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Advice on what to plant...

Rous14

PMA Member
Have a small (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 acre) food plot. Great spot, have done well on it the last few years but here’s my problem. It’s typically extremely wet in the spring until early summer when it dries out. Stays dried out the rest of the year in to December ish. Usually from January till spring thaw it’s frozen solid, like an inch of ice from the moisture/rains/snow melt of the winter. So it sets up well for early fall annuals and I’ve done brassicas the last few years and need to rotate something else in, ideally something that improves the soil a bit so that I can go back to brassicas next year. Because of how wet and frozen it gets at times I’ve not been able to get clover to live 12 months. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thought maybe oats/wheat/rye mix but not sure. Do those need/use a lot of nitrogen like brassicas? Thanks
 
If you want to improve the soil, I'd plant buckwheat. You might pick a companion crop, although, I'm not sure what to suggest in that regard. Buckwheat grows fast, is good for your soil building. Google what to plant with buckwheat to get a good idea... Or plant it by itself
 
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Another one is clovers. Then convert to a dbltree cereal rye mix later.
if it’s wet- Alsike & white clovers will be best bet.
id leave a portion of that plot in clovers full time.
 
Another one is clovers. Then convert to a dbltree cereal rye mix later.
if it’s wet- Alsike & white clovers will be best bet.
id leave a portion of that plot in clovers full time.
Love clover. I’ve tried to get perennial clovers established in this plot but I think that Jan-April stretch where it’s either super wet or completely frozen ice rink nothing seems to be able to live through that. I’ve not experimented with an annual though, like crimson (I think that’s an annual??). What would be the most attractive with good amount of food/tonnage in November and December when I’m hunting it....some annual clovers, buckwheat or the cereal grains???
Side note: this is in w central IL and I don’t really need forage in this plot during summer but certainly doesn’t hurt anything if it does.
 
If you want to improve the soil, I'd plant buckwheat. You might pick a companion crop, although, I'm not sure what to suggest in that regard. Buckwheat grows fast, is good for your soil building. Google what to plant with buckwheat to get a good idea... Or plant it by itself
Have never planted buckwheat. Have read a little about it. Always seem to hear how it’s such a good soil builder...have to admit I don’t really know what that means? Is it similar to how soybeans/clovers add nitrogen to the soil and when get tilled in add organic matter or is it something else when they say that about buckwheat??
Based on what I’ve read, my hesitation with it is that it sounds like it’s not really something you’d hunt over in November/December (frost kills it or sets back I think?). That’s my main priority with whatever I put in (why I like brassicas in this plot so much but figure I better rotate something for a year)
 
What about running a few tile lines in here??? Trencher for skid steer...... could hire this out or rent one & not be out a lot of $. Pretty minimal. & have a well drained plot for many years to come. One idea.
 
What about running a few tile lines in here??? Trencher for skid steer...... could hire this out or rent one & not be out a lot of $. Pretty minimal. & have a well drained plot for many years to come. One idea.
Hadn’t thought about that Skip but interesting thought. Might have to investigate that.
Any knowledge/thoughts on some of the other buckwheat, annual clovers, cereals questions I had?
 
If you're wanting something that lasts into December, I'd plant buckwheat now, then terminate in October and come back over it with cereal rye or wheat. That's a simple menu, but effective.
You could also see if a sorghum, or Egyptian wheat might do what you're wanting. Can add some cowpeas to the mix.
 
Good stuff above.
if it’s wet…. Echo winter rye (cereal rye) …. Cereal rye will dry up your location some.

also - I’d add oats (Jerry or plot spike if I could choose), lots of winter peas, radish, clovers, etc. The “ Dbltree mix”. The brassica addition (radish here) may help with drainage to some small degree there.
 
If you're wanting something that lasts into December, I'd plant buckwheat now, then terminate in October and come back over it with cereal rye or wheat. That's a simple menu, but effective.
You could also see if a sorghum, or Egyptian wheat might do what you're wanting. Can add some cowpeas to the mix.
I suspect you meant to say "August", yes? I have many times planted buckwheat in the Spring and then broadcast brassicas into the still standing, but oftentimes fading, buckwheat in say mid-August and then mowed the standing buckwheat to cover the fresh brassica seeds and had great success with that...as long as there isn't too much grass/weeds also present. But normally a good stand of buckwheat will keep the grass/weed growth to a minimum and you will be fine. Add some treated urea to the broadcasted seed prior to mowing too and I think you will be happy, happy and will not have had to till.
 
You're probably right in that there's probably an earlier date that works better, I'll split the difference with you and say September. I'm usually waiting for a crop to get out, so I'm usually thinking October....i didn't mention brassicas, but August is when i target that.
 
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