Throw and Mow question

[reds]

Been thinking about trying this TnM method of planting, and been reading lots of posts about it. I've been doing traditional tillage of my plots for years. The plots have not been chiselplowed/subsoiled in about 4 years. Should I do it before starting TnM, or will a yearly inclusion of Daikon radish break up any compaction? The soil is not clay, it is a sandy loam. Thanks

 

[Canuck5]

The most important "things" you can do ....... is
* keep something growing in there year round and a variety
* keep the soil ph up where it needs to be
* plant a variety of forage
* if you have a sub-soiler, use it

Medium red clover, also has a deeper root system than a white clover, typically.

 

[Canuck5]

Root depths

 

[Canuck5]

For compaction

 

[reds]

Canuck5, this is very good information. I'm saving these charts.
I keep my pH up above 6. It will begin to drop in the third year after an application so I re-apply every second or third year and do soil tests every year.

 

[Crakajak]

If it were me and had all the implements.I would subsoil.kill all the weeds either by chemical or plow.Add lime to get the soil to 7.0 then start the TnM seeding.
Canuck is correct to keep a variety of things growing yearround to help with weed control and soil compaction.

 

[reds]

If it were me and had all the implements.I would subsoil.kill all the weeds either by chemical or plow.Add lime to get the soil to 7.0 then start the TnM seeding.
Canuck is correct to keep a variety of things growing yearround to help with weed control and soil compaction.

I do have tractor and implements. I just want to start off right on this effort.

My reason for going to TnM is the wild mustard seed bank I have. After every fall disking and planting there is a tremendous outbreak of it which nearly smothers the grains and clovers requiring me to break out the sprayer again and spray it. Kent Kammermeyer told me several years ago that the fall disking causes the mustard to germinate. So hopefully TnM will prevent this problem and make the foodplotting process better.

Thanks

 

[reds]

After some further reading about TnM on other forums from folks who have been doing it for years they say how much healthier the soil becomes and how well earthworms do in that healthy soil. That's good, but then I remembered reading a study done on wild hogs and how much they like earthworms. Stomach content examinations revealed many earthworms. I already have a hog problem....rooting up my property bad. I don't need to make it worse. Am working on a hog trap now.
Any of ya'll that do TnM have any experience with hogs in your plots?
Thanks

 

[kayaksteve]

I don’t think the method of planting would have any effect on hogs rooting(or not) a food plot up. But I could be wrong. I’m no expert on either.