Field of Dreams 2014

[MK111]

Getting started on my food plots for 2014. Picked up 100-200 rocks that was turned up from last years roto tilling. Refreshed last years mineral lick and put out 2 new ones on 2 main trails on different locations on the farm.
Have most of my seed in but need to order couple new ones from Merit Seed to try.
I checked my 1/2 ac. clover plot I planted last year and surprise to see there's more plants than I thought. I'll top dress and try again.
Just waiting for the ground to dry up some as it's too wet to spray or fertilizer.
Also I'm planting 2 new 1/4 ac. plots on the West side of the farm were a main N-S trail goes through. It's only 100 yds. from the house in heavy brush and cedar trees. Be a easy late minute hunting location. Haven't hunted there in 15 yrs.

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

Looking forward to following this thread. Get a camera out there so we can see it develop and grow!

 

[hickslawns]

Good thread. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out for you this year Frank!

 

[bowhunter1023]

Good luck with everything this year Frank. Food plotting is very rewarding when it all comes together!

 

[MK111]

I just talked to John at Merit Seed and he recommended Frontage Wildlife Blend to top dress my clover plot from last year. He said it'll top dress or so called frost seed just fine. John was helpful and quite knowledgeable. It's being shipped.
I also got some Groundhog Radish to throw in with my Frigid Forage turnip, sugar beet, and radish mix. I did this to help break up my soil.
I'll see how it works out.

 

[MK111]

My merit Seed order was delivered. I plan on top dressing the clover on Easter Sunday. That should be good luck.
My son's friend delivered the 3 pt. The Hollow 300 fertilizer spreader I bought from him for 250.00. It's like new and I was expecting a normal size of about 200 lbs. This thing is huge and holds 555 lbs. and throws 65 ft. wide swath. Now I'll be able to get into the smaller new food plots I'm putting in with my tractor. It's going to be a exciting time in future food plots.

 

[MK111]

I went down to the clover plot and started raking the bush hog swaths. I ran out of energy after getting about 60% done. Hope to finish it tomorrow and top dress the seed. Rain forecasted for Tuesday.

After being disappointed on the clover crop coming up and almost disked it under to replant into another planting of something. Good thing I didn't because every time I look at there is more clover. I would say I have a 40-50% crop. It'll turn out just fine in time.

 

[MK111]

My grandson after turkey hunting finished raking the stubble up. I top dressed the clover with Merit Seed Frontage Wildlife Blend as it's supposed to rain tonight. The clover is filling better each time I look at it. I do believe it's going to turn out to be a nice 1/2 ac. plot.
I ended up with 15 piles of stubble and I burnt 2 piles. But the wind was blowing from 4 different directions and I figured as dry it is if the grass fire got away from me I could never stop it. It supposed to rain tonight so I'll burn the other piles after the rain.

 

[at1010]

looks good man! I love this thread!

 

[MK111]

It's been 10 days since I top dressed my clover plot with new clover seed. I jumped 3 hens and a Jake in the clover plot.
Lots of new clover plants coming up. Last years plants are about 6" high and filling in real good.

Got a few broadleaf weeds but not much grass showing.

How tall does the new clover plants need to be before spraying Slay to kill off the broadleaf weeds?

Is there a off brand of Slay spray?
I've read couple sites and the ingredient is imazethapyr in Slay. It appears Slay is a Whitetail Inst. in house brand name for the product and they just mark up the cost.
Other brands are Contour, Hammer, Overtop, Passport, Pivot, Pursuit, Pursuit Plus and resolve.

Doing a search on Rural King site nothing shows up. A trip to the store is necessary.

 

[MK111]

I checked the clover plot yesterday after 18 days since top dressing with new seed. I should have taken a picture.
The clover is 12" high and the new plants 2-4" high. Filling in good but the broadleaf weeds are coming on. Time to spray.

Anyone know of a local available product for weeds in clover so I don't have to mailorder Slay?

 

[MK111]

May 19
I sprayer Roundup on 1/2 of my food plot today. Then the ATV acted up.
The oats I planted last fall is knee high and going to seed. I need to bushhog that before spraying as that area is going into Fridig Forage. Shame to cut it down but no evidence the deer are using it.

The 1/2 ac. of clover is coming along real good. Need to get after the broadleaf weeds. Any suggestions on what to use on the broadleaf weeds in the clover?

