a "good" stand that could be made better?

 

[SWAMPFOX]

No, I didn't plant a summer crop so honestly, I have no clue what specific plants they're eating. The seed mix for the plots we planted last fall had a small amount of red clover in it but I haven't seen any come up. It appears to be just natural vegetation that self generated in the plot. I know that some of it is partridge pea, honey suckle and Mexican clover (Florida Pulsey). The rest of it I don't know what it is. I got a video of a doe on her hind legs stretching up to munch on some post oak leaves. I had never seen that before.