No Till Food Plots - So Easy

[at1010]

A great book all about fungi. I absolutely love learning about soils and using the information I learn both from our own testing and from a vast amount of books - to help others.

Fungi is one (imo) that is not often talked about enough and if it is, it’s far to general. This book does a great job highlighting what fungi can do for our plants and nutrient availability in the soil. It also highlights some areas in which fungi inoculation has not had a noticeable impact on plant growth and lastly, some areas we just don’t have all the pieces yet to fully understand the role of the fungi in its sole entirety.

What we can say for sure is that fungi play a critical role in soils, nutrient availability, robust cover crops efficiency, pest mitigation, phosphorus uptake, and even water conservation/availability.

If you’re interested in all things soil fungi- this is worth the read.

 

[at1010]

This is why we always recommend exclusion fences. We had the worst drought in a 100 years in Ohio and it would be easy to think that was the sole cause of reduced tonnage. However, clearly we need to either plant more food, create more food in timber, manage deer densities, or all the above.

Managing soils and deer is fluid from year to year and monitoring browse can have a major impact on your success as a manager and your decisions to be made.

Good news is- despite the heavy browse many of the forage brassica, clovers and grains are still putting on growth and feeding a pile of deer each day.

 

[5Cent]

Al, I'm noticing a difference in both the garden and pumpkin patch where a very defined side is mostly/all oats and no radish, and the other side the radish/broader leaf items are abundant and dominate. I know I know, get a soil test lol, but it's gotta be something blatant (even just a statement of fertility in general). For the pumpkin patch, the most recent added 1/2 is the radish/broadleaf side, just better ground?

All areas prepped and seeded the same time and method.

 

[at1010]

Al, I'm noticing a difference in both the garden and pumpkin patch where a very defined side is mostly/all oats and no radish, and the other thread radish/broader leaf items are abundant and dominate. I know I know, get a soil test lol, but it's gotta be something blatant (even just a statement of fertility in general). For the pumpkin patch, the most recent added 1/2 is the radish/broadleaf side, just better ground?

All areas prepped and seeded the same time and method.

this happens often - I have some fields that are 200 ft apart and sometimes this can occur. That’s the beauty of diversity and the best species for the soil show up to the dance.

Now, why would it happen? Could be a variety of things. How was the NPK applications on both sides, same? If you used more N on pumpkins I’d imagine you’re seeing the brassicas hop out of ground due to the excess N and their ability to scavenge it so rapidly.

however- I can assure you the other species are there on both and come Spring you’ll see a pile of chicory, radish, oats, rye, clovers.

let me know if this makes sense!

 

[5Cent]

It does, didnt know if it was something more specific, had to ask.

 

[at1010]

It does, didnt know if it was something more specific, had to ask.

I don’t think so but it’s great your observing this - now if it was a deer plot I’d question browse pressure and such.

This is not dissimilar to trying to establish a new lawn. It’s pretty normal, even in a monoculture of say- fescue- to have uneven coloration in the grass.

this can often be fixed by fertility adjustments but in the short term the cause of the variance is due to the naturally occurring fertility, specific to that root zone.

 

[at1010]

Happy Thanksgiving to all who follow my thread l!! Thankful for you all! Have a blessed day with your friends and family!

 

[at1010]

Just in time for the holidays!!

Gift Card | Vitalize Seed Company

vitalizeseed.com

 

[at1010]

Despite severe drought
Very high deer numbers and continuous browse
Our Vitalize Carbon Load plots are loaded with deer every night!

We certainly have more work to do. However, I recall when we bought the farm 15 years ago it was hard to see a deer. In a seemingly short time - we have watched the farm transform. More work to do!!

 

[at1010]

Benefit of diversity! We’ve recently received snow melt, rain and some warmer temps. This allows the clovers and grains in Carbon Load to pop! This is what truly makes an impact on the soil and deer herd. We are trying our best to never allow a “dead” period both for soil regeneration and for our deer to feed.

Won’t be long and we’ll be pulling soil samples, spreading Vitalize Micros, getting our sprayers primed for the Vitalize Fish Fert+Humics concentrate, and planting our NitroBoost!!

Here is to a great 2025!!!