This year's plan

[Fishbonker]

Here is my plan for my attractant/food plot for this year:

Sometime during the last week of June I want to plow under my current mess to take advantage of the green manure of the mainly brome, foxtail and weeds that have returned.

After plowing and disking I plant to broadcast glyphosate ready forage soybeans and then clutipack. I plan to spray the crap outta them to keep the weeds and grasses down so next spring I can frost seed NWSG and forbs into what is left of the beans to use their nitrogen to try and get a decent stand of NWSG going.

Here are my questions:

Do you think plowing will just compound my brome and weed problem next spring?

By planting in late June will the beans still be green by late fall to use as an attractant?

Will I be able to frost seed through the bean vines or will I have to do something more to them like mow? Could I maybe burn them off next spring and broadcast seed and cultipack it?

Would it work this summer to just to mow it, nuke it, nuke it again, then broadcast the beans and clutipack and spray the crap outta it?

Shouldn’t I know by late June if I have any of the NWSG I planted three years still growing?

How many pounds or what quantity of bean seed should I buy for just over an acre?

The good thing with this, if I screw up there is always next year.

Thanks for any advice.

The ‘Bonker

 

[nannyslayer]

If you choose to plow it under, here are my thoughts. You are working in weed seed, and at the sametime bring up weed seed that has been sitting dormate in the ground. If you nuke it a few times this spring, you will kill what weeds are going to germinate this growing season.

I'll try to answer all of your bean questions right here. If you want a vinny/forage type bean, the best thing is talk to your co-op about a bean that is bred for wide rows. This will allow the bean to get bushy and at the same time able to handle some browsing and produce a pod for winter food. I would go with a 3.1 to 3.3 maturity. This will allow you to take advantage of the full growing season, yet they will still be plenty green come fall. Then I would nuke it with round up right before canopy of the beans, and that will clean up the existing weeds, and keep weed pressure at a minimum after canopy.

 

[dbltree]

Do you think plowing will just compound my brome and weed problem next spring?

I agree with nannslayer, anytime you till the ground you are stirring up a "pot a weeds"..no way around it. Using roundup however will keep it killed so by next year it shouldn't be a problem...much...hardly...ok...a little.. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif


By planting in late June will the beans still be green by late fall to use as an attractant?

They are still going to turn when frost hits but following nanny's directions will get you to the first frost. Sometimes that isn't until mid November bu I think mid-October is average down our way...not exactly "late fall"


Will I be able to frost seed through the bean vines or will I have to do something more to them like mow? Could I maybe burn them off next spring and broadcast seed and cultipack it?

No problem frost seeding into the standing beans...no need to do anything to them.

How many pounds or what quantity of bean seed should I buy for just over an acre?

I planted 220,000 seeds per acre so you need to check the "seeds per pound" on the bag because if varies widely

Would it work this summer to just to mow it, nuke it, nuke it again, then broadcast the beans and clutipack and spray the crap outta it?
Yep

Shouldn’t I know by late June if I have any of the NWSG I planted three years still growing?

Maybe more like July but you should certainly know if you have any NWSG there by late June.

The good thing with this, if I screw up there is always next year.

That pretty much goes for all of us Bonks...we just keep trying till we get it right /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif

 

[nannyslayer]

Guess I should add that seed beans have been running a little larger in size this year, do to alot of rain last growing season, so your seed size will be around 2800-2900 seeds per lb. dbltree seeded his beans fairly heavy, but for food plots, it is just right. If you go with a real good bushy type of bean, you won't need to seed as thick, for plot use I would say around 190,000 seeds per acre.