Good plot prep debate

[wreckem04]

Need y’all to settle a debate!

So we’re about to start preparing our plots for the season. We have clover, turnips, and oats going in.

I say brush hog, then spray, then come back in a few weeks to disc since the grown coverage from the dead grass will be at its minimum and the disc will get good soil contact.

My hunting buddy says spray then come back and brush hog and disc.

What do y’all think? What’s worked best for you?

Please keep in mind our plots are currently cover broom weed and wild grass about 24in high.

Thanks in advance.


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[LiftAndShoot]

I have literally no idea. But, I'm in to see what people say..

[Walker]

Don't waste time and money spraying. Shred and disc unless you have a big tractor with a heavy disc harrow, then just disc twice

[Stuck]

Don't waste time and money spraying. Shred and disc unless you have a big tractor with a heavy disc harrow, then just disc twice

^^^^ Why waste time and money spraying? If you’re planting or coastal, by all means spray.

[canny]

In the past I have Mowed, wait a week or so then sprayed, disk it up 1-2x, then plant. This year I am trying something different. I mowed 2 weekends ago, this weekend I am going to take our skidsteer with the root grapple and use it as a rake to remove the thick thatch and also uproot alot of the bunch grass growing. The only reason I am doing this is because the ground has a decent concentration of Iron Ore in it and can be quite hard. That combined with the grass thatch can make it hard to get a good seed bed. After I "rake" it I'll come back with the boom sprayer and kill what remaining grasses I have left.

[Antlers86]

Mow it, spray it, wait 2 wks and disc.

[parkchief100]

Mow it, burn it, drag it and then disc it.

[northtxhunter]

Mow it, plow it, then plant it. Has always worked for me.

[Sticks&Strings]

Mow it, disc it, wait 2 weeks, spray it, wait 2 weeks, disc again and plant. You need to kill the new growth after the first disc which is essentially all the speed heads of the stuff you mowed.

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[roughneck266]

Mow it, plow it, then plant it. Has always worked for me.

This is what I am doing this year. Always burned it then plow/plant, but not this time.

[gingib]

Spraying and discing is double work. BOth do the same thing.

I disk it one time then spray every year after following EL GATO and his organic matter idea. It works

[gingib]

Mow it, disc it, wait 2 weeks, spray it, wait 2 weeks, disc again and plant. You need to kill the new growth after the first disc which is essentially all the speed heads of the stuff you mowed.

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Nothing will come up in 2 short weeks after disking, so why spray?

[Drycreek3189]

In the fall, mow, wait a couple weeks so that it grows a little, spray, wait ten days to two weeks, disc as lightly as you can to avoid bringing up more weed seed than you just have to, and plant. The reason for mowing is so that you get the herbicide where it belongs, on the weeds/grass. Some of the low growing stuff won’t get wet if the rest is really tall.

In the spring you can generally spray, then mow after ten days if you need to. It depends on how much growth is there as to whether I mow in the spring. Usually, I don’t have to because I’m planting into wheat that the deer have grazed down pretty low. If it gets too high and heads out I probably will mow it, but lately the hogs like it as much as the deer and I don’t have that problem.

[Drycreek3189]

Nothing will come up in 2 short weeks after disking, so why spray?

Roots rot after spraying. That allows me to disc less. Less discing, less weed/grass seed exposed. Plenty of stuff will still germinate and grow before it frosts here.

[camoclad]

In for valuable GS wisdom on this. IMO, what you are planting could be broadcast on top of the ground after mowing, then lightly disked. A lot of cool season grasses will grow easily and are very forgiving.

After years of planting plots and native grasses, I'm convinced there are many ways to do the same thing. Factors like weather, time and quality of equipment makes all the difference in the world. If I had my absolute ideal setup, I'd mow and spray at the some time (basal stem spray). Then wait a few weeks, maybe mow again and no till drill (im talking great plains, traux, land pride, RSC drills, etc...) those seed babies right into where they need to be. In your case, follow just about all the suggestions above and it will probably work. Good luck