Food plot and a little work today

[unclefish]

thanks again. i dont have hogs or cows to worry about so i am hoping my first attempt at spring plots is fairly productive and i have access to a water tank/pump if the rainfall is slow.

so do u think it is too late to worry about switchgrass for this year? should i just wait until next winter? i could probably get out and broadcast some then drag it within the next two weeks or as soon as i could find a few pounds of it. we are probably done with the freezing temps for this year but you never know i guess...i was really looking forward to getting the bedding areas started but will wait if its smart.

keep us updated.

You know now is a great time to frost seed switch grass especially if your place is in North Tx. I bet there will be several more mornings of freezes and frosts. You need a good firm seedbed clear of weeds...just broadcasting on the surface is the way to do it. The freezing and thawing action of those frosty mornings is what helps stratify the seed and it will work itself into the soil for good soil contact.

This place usually has it in stock and will sell by the pound of PLS (pure live seed) so you get more for your money. I used Alamo Switch Grass which is a Texas variety.

http://johnstonseedcompany.dotarrowsite.com/Store/Product/1117.aspx

[jshouse]

ok i will get on it tomorrow, thanks, i sent a pm as well

[Searcher]

Like others have said this thread is just great! I am planning do plant some small plots on my lease in some lanes that were doze by an O&G company doing seismic testing. those lanes took out some big mesquites and a lot of weeds. Leaving a nice lane of fairly clean soil. The lease is out west some towards Abilene so it will have to be drought tolerate stuff hat I plant.

Again, this is my new favorite thread. Thanks or sharing unclefish.

[unclefish]

Like others have said this thread is just great! I am planning do plant some small plots on my lease in some lanes that were doze by an O&G company doing seismic testing. those lanes took out some big mesquites and a lot of weeds. Leaving a nice lane of fairly clean soil. The lease is out west some towards Abilene so it will have to be drought tolerate stuff hat I plant.

Again, this is my new favorite thread. Thanks or sharing unclefish.

Cool...since mesquites are legumes they fix Nitrogen into the soil so you shouldn't need to add much N to your plots for a while!

[BufordT]

Nice!

[unclefish]

My next project arrived today....

25 bare root Chinkapin Oaks from the Texas Forest Service.



The tree trunks are anywhere from 2 to 3 foot long.


The bare roots overall are fair to average size....nothing like the pines I got from the NC forest which were outstanding.


I'm gonna try to plant them this weekend.

[BIG BONE]

Cool trees

[bwool]

Do you use any watersorb when planting those?

[unclefish]

Do you use any watersorb when planting those?

I haven't ever used it but have heard it it. I'll see if I can pick some up.

Edit: I can get the Miracle Gro Water Storing Crystals local. So I'll try it.

[unclefish]

I had today off so my son Kyle and I snuck off to the farm.

We planted 8 Chinkapin oaks and tree tubed them. I put some water storing crystals in the dirt with the Chinkapins because their root systems are really pathetic (from the Texas state nursery).

We also watered the the Virginia pines....which has turned out to be a pretty good failure. Something has eaten to tops and about 40% of them are completely pulled out of the ground. The rest are doing fair....we will see how they do this spring.

Food plot update - the radishes have bolted so it won't be long before the deer completely abandon them.


Still got some good TC pics even though they are flowering.









I moved the TC's to the oats/clover combo because they are still destroying it.

[SMOOTHboar]

Great thread! We are just getting started with our very first food plots. We have disked several areas that we want to plant in. The soil is pretty sandy.

[unclefish]

I had to mow the radishes down.....they were getting tall and flowering.



Doing work....


Trail of radish destruction...


Close up of the carnage.....lots of good organic matter for the soil.


The radishes helped protect the clover and oats I planted with them. They will take off now!

[unclefish]

Wide view of the mowed radishes.


The trail cams caught this jackass on a tractor.


Does eating clover/oats combo...




Small buck...


Nice young buck....I've never seen him before on camera.

[unclefish]

He likes the clover.


This doe looks preggo to me....

[jshouse]

U gonna till the oats?