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New Fall Plot Step-by-Step

Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
I got started on my new fall plot project this weekend. We are putting in a new plot, about a half an acre, in part of an old, secluded field. The field is surrounded by a giant thicket and there is one good tree on the east side of the plot I can get a stand into, which set us up perfectly for most winds. We can approach the stand from the east too.

I figured I'd take you guys along for the ride. This past weekend I brushhogged the whole field. I snapped a few pics from the tractor.
 

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Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
Later this week I will go back and apply roundup to kill the grass and weeds. I forgot to mention that I have never seen so many grasshoppers. At first I thought I ran over a bee's nest!
 

Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
Great man, what are you planting? Looking forward to progress pics.

I have tried most of the buck on the bag mixes and offerings, but prefer to make my own mixes. I addition to getting exactly what I want, it's way cheaper. A bushel of winter rye is about $15-20 bucks, at least it used to be.
In this plot I am going to plant a mix of clover (three different types of perennials), radishes, winter rye, and some oats if I can find some around here. It has worked great for us in the past.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Funny you mentioned grasshoppers. I did some mowing last weekend as well and was surprised at the number of grasshoppers which ended up on my legs. Must be a seasonal thing.
 

Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
Step two: Applying herbicide

Last week I found time to spay the new plot to kill off the existing vegetation. I have an old tank sprayer that I mount on the back of a four wheeler. It works out well for the size plots we create. I know you really can't see anything new in the pictures, but they show the size of the plot better and surrounding brush. If we don't get too much rain this weekend, I may be able to plant.
 

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bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Looks good Boone! I just bought the same sprayer and naturally, it doesn't mount on my '07 Rancher worth a damn. I'll have to build a base for it unfortunately. I did get my plots sprayed using the hand wand.

Keep us posted on how it goes! Thanks for sharing as well!!!
 

Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
Looks good Boone! I just bought the same sprayer and naturally, it doesn't mount on my '07 Rancher worth a damn. I'll have to build a base for it unfortunately. I did get my plots sprayed using the hand wand.

Funny you mentioned the mounting. It fits perfectly on that Suzuki, but we have a 03 Honda Rubicon it won't lay flat on because the rack has a long upper projection. With the Honda, we have to unbolt one of the sprayer arms, slip it through the rack and tighten it back down. The sprayer is a tad off center, but it it's better than using the wand! That had to be a lot of work.
 

Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
We took advantage of the cool weather this weekend and got the plot planted. My buddy roughed up the now dead plot with an old disk. We're not farmers so this is a low budget operation! I then applied the fertilizer and winter rye and he turned worked it in an inch or so. Our trail camera helped us out with some of the pics. This plot is tucked away so I wanted to see what has been moving through the area.
 

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Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
After the rye and fertilizer were in, I used a hand spreader to add the clovers and purple top turnips.
 

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Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
The fertilizer was applied according to the soil test recommendation.
Or plot mix was:
about 75# per acre winter rye
8-12# per acre clovers, jumbo ladino, alice white, marathon red and one other I forgot
and 5# per acre purple top turnips

Bring on the rain!
 

Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
I forgot to add the finished product. Some of the dead grass is visible, but it will act as mulch and retain a little more moisture.
 

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Boone

*Supporting Member*
833
96
N.E. O-H-I-O
I had to move a deer camera a little further away from the plot than I wanted because of the loser trespassers we have. We still managed to take some good lime-lapse pictures of growth due to the rain this week. Here is one from last Friday, a couple of weeks after planting. Even with little rain, the cereal rye was coming up in spots.
 

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