[Luv2hunteup]

 

[Luv2hunteup]

 

[Bob S]

We are supposed to get a big rain event tonight into tomorrow.

 

[brewster]

We are supposed to get a big rain event tonight into tomorrow. I planted 250# of soybeans in a couple of plots that total about 2-1/2 to 3 acres. The hardest part was finding fertilizer. I was able to find some 6-24-24 and 3-14-42. I had time to work up 500+ yards for future HD screen.

The broadleaf weeds and grasses have doubled in size over the last week. I used a 5’ weed wiper on an acre of clover, 2 acres of trefoil and about a 1/4. I used a 2:1 ratio of water to glyphosate. Some of the broadleaf weeds were already wilting by the time I finished treating all the plots plus a quarter acre that I plan on expanding a rye plot.

We were supposed to get rain tonight, now it's predicted about about 1" tomorrow at 2pm. That would let me get the fertilizer spread on the 3 acres I planted today.

Hope the forecasters are correct.

 

[jmich24]

Fun filled weekend getting plots prepped before the predicted rains Sunday and Monday.

Broadcast Summer Vitalize Seed First!

After foot crimping

Before crimping

Homemande Foot crimper

Soil sample taken to see how my no till soil process are working.

My most aggressive “broadleaf weed” in my food plots are Oak seedlings! Bodes well for regeneration after my fall timber harvest.

Finally sprayed Cleth. Can wait to get back up north in two week to see what took!

 

[Lightfoot]

My upper micro plot was taken over by raspberries, grasses and who knows what else. The plot ended last year in brassica, which never received a topping of clover or rye to start in spring. Self seeded rye was a little thin as well as what clover remained from previous plantings so I decided to cut my losses and nuke it this morning.

Poor planning on my part but time was in very short supply last year. I'll throw a soil builder on it in a week or so (rain) and go from there.

 

[Joel/AK]

Finally able to get out for the first this year. Never enough time.

Cleared a rough pad with the mini x for a ground blind that we are gonna build a 5ft platform for. Just to the left of our pics is our food plot. It's about 75x25 yards in size.

Gotta trim up the trees for shooting lanes and next week we're gonna atleast get the posts in the ground with cement.

 

[Big CC]

Planted Howden pumpkins properly again this year. First time planting them in 2019 I tilled, dragged and planted and they grew great. The last two years I tried just spraying a few times and didn’t till. Vines grew and flowered but not one pumpkin. I assume that I just messed up by taking a shortcut.
Hoping for a better turnout this year. Not necessarily for the deer, but fun to have for Halloween.

 

[Wild Thing]

Planted Howden pumpkins properly again this year. First time planting them in 2019 I tilled, dragged and planted and they grew great. The last two years I tried just spraying a few times and didn’t till. Vines grew and flowered but not one pumpkin. I assume that I just messed up by taking a shortcut.
Hoping for a better turnout this year. Not necessarily for the deer, but fun to have for Halloween.
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Too bad on not getting pumpkins for 2 years BigCC. I have had excellent success planting into no-tilled soil.

Here is how I would typically plant pumpkins - nuke the cover crop, using a flat blade screwdriver, poke a hole an inch or so deep to set the seed in and close up the hole. One seed every 3 feet in rows - rows 6 feet apart. I have even planted them between rows of sugar beets and then just covered the young pumpkin plants with pails when I sprayed the sugar beets. Of course, I have always used E-Fence for them as well. Always have had good success.

I am guessing it was something other than your soil prep that didn't give you germination...

Why no pumpkins on Vine?

Lack of pollinators–Bees pollinate pumpkin flowers, which is essential for them to fruit. Excessive heat– Very hot days (above 95 degrees F) and warm nights (above 75 degrees F) can stress vines to the point where they do not fruit. Too little light–Vines lack the energy to produce fruit.

Why Isn’t My Pumpkin Blooming?

1. Timing
2. The Soil Too much Nitrogen?
3. The Sun
4. Too Much Heat
5. There’s a Fungus Among Us

5 Reasons Your Pumpkin Vine Isn't Blooming | Gardener's Pathhttps://gardenerspath.com › Winter Squash

Flowers didn't get pollinated?

How to Know If a Pumpkin Flower Has Been Pollinatedhttps://homeguides.sfgate.com › Garden › Gardening

Hoping it all goes well for you this year.

 

[Big CC]

Thanks for all of the info, WT. It is always greatly appreciated!!

Today I checked on my three small plots in the woods. Seeded heavily with rye last fall, and put down clover 4 weeks ago. Wow the rye was tall!! Obviously I’m not opposed to tilling, but I prefer not to. All 3 woods plots are across water with no bridge and not easy to access with equipment. I usually start spraying early spring and plant clover and rye in the fall. This year I decided to not spray so early. I have never seen the rye this tall since I always sprayed early.
Today I tried knocking it down with a landscape rake but just pushing the rye down, not actually raking it. Seems to work, but my guess it is will pop back up since I’m guessing it isn’t dead. Will see what happens.

 

[Dan Jr]

@Big CC - Any idea if that rye is in the 'dough stage', and what county are you in if you don't mind me asking?

