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Egyptian Wheat

Lots of other options for the duck blind, depends how long you wanna wait, how wet it really is, etc. Like Kanlow switchgrass & CIR switch can tolerate some moist areas. not as tall as EW obviously. Not sure if Miscantheus would tolerate wet?
If it were me, I'd look into some bottom ground shrubs. even incorporate some different types of willows among some thicker low-land shrubs. Take the "shotgun approach" and try several different things and also things that have different maturity timeframes involved. If it's just duck blinds, not a ton of area I bet and be easy to do some cool things for cover.
 
July 20th, 2013

Egyptian Wheat does not like wet feet and this spring was a reminder of that! The following pics are from one farm and results varied widely from complete failure to pretty doggone good depending on the soils...all no-till planted the same day, 100#'s urea broadcast before rain and 3 qts atrazine applied after planting.

Heavy, waterlogged soil...zero EW



Higher well drained soil...decent stand!



Other strips fell somewhere inbetween



Though not a full stand, these strips will still provide screening this fall



and some areas are still filling in



We only recently plant the bulk of the EW screens and of course, now it is to dry but...it's still germinating and hopefully a little rain will get it up and growing



EW is a dry weather crop and once germinated will do surprisingly well on very little rain and only needs a few month's growing time to create an outstanding screen along roads and plots :way:
 
How much growth can I expect for a planting of EW this weekend (assuming adequate moisture in the next few months)? It will be planted on a prepared seedbed and fertilized accordingly (heavy on urea).
 
MO-APE said:
How much growth can I expect for a planting of EW this weekend (assuming adequate moisture in the next few months)? It will be planted on a prepared seedbed and fertilized accordingly (heavy on urea).
Click to expand...

If you have 75 or more growing days before killing frost, pretty decent growth is possible
 
Planted a couple of EW screens this past year. I think I was a little heavy on the wheat and milo but hopefully it will not break down until later in the year. They turned out pretty nice. My boy is standing in the clover and you can see my cereal grains to the left.


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Do the variety vary depending on where you buy it?

Reason is I did several screens around the farm and went heavy on the Urea they grew great just very spindly and now all are laying down.
So not doing much good.
 
iowathumper said:
Do the variety vary depending on where you buy it?

Reason is I did several screens around the farm and went heavy on the Urea they grew great just very spindly and now all are laying down.
So not doing much good.
Click to expand...

I have heard of others too that have EW laying down this year. It sounds like you had plenty of N, but how did you plant it?

When I have sowed via bag seeder I have never failed to plant it too thick. This year I had Paul's son plant via grain drill and it came up well and is standing nicely at this time. We had very little rain on it this summer too, so I am quite happy with it all things considered.

I know I plan on only having it drilled in the future, primarily to control planting rates.

Oh, one other thought...if it is laying down then yes, as a deer screen you aren't going to accomplish your goals. BUT, I am pretty sure it will still be attractive to birds this fall/winter, so maybe not a total loss. I had pheasants staying in my EW strips all last winter. This year I gave them more strips AND a 1/2 acre "block" of EW to boot.
 
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I used a old B drill with 7" spacing and was 6 Ft wide screen. I felt the seed spacing was good and was excited about having a nice screen this year when it started to sprout this spring.

They grew close to 9 ft tall and had great seed heads then the wind came and knocked it all down.
 
October 20th, 2013

Wide open crop fields are a magnet for whitetails...



and poachers, often kids bent on malicious mischief, shooting deer and leaving them lay. What they can't see however...they can't shoot and Egyptian wheat is one solution to this problem



EW also serves to screen plots, encouraging deer to come out in daylight hours and giving hunters a screened approach/exit



We often use EW in between tree rows to serve as a screen and to keep deer from walking the rows thrashing trees and foraging on shrubs. The adjacent tree line sucked the moisture out of soil during the drought but otherwise EW is very drought tolerant, all of the EW shown was planted in early July.



Permanent conifer screens are best but of course take years to grow...get them planted and then use EW in the ensuing years until spruce or cedar screens fill in... ;)
 
Paul - this may be a silly question but could you plant clover in with the EW? I realize that the inner may die out due to lack of sunlight but I would think the clover would do well along the outer edges. Or do you really not want the deer to mess with the EW at all?
 
Paul

I planted the fridged forage plot screen this year and my seeding rate was way too high. Can you post some pics of egyptian wheat planted at the proper seeding rate so I can see what that plot screen would look like right now. I think the plot screen mix I put in would be great but it was very spendy and would like an alternative with a lower price tag. Thanks!!!
 
8pt.or.better said:
Paul - this may be a silly question but could you plant clover in with the EW? I realize that the inner may die out due to lack of sunlight but I would think the clover would do well along the outer edges. Or do you really not want the deer to mess with the EW at all?
Click to expand...

We use herbicide that would prevent clover growth, generally EW is planted as a screen so we don't really want deer in/around it.

Plant 6 lbs per acre



Easy to overseed when broadcasting, we use a drill which places seed accurately



We broadcasted with a bag seeder for years before buying a drill however, just be careful not open gate to far...;)
 
when can a person pick the seeds off and use them as next years seed? Also, in the spring do you just plow this up or do you mow it off? and do you have a problem with it coming up again next year in the same spot? Do you spray it?
 
jmm46 said:
when can a person pick the seeds off and use them as next years seed? Also, in the spring do you just plow this up or do you mow it off? and do you have a problem with it coming up again next year in the same spot? Do you spray it?
Click to expand...

Usually birds/deer consume the seed by now but you could check. Till under stubble next spring, never had it come back on it's own so no need to spray.
 
You can plant this is a 2 row John Deer corn planter correct, I know some farmers I think use a corn planter or do you have to use a grain drill. Just wondering thinking of picking up a 2 row planter for my tractor do a little farming :) never used one before I guess use the corn plate , throttle up and start planting ?
 
Jbohn said:
You can plant this is a 2 row John Deer corn planter correct, I know some farmers I think use a corn planter or do you have to use a grain drill. Just wondering thinking of picking up a 2 row planter for my tractor do a little farming :) never used one before I guess use the corn plate , throttle up and start planting ?
Click to expand...

EW seed is very small like millet, broadcast or drill works best ;)
 
Can EW be planted in the same location year after year?

If I rotate it, it will take 8' out of my plot. My outside edge will not be usable until
next year if that makes sense.
 
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