Throw and roll

[1gr8bldr]

I had planned to do much less prep work this year. Each year, I do a ton of work, spend alot of money.... and then worry over rain. So this year, I assumed that less work would result in less stress. If I don't have as much invested, it won't matter as much. So I decided to throw and roll in. I did this on a few small plots last year with much better results than my large investment plot. The debris laying over the ground holds in the moisture and does very well. However, this year, my plots are extremely thick. I sprayed today to kill, but I am concerned my seed will never get through due to how thick it is. Anybody got any tricks? Smaller seed might not be a problem, but my usual Buck Forage oats are not going to penetrate well. And I have purchased these already.

 

[Triple C]

What seems very thick today might not seem so thick once it's all dead matter with no moisture in it. Wait 10 days and see what it looks like. Chances are you'll be able to broadcast into the standing dead matter and them mow over the seed.

In full disclosure, I've never tried the throw n mow but a whole lot of folks do it now and swear by it. I do know that once everything is dead it won't be near as thick as what it looks like green n growing. We sprayed today and will plant sometime late this month ahead of a forecasted rain event.

 

[misterpink]

From my experience, oats are not well suited to this method. I've have great luck with wheat, cereal rye and all clovers. Maybe our resident mowers and rollers can advise of any tricks.

The deer at our place prefer forage oats to any other crop I have planted.

I dont have a drill so the only way I get them to flourish is the hard way. Mow, spray, wait, maybe mow again, disk, drag, seed/fert., disk and/or drag again. But man the deer cant leave those oats alone in November.

 

[1gr8bldr]

What would be ideal is an invention that either drills or just lays down the seed, right behind a cycle mower. Bush hogging has a tendency to blow seeds, especially where there is less cover. The seeds can then all be caught in the same spots. A cycle mower would be perfect, and lay over more consistent. In theory, I had rather have my seed under this thatch than covered by a disc. The moisture difference is major