I am trying to time a trip to Lake County to crimp my rye, hoping to catch it at the right time, but it looks like it will be June 26th. Hope I don't miss the window.

D

 

[Wild Thing]

Thanks for all of the info, WT. It is always greatly appreciated!!

Today I checked on my three small plots in the woods. Seeded heavily with rye last fall, and put down clover 4 weeks ago. Wow the rye was tall!! Obviously I’m not opposed to tilling, but I prefer not to. All 3 woods plots are across water with no bridge and not easy to access with equipment. I usually start spraying early spring and plant clover and rye in the fall. This year I decided to not spray so early. I have never seen the rye this tall since I always sprayed early.
Today I tried knocking it down with a landscape rake but just pushing the rye down, not actually raking it. Seems to work, but my guess it is will pop back up since I’m guessing it isn’t dead. Will see what happens.
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Great thatch there Big CC. It won't lay down as well now as it will in another month or so. If you don't plan to plant now I would leave it go so it can grow some more and give you more thatch for your fall planting.

I am planting (drilling) into this tomorrow...

but if I wasn't planting until next month I would leave it go until it looked like this...

then run it over with my cultipacker ... It doesn't work quite as well as a roller/crimper but it works well enough to keep it laid down.

Thatch is your friend...

 

[IceHog]

Built an equipment pad using asphalt millings at my property today, having a nice level area makes it much easier to hook up the 3pt implements. Also brush hogged a good portion of my trails and disked an area that I’m going to plant sunflowers in tomorrow afternoon. Sprayed all my fruit trees this past Friday, Saturday didn’t accomplish any property chores, had an open house to attend on the other side of the state.

 

[Wild Thing]

Built an equipment pad using asphalt millings at my property today, having a nice level area makes it much easier to hook up the 3pt implements. Also brush hogged a good portion of my trails and disked an area that I’m going to plant sunflowers in tomorrow afternoon. Sprayed all my fruit trees this past Friday, Saturday didn’t accomplish any property chores, had an open house to attend on the other side of the state.

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It is a good idea to have a level area for the 3 Pt implements - even better if you have asphalt millings to keep the weeds down.

I've got all my tillage equipment sitting on a flat spot...but it hasn't been used in over 6 years now.

I am getting some trees growing up through them now - LOL

 

[IceHog]

Might be a good time to sell a few items Frank, demand and prices have been super high, but I'm guessing that might be slowing down a bit from what I'm hearing. I bought a new equipment trailer on Friday, looked at 2 different dealers and both said sales have really slowed, unfortunately for me prices hadn't dropped at all.

 

[Wild Thing]

You're right Greg - I do need to sell some of that stuff that I am not using any more. Keep planning on it but just haven't gotten around to listing it yet. Soon I hope.

 

[Big CC]

@Big CC - Any idea if that rye is in the 'dough stage', and what county are you in if you don't mind me asking?
View attachment 837200

I am trying to time a trip to Lake County to crimp my rye, hoping to catch it at the right time, but it looks like it will be June 26th. Hope I don't miss the window.

D

My property is in Hillsdale county and is less than 5 miles from the OH border. I’m still learning how to determine the rye stages. Based on time of year I assumed that I missed the dough stage, but it was not completely dry/hard so I guess it is possible that I was on the back end of it.

I put down clover seed 4 weeks ago and the rye seemed somewhat sparse and was only about a foot tall. The clovers are definitely growing and I’m hoping they come up through the rye.

 

[Osceola]

...I’m still learning how to determine the rye stages. Based on time of year I assumed that I missed the dough stage, but it was not completely dry/hard so I guess it is possible that I was on the back end of it...

The easiest way to tell if rye is in anthesis (dough stage), in my opinion, is to look for the pollen tubes hanging on the seed heads. This is pretty fool proof.

 

[Osceola]

Here's some video I shot over the weekend that shows a rye field in the dough stage and ready to be terminated.

 

[Dan Jr]

Here's some video I shot over the weekend that shows a rye field in the dough stage and ready to be terminated.

Thanks Matt, great info and video.

I assume the footage was in Osceola county, which is approx. same latitude as me near Luther, but maybe slightly different micro climate(?). Right now my rye is not that tall yet, based on cameras, and last year it was maybe 1-2 weeks later to reach that height. My hope is that even if I am 7-10 days past the peak dough stage, most of the seeds won't be fully viable. While I don't mind some volunteer rye, but don't want it to smother the other 12 species in the mix.

BTW - I did broadcast and cultipack a DIY Summer mix on May 29th (Buckwheat, Med Red, Balansa, WGF Sorgum, Vetch, Rape). These seemed close enough to what I see in other summer mixes, and all seeds were on hand and needed to be used anyways. At that time, the rye popped right back up... Will be interesting to see how the summer mix performed with broadcasting into a standing green field, and how they survive after I roll in late June.

Still need to consider if I plant my fall mix June 26th (except rye) before rolling to terminate or try to broadcast into the remaining green mix in mId July? Now is when a seed drill would be so nice to have .


D