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Post by badbrad on Mar 14, 2017 12:02:56 GMT -6
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Post by wiscwhip on Mar 14, 2017 12:11:22 GMT -6
Rye would grow in that area, the caveat being the thatch looks very thick and the rye would germinate on top, but if it didn't get roots to the soil very quickly, it would likely die off. If you could get the rye down into that thatch layer you would be golden. That's a helluva lot of hand raking with a stiff tined rake though.
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Post by badbrad on Mar 14, 2017 12:13:24 GMT -6
Rye would grow in that area, the caveat being the thatch looks very thick and the rye would germinate on top, but if it didn't get roots to the soil very quickly, it would likely die off. If you could get the rye down into that thatch layer you would be golden. That's a helluva lot of hand raking with a stiff tined rake though.
No raking for this guy for this project. Either its gonna work with gly and broadcasting or to hell with it. LOL
It would be a nice touch but I'm not going to kill myself to get something to grow here.
The thatch is pretty thick like you say.
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Post by Catscratch on Mar 14, 2017 12:19:48 GMT -6
Where I'm at winter wheat will grow in the floor of your truck. I think it would work for you and the deer like it a lot. Personally I like to mix stuff in like clover and hairy vetch. If they don't make it then no biggie.
I throw n mow a lot. I like to let the vegetation grow most of the summer before nuking it. It needs to be tall enough to provide a thatch covering when it falls over. I also have less weed problems when I wait to nuke it until right before planting.
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Post by badbrad on Mar 14, 2017 12:32:54 GMT -6
Where I'm at winter wheat will grow in the floor of your truck. I think it would work for you and the deer like it a lot. Personally I like to mix stuff in like clover and hairy vetch. If they don't make it then no biggie. I throw n mow a lot. I like to let the vegetation grow most of the summer before nuking it. It needs to be tall enough to provide a thatch covering when it falls over. I also have less weed problems when I wait to nuke it until right before planting.
So if I am understanding you correct you think it would be better to let it green up and grow and then nuke it this summer? I was thinking it would be better to never let it green up so the thatch starts to break down a bit this summer.
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Post by Catscratch on Mar 14, 2017 13:11:10 GMT -6
Where I'm at winter wheat will grow in the floor of your truck. I think it would work for you and the deer like it a lot. Personally I like to mix stuff in like clover and hairy vetch. If they don't make it then no biggie. I throw n mow a lot. I like to let the vegetation grow most of the summer before nuking it. It needs to be tall enough to provide a thatch covering when it falls over. I also have less weed problems when I wait to nuke it until right before planting.
So if I am understanding you correct you think it would be better to let it green up and grow and then nuke it this summer? I was thinking it would be better to never let it green up so the thatch starts to break down a bit this summer.
Seed falls through standing vegetation easier than fallen over vegetation to reach the soil. Thatch creates a greenhouse under it. It conserves moisture, humidity, and warmth at ground level. Great for seed germination. Seed needs to be under thatch for the greenhouse effect and soil contact. If you nuke it all summer you won't have enough standing vegetation to fall over onto your seed and you loose the protection from dry/hot weather in the fall when you broadcast. Plus, you won't get crops of weeds sprouting up during the summer after you take away the competing grasses. I'll try to find some pics to help explain how and why I do it this way...
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Post by Catscratch on Mar 14, 2017 13:30:48 GMT -6
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Post by Tooln on Mar 14, 2017 13:49:59 GMT -6
How large of an area is this. Any possibility of burning the thatch off then WR & clover right before rain.
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Post by badbrad on Mar 14, 2017 14:15:05 GMT -6
So if I am understanding you correct you think it would be better to let it green up and grow and then nuke it this summer? I was thinking it would be better to never let it green up so the thatch starts to break down a bit this summer.