I went to the West side of the farm where there is a good N-S trail and sprayed Roundup in a area about 100x50. Also the mineral lick I put there has tracks in it.

 

[MK111]

I sent a email question to OSU "Ask the Expert".
Got a reply back to use Select broadleaf spray to kill broadleaf weeds in clover.
Now I got to find Select spray as it doesn't show up on TSC or Rural King website.

 

[MK111]

May 25
Bush hogged 1.5 ac. today. Need to re-spray the Roundup as I didn't see much kill back in 6 days.
The ground is way too wet to work up yet. Rain forecasted T-W-T this week and a dry weekend. Hopefully we won't get much rain.
I going to try and let the oats mature out as there's a good stand. When the seeds are mature I'll bush hog and rototill under. That should give me extra oats crop. We'll see.

The red and white clover are budding out nice. When clover seeds are mature I'll bush hog the broadleaf weeds down.

 

[MK111]

May 27
I rototilled 1/2 ac. that I'm planting into radish and beets.
It sure rototilled up easier than last year. Looks good and plan on planting it tomorrow.

 

[bowhunter1023]

What did you have in there last year Frank?

The field I planted the year before last in raddish tilled like it was fresh peat moss. Those tubars really worked that soil up.

 

[MK111]

What did you have in there last year Frank?

The field I planted the year before last in raddish tilled like it was fresh peat moss. Those tubars really worked that soil up.

That's probably the reason. I had planted last year Evolved Harvest 7 Card Stud which has several radish and turnips in it.
Part of the new tilled soil was last years forage oats and that tilled easy to. By dumb luck when I fenced the pasture 15 yrs. ago I put the fence post 25 ft. apart and the length of the field it works out perfectly that every 25 ft. section is 1/4 ac. so it's easy to lay the plots out.
I'm only putting in 1/2 ac. of Frigid Forage radish, turnip, sugar beet mix. I had such good results luck with the 1/2 ac. of Whitetail Ins. Forage Oats I'm putting in 1.5 ac. this year. Plus I'm leaving the 1/2 ac. of last years Forage Oats go to seed and then disk it in and I'll do a fall planting on it and that should give me a good 2nd crop. There's a good crop over waist high and seeding out good. Plus the secondary crop in the oats mix is seeding out well also.

This pasture hasn't been worked up and planted in many years. Maybe 50-70 yrs. At least not the 23 yrs. I've owned it. There is no edge evidence of plowing.

I need to find a cultipacker yet as now I use a fence drag to cover the seed.

I plan on putting in another 1/2 ac. plot of clover as a fall planting. That section is on a slight hill beside the woods and that should help the soil from washing out.

My spraying of Roundup worked just fine. Everything is brown and dead. I guess I looked too early. It's been 9 days now. I was worried because my spray mix separated over the winter and I thought it didn't go back into the proper mix. No worry now unless I'm spraying the killer only and not the mixing agent. Time will tell as I use the remaining 1/2 gallon up.

 

[MK111]

May 28
I seeded the 1/2 ac. of Frigid Forage radish blend today. It's supposed to rain hard tonight so I'll let the rain wash the fine seeds into the ground. If it doesn't rain I drag the fence across it tomorrow.
The sure was a lot of deer prints in less than 18 hrs. Also several turkey dusting holes. Only found 3 rocks.

Now onto the new food plots on the West side of the farm. I sprayed Roundup on that 9 days ago. Some more spraying to do with my son's backpack sprayer.

 

[hickslawns]

You are working harder now than before you retired. You are wearing me out reading this stuff. lol

Keep up the hard work. It will continue to pay dividends I am sure. Even if not in the form of bigger bucks harvested, it seems you are learning plenty and enjoying yourself.

 

[MK111]

You are working harder now than before you retired. You are wearing me out reading this stuff. lol

Keep up the hard work. It will continue to pay dividends I am sure. Even if not in the form of bigger bucks harvested, it seems you are learning plenty and enjoying yourself.

Thanks Phil. On top of this I'm still doing R&D moonlight 4 hrs. per day most days. Putting all the fun money in a special account. I asked my son to go with me on our Africa hunting trip in 2015 we've talked about for 10 yrs. If everything is OK next year he said he'll be glad to go.
I am having fun. I ask my son to borrow his backpack sprayer this weekend. He informed I bought the backpack sprayer over 25 yrs. ago. So go ahead and use it. I forgot.