smithhunter1975
Active Member
It has been quite a few years since I planted corn food plots but did this year. Should I mow it or knock it down? Going to wait and do it until Late November/December so that it is fresh going into late season.
Corn Plot - Mow or Knock Down?
- Thread starter smithhunter1975
- Start date
-
- Tags
- None
Mow so its plantable next year.
smithhunter1975
Active Member
That is kinda what I was thinking, afraid if it knocked it over would be a mess next spring after being matted down by snow this winter.
ridgeview72
New Member
I'd prefer to knock it over leaving stubble about knee/thigh high...doing so would keep a percentage of the ears off the ground easier for the deer to find, especially if you normally get any measurable snowfall during your late season hunts....you'd still be able to mow it next spring....Corn Stalks would still mostly be in one piece so when blade of brush mower catches part of the stalk it would pull the rest of it into the mower to be pulverized next spring at the correct PTO & ground speed.
If you do mow this fall would suggest a PTO speed just fast enough to chop up the stalks, yet slow enough to prevent a high volume of corn from shelling out.
Could also experiment and do a little of "Both" to see what you and/or the deer prefer.
If you don't have implements that can help incorporate the corn stalks into the soil like a chisel plow or roto tiller, or are unable to plant using a no till drill I could see the benefits of mowing this fall vs knocking it over. For example if all you have is a disc, it would just fluff up freshly chopped corn stalks in the spring vs chopped stalks in the fall would be more apt to get worked into the soil in the spring by that same disc.
If your a farmer with your own combine you could open up the stripper plates on your corn head so ears of corn get chopped up with the stalks instead of being run thru the combine.
With southern rust that has spread across the state of Iowa this year you may find by late November/December many of the stalks have already been knocked to the ground by wind due to the very brittle/rotting stalks....here in NE Iowa their are certain hybrids that already are completely dead that farmers have began combining as to prevent potential field loss due to down corn as a direct result of southern rust killing the corn prematurely.
If you do mow this fall would suggest a PTO speed just fast enough to chop up the stalks, yet slow enough to prevent a high volume of corn from shelling out.
Could also experiment and do a little of "Both" to see what you and/or the deer prefer.
If you don't have implements that can help incorporate the corn stalks into the soil like a chisel plow or roto tiller, or are unable to plant using a no till drill I could see the benefits of mowing this fall vs knocking it over. For example if all you have is a disc, it would just fluff up freshly chopped corn stalks in the spring vs chopped stalks in the fall would be more apt to get worked into the soil in the spring by that same disc.
If your a farmer with your own combine you could open up the stripper plates on your corn head so ears of corn get chopped up with the stalks instead of being run thru the combine.
With southern rust that has spread across the state of Iowa this year you may find by late November/December many of the stalks have already been knocked to the ground by wind due to the very brittle/rotting stalks....here in NE Iowa their are certain hybrids that already are completely dead that farmers have began combining as to prevent potential field loss due to down corn as a direct result of southern rust killing the corn prematurely.