Seed falls through standing vegetation easier than fallen over vegetation to reach the soil. Thatch creates a greenhouse under it. It conserves moisture, humidity, and warmth at ground level. Great for seed germination. Seed needs to be under thatch for the greenhouse effect and soil contact. If you nuke it all summer you won't have enough standing vegetation to fall over onto your seed and you loose the protection from dry/hot weather in the fall when you broadcast. Plus, you won't get crops of weeds sprouting up during the summer after you take away the competing grasses. I'll try to find some pics to help explain how and why I do it this way...
I know this is hard for most to understand but I never want to conserve moisture. My ground never dries out. Getting rid of moisture is the key. Even in summer.
Now having said that I agree with the standing vegetation part.
And I agree with the weeds.
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Post by badbrad on Mar 14, 2017 14:16:13 GMT -6
How large of an area is this. Any possibility of burning the thatch off then WR & clover right before rain.
I'm sending you a PM about this.
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Post by sd51555 on Mar 14, 2017 16:45:25 GMT -6
I'd wait until mid july and then spray it with a hard dose of gly. Then two weeks later I'd broadcast a brassica-only blend along with some nitrogen. I say brassica only because that'll help clean up most of that thatch by spring and you'll have more options. If you want to do something now or this spring, hump in a brush clipper and a bag of lime and get it down. I did that very thing last year. Here's two weeks after I sprayed Powermax. I thought it was a complete failed application. Spread my shit anyway. Came back five weeks after spraying, three weeks after seeding:
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Post by nhmountains on Mar 14, 2017 18:56:03 GMT -6
SD,
Would buckwheat in the spring after spraying help? Then move on to clover and a cover crop?
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Post by sd51555 on Mar 14, 2017 19:35:31 GMT -6
That would go too I'd think. That's about what I did in the todd plot last year. I cheated and used the skidsteer to level it out a little. But that plot was barley (in case it got dry), buckwheat, and cowpeas. I let that go to about July 4th. Went out there at that point and broadcast rye and ammonium sulfate and then mowed it down while green but at boot stage+. That ended up being a fantastic plot. It was the only food left in november, and it was only a tenth of an acre.
This year, it's going to get a similar treatment. The rye is going to go all the way to about mid july, then broadcast brassica blend and ammonium sulfate and mow it all down and walk away. This time hopefully with an epic mat and root system to start the process of loosening up that soil. It was an old logging path. Those pictures also burned in the QHMG fire.
Only real weed issues I had from that was some thistle, but that was cleaned up fairly well at summer mowing, and then about ten minutes with the shovel.
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Post by Catscratch on Mar 14, 2017 20:35:19 GMT -6
Seed falls through standing vegetation easier than fallen over vegetation to reach the soil. Thatch creates a greenhouse under it. It conserves moisture, humidity, and warmth at ground level. Great for seed germination. Seed needs to be under thatch for the greenhouse effect and soil contact. If you nuke it all summer you won't have enough standing vegetation to fall over onto your seed and you loose the protection from dry/hot weather in the fall when you broadcast. Plus, you won't get crops of weeds sprouting up during the summer after you take away the competing grasses. I'll try to find some pics to help explain how and why I do it this way...
I know this is hard for most to understand but I never want to conserve moisture. My ground never dries out. Getting rid of moisture is the key. Even in summer.
Now having said that I agree with the standing vegetation part.
And I agree with the weeds.
I get it. Completely different situation (moisture is almost always needed here) and different methods needed. I bet some form of thrown n mow would work for ya. I built a method from watching and listening to what my ground needed (I sound like a hippie). Sounds like you are doing the same.
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ace
Full Member
Posts: 153
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Post by ace on Mar 14, 2017 20:53:20 GMT -6
Something else I'd like to try on my inside corner was to try and nuke and throw down some seed and pray. I can't get to this location with any equipment at the moment. What would work best based on the pictures? rape, radish and winter rye? Clover might tough to get started? Do I have a chance if I keep it nuked all summer ? Where is that? South of the drive toward bird man? Also....lazy ass....get a rake. Or another vote for Burn.
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