Overgrown 1.5 Acre to Plant

[jxwilliamson]

Hi All -

I have about 1.5 acre field that I want to plant with Whitetail Institute pure attraction. The field was turned over about 4 years with a disc but since then it has been growing weeds. I'm looking for some advice and opinions on options for getting this planted. I have a soil sample (from Whitetail Institute) and know that I don't need lime but need to apply 160lbs of potash and 150lbs of urea.

Current State of the field: I used a sickle blade to mow down the 5ft tall weeds. The weeds have been just laying on the surface drying out and are now very brittle.

Equipment that I have: 5ft Box blade and 5ft rototiller

My plan (here's where I need some assistance): 1) I plan to spread the potash and then the urea (I've read mixed reviews about mixing and spreading together - most say don't do it, spread separately) with a standard hand spreader. 2) Then rototill the fertilizer under with the weeds, about 3 to 4 inches. 3) Broadcast the seed and then 4) lightly drag with an old piece of chain-link fence.

The soil is sandy and I believe that I've cleared all of the rocks (maybe a straggler or two out there still).

Given my tight timeline and equipment what is the best approach here?

Thank you,
Jason

 

[jeff9366]

Your PTO powered roto-tiller is optimum for soil preparation. One pass should be sufficient. Deer seed mixes contain strong germinators. You do not need a perfectly smooth seed bed. Do not roto-till the fertilizer too deep, 2" is deep enough. You want rain to carry nutrients to the root zone, not deeper. Clover has shallow roots.

If the Pure Attraction seed blend has small seed such as Clover, do not drag. Small seeds require light to germinate. If you cover small seeds with a drag, they will not germinate. Dragging is for medium and large seeds. If you want to drag for smoothness and for some tractor seat time, drag after tilling but before seeding.

Seed only when soil is moist or rain is forecast several days in succession.

After sowing seed, roll seeds in if possible. The optimum implement is a heavy Cultipacker, which flattens clods, rolls in seed and presses a pattern into the soil which directs moisture to the seeds and may aid in erosion prevention. Photo #2.

Used Cultipackers are $400-$600. A Cultipacker consists of heavy cast iron wheels on an axle, supported by a frame.

You can buy a cheap poly roller from TSC or another farm/tractor supply store which will last several years, if you empty water before hard freezes. I have used the poly roller in Photo #4 for six years. ((No hard freezes in my part of Florida.))

Or you can press in seed with tractor tires, which will take time over 1.5 acres.

Then, pray for rain, like agriculturalists for 7,000 years. If the soil drys out you will gradually lose some of the seed, which is vulnerable after germinating.


It may take you several years to conquer the residual weed seeds in recovered ground. You can use 2,4-D herbicide ("Kills broadleaf weeds, not grass") in a one gallon, poly tank hand-sprayer to control the largest weeds which sprout amidst your food plot seed. Buy 2,4-D concentrate in the ag chemicals section at TSC or whatever your local farm/tractor store is. Deer will browse many, not all, weeds at some stage of weed growth. The objective is to prevent undesirable vegetation from producing seed.


Disc Harrows and PTO powered roto-tillers are both soil mixing implements which accomplish soil mixing in different ways.

 

[jxwilliamson]

Wow! Thank you Jeff for the very detailed response/advice.

 

[jeff9366]

Serviceable $200 poly roller and optimum implement, the $1,400 Cultipacker.

LINKS: Search Results for ROLLER POLY at Tractor Supply Co.

Tractor 3 Point Hitch Cultipacker presses seeds into the worked ground and keeps the area from washing, also for breaking clods on plowed ground, making it easier to work and plant Cultipackers for tractors and ATV's at Everything Attachments.

 

[dnw64]

Serviceable $200 poly roller and optimum implement, the $1,400 Cultipacker.

LINKS: Search Results for ROLLER POLY at Tractor Supply Co.

Interesting. Wondering about getting it filled with Beet Juice instead Water. By my calculations it should weigh 707# (same as the HP in the original Hellcat...) instead of 550#.

 

[jeff9366]

Just be cautious that roller liquid does not freeze. Beet juice have a lower freezing temperature than water. Water expands when it freezes and can rupture a poly roller.

 

[dnw64]

Yes, beet juice is unlikely to freeze even in VT (normal lows -20° F).