Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Fall plots finished

Darron

Junior Member
273
0
Dayton, Ohio
Buddy (neighbor) and I knocked out our fall plots today. Took about 6 hours total but we got them done. Back on 7/12 I planted brassicas and they look beautiful and the deer are starting to hit the tops. Today we planted a mix of oats, rye and clover in various strips located in our clover plots. We focused on areas that were becoming weedy and/or bare.

One of the strips we were lucky enough to hit a yellow jacket nest (in the ground). A couple got me and luckily I am not allergic. I forgot how much it hurt to get stung by those bastards.

I rushed down today because they are forecasting rain tonight. Hopefully it hits.
 

Darron

Junior Member
273
0
Dayton, Ohio
Looks like rain hitting my area as I type this......


When doing your fall plots think about doing strips instead of planting an entire field to one plant. For example, my fields always have clover in them because I either plant clover in the fall with my grains or I frost seed in the late winter. Therefore, I'll take strips within these clover fields and plant other things. In one half acre food plot I have the following strips in order ....

Brassicas/clover/oats/clover/oats-/clover/oats/brassicas

The brassica and oat strips are approx 9' wide. The clover strips are larger. In one half acre field I have three different forages for the deer to choose from. I also like planting brassicas in smaller strips because it gives the deer a chance to wipe them out come spring. Remember, if you have left over brassica tops on the soil surface rotting it can prevent frost seeded clover from germinating. My 9' x 50 yard strips of brassicas will probably be decimated by December.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,061
223
Ohio
Looks like rain hitting my area as I type this......


When doing your fall plots think about doing strips instead of planting an entire field to one plant. For example, my fields always have clover in them because I either plant clover in the fall with my grains or I frost seed in the late winter. Therefore, I'll take strips within these clover fields and plant other things. In one half acre food plot I have the following strips in order ....

Brassicas/clover/oats/clover/oats-/clover/oats/brassicas

The brassica and oat strips are approx 9' wide. The clover strips are larger. In one half acre field I have three different forages for the deer to choose from. I also like planting brassicas in smaller strips because it gives the deer a chance to wipe them out come spring. Remember, if you have left over brassica tops on the soil surface rotting it can prevent frost seeded clover from germinating. My 9' x 50 yard strips of brassicas will probably be decimated by December.

So are you saying you plant the individual forages in their own strips, instead of mixing them together? Obviously you're not mixing the brassicas with the oats and clover.... But are you not mixing your oats/rye/clover together?
 

Darron

Junior Member
273
0
Dayton, Ohio
So are you saying you plant the individual forages in their own strips, instead of mixing them together? Obviously you're not mixing the brassicas with the oats and clover.... But are you not mixing your oats/rye/clover together?

Anytime I plant oats or rye I plant clover with them. So yes, I mix oats/rye and clover together but the clover will not give forage this fall. It is more for spring and the next fall.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,061
223
Ohio
Anytime I plant oats or rye I plant clover with them. So yes, I mix oats/rye and clover together but the clover will not give forage this fall. It is more for spring and the next fall.

Oh I got ya. I'm planning on planting some more oats and rye in the next couple weeks as well. I think I'm going to take your advice and leave some of the established clover in the plot.... Only plant a thin strip of the oats/rye/clover mix.
 

Darron

Junior Member
273
0
Dayton, Ohio
Oh I got ya. I'm planning on planting some more oats and rye in the next couple weeks as well. I think I'm going to take your advice and leave some of the established clover in the plot.... Only plant a thin strip of the oats/rye/clover mix.

Planting strips within an established clover plot is great because A) you can still leave a portion of it in clover and B) planting strips is a lot faster than tilling up the entire field. Plus IMO the more variety in a field the better.

Literally we planted three strips of oats in a 1/2 acre food plot that were approx 9' wide by 40-50 yards long in a matter of 30 min. Tilled the strips, broadcasted the oats, lowered the tiller on free wheel and pushed the oats into the ground and firmed up the soil and then broadcasted clover on top.
I have found if you have access to a rear tine tiller allowing the tiller to free wheel over top of the recently tilled soil will firm it up and push the seeds the recommended 1/2-1" deep.