Plowing is about the worst thing for soil you can do. It's had years to build its tilth and black soil exposed to sunlight is damaging...the weeds will explode ..its mother natures way of healing the wound..
I'm taking out my crp this year about 40 acres. That ground won't get tilled by me for sure...its been in native grass for 30 years..
My plan is to burn down with glysophate plant corn and fly on rye in late sept ..run cows all winter..
I baled off all the grass last Oct

Plowing is about the worst thing for soil you can do. It's had years to build its tilth and black soil exposed to sunlight is damaging...the weeds will explode ..its mother natures way of healing the wound..
I'm taking out my crp this year about 40 acres. That ground won't get tilled by me for sure...its been in native grass for 30 years..
My plan is to burn down with glysophate plant corn and fly on rye in late sept ..run cows all winter..
I baled off all the grass last Oct
Little blue stem is a tough kill with roundup. I had some in crp that hung around 3-4 years ..when we do our burn down its not actively growing yet. Clethodome in beans seems to finally get it..
Are you trying to raise just rye?

Good info Rainier. If some of the little bluestem survives I guess that is fine. First thing is to kill off the existing yuccas as they have gotten established over the years. Going to do a 2 acre test plot of Kanlow switchgrass to see if I can get it established. Will use glyphosate in early April and again in early May. May mow the old standing grass stand in March as well.

Will broadcast seed the Kanlow in mid May and the roll it using an atv and roller. Doing it this way, can use my existing equipment. So of the existing acres in the pasture, 2 will go switch to start. Have a 4 acre plot picked out for glyphosate treatment and then buckwheat cover crop going in. That gets killed off in July and then planting rye, oats, brassicas, perhaps some beans into that 4 acres and rolling the dead buckwheat down in August.

Will see how those two areas do this year and then perhaps modify my approach in 2021. Clethodome looks interesting. I'll research that some more too.

never could get oats to go here, unless planted by mid May....

Don, think it is pretty rain dependent for a fall planting. Could go well or may not do crap. If like last year's moisture, won't do anything. The rye should pop up and perhaps the brassicas. Gotta get soil tests done on both plots this Friday. That may squash my plans as well. Its a learning thing so going to jump in.

That clethodim or however you spell it may work well at knocking back the current grass crop. Have to work this stuff in around a few spring turkey hunts on the place.

I bought a 5 bottom plow for $500 - it was in very good condition. Sometimes the land needs to be plowed, especially if it had not been plowed in years. I plowed under 8 foot tall cotton wood trees.

Turning the soil over brings the old soil to the top and the plant rich soil down. The only reason it was abandoned with other methods was to save gasoline/diesel. THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE other than that, except saving moisture - if that is an issue.


I recommend looking on Craig's List and Facebook market place.

30338- I'd be surprised if you can't get the rye to grow. I've had it sprout in the bed of my truck after it got wet. When I've used buckwheat I didn't bother with burning it down or mowing. I let it set seed, broadcast the next crop into it then rolled it down. You'll gets LOTS of volunteer buckwheat, but it'll be gone after the first frost. That said, a burn down of it won't hurt, especially if it's a bit weedy. Might want to consider throwing some cheap annual clover in with the rye, brassica,and oats. All 3 really like nitrogen and the clover would give you some of that. Plus, it's generally cheap.

Lots of evidence out there that disagrees with your rationale or reasoning for why it was abandoned, especially in regards to wildlife plantings...

Pointer, Have a plan for 2 acres of switchgrass after talking with my seed distributor. I'll run with that plan and think it has good odds if we get rain.

Going with buckwheat and maybe sunflowers on the 4 acre food plot that is now entirely little bluestem and weeds. Will kill that off, plant buckwheat, roll it in, and hope it takes off. If it does and I guess even if it doesn't, will do what you said above and go with a mix of seeds in there come August. Its in a great spot for a stand or blind on my place and hoping to cash in come Sept.

Switchgrass is gaining in popularity here for places that need additional cover. Too many around here only think of trees when they think of deer cover. Some are putting in WSG like switchgrass and liking it once it's well established. Hope you seed dealer has told you to be patient. With species like switchgrass it can take up to 3 years to really see the success.

Curious what you see with the sunflowers. I planted some with a fall food plat a couple years ago. Got good establishment, but they didn't last long, deer ate them all!

That clethadum is cheap we use it on be and for grass when doing liberty beans. Also is murder on vol corn that has the liberty gene. Also use it on alfalfa...if it's grass family it will kill it

If you're still looking for a 2 bottom plow, there are a couple on Craigslist-Wichita.

G23

Thanks G23. Going to try doing it without this year for a couple of test plots. Have a few ideas to test on 4-6 acres. Thanks again.