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What do I do now?

Monsterbuck

Active Member
Looking to plant my first fall plots. The field I have is currently planted in a mix of red and white clover and has been in clover for the last 2 years. I plan on planting a strip of Whitetail Institute Winter Greens (already have seed) and a strip of the Doubltree mix. I have a tractor with a disc, a cultipacker, a sprayer.

Walk me through the steps. Do I need to spray and kill the clover or just mow it short and disc it up? Do I spread fertilizer before or after discing?

Disc once or more than once? Cultipack once before seeding then again or just seed after discing and then cultipack?

Sorry for the beginner questions but want to do this right.
 
A couple of questions that will help shape the answers...

How do you intend to plant the seeds? Drill, broadcast, etc.

What are your plans to fertilize or not? (Following clover, like you are, will reduce, and perhaps eliminate, the amount of nitrogen(N) that you will need.)

How do you intend to spread the fertilizer that you will apply?

Also, are Wintergreens brassicas? What does the label say that you are getting for seed in that package?
 
At least you are wanting to do it right. That's a good start in itself. What all is in the dbltree mix? As far as the winter greens, I would start prepping mid July by mowing the strip as short as possible. Wait a week to 10 days and nuke it with glyphosphate (round up). Mowing first and waiting a week will make the clover more susceptible to the gly...stuff is hard to kill. It should be good and brown by the first week of August. Then disk or till (personally I prefer disking as I think tilling brings too many dormant weed seeds to the surface) the plot. If possible have a buddy spread fertilizer while you are disking. If you have a cultipacker run it over the plot before seeding. This will keep the tiny seeds from getting too deep. Then seed...be careful not to overseed or you will have lots of small yellow plants. Then cultipack or roll again. To really have an awesome looking plot....exactly 6 weeks after planting, fertilize it with urea (46-0-0)....It will explode. Good luck
 
A couple of questions that will help shape the answers...

How do you intend to plant the seeds? Drill, broadcast, etc.

What are your plans to fertilize or not? (Following clover, like you are, will reduce, and perhaps eliminate, the amount of nitrogen(N) that you will need.)

How do you intend to spread the fertilizer that you will apply?

Also, are Wintergreens brassicas? What does the label say that you are getting for seed in that package?

Wintergreens is a mix that has purple turnips, siberian kale, forage rape, dwarf Essex rape, forage turnips, and a couple other brassicas I can't remember at the moment.
 
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A couple of questions that will help shape the answers...

How do you intend to plant the seeds? Drill, broadcast, etc.

What are your plans to fertilize or not? (Following clover, like you are, will reduce, and perhaps eliminate, the amount of nitrogen(N) that you will need.)

How do you intend to spread the fertilizer that you will apply?

Also, are Wintergreens brassicas? What does the label say that you are getting for seed in that package?

I an to broadcast the seed with a bag seeder.

Fertilizer will probably use the drop spreader for the lawn. Might look into something for the atv.

Wintergreens is brassicas and I think it has turnips in it too. Sorry don't have the bags handy right now.

I know WI products are overpriced compared to seed from say welters but I got a couple of bags to try from a friend.
 
At least you are wanting to do it right. That's a good start in itself. What all is in the dbltree mix? As far as the winter greens, I would start prepping mid July by mowing the strip as short as possible. Wait a week to 10 days and nuke it with glyphosphate (round up). Mowing first and waiting a week will make the clover more susceptible to the gly...stuff is hard to kill. It should be good and brown by the first week of August. Then disk or till (personally I prefer disking as I think tilling brings too many dormant weed seeds to the surface) the plot. If possible have a buddy spread fertilizer while you are disking. If you have a cultipacker run it over the plot before seeding. This will keep the tiny seeds from getting too deep. Then seed...be careful not to overseed or you will have lots of small yellow plants. Then cultipack or roll again. To really have an awesome looking plot....exactly 6 weeks after planting, fertilize it with urea (46-0-0)....It will explode. Good luck

Ok, so mow, roundup, disc, fertilize, cultipack, seed, cultipack. Thanks for the info!
 
Don't know how big of an area you are talking or if you plan on this being a "permanent" spot for a few years. If you plan on having it there a few years, I would def add some lime while you are spreading fertilizer....just a thought
 
Don't know how big of an area you are talking or if you plan on this being a "permanent" spot for a few years. If you plan on having it there a few years, I would def add some lime while you are spreading fertilizer....just a thought

He should test the soil first...if the ph is 6.5 or higher lime will be a waste of $$. The soil test will say if it is needed and how much. I tested a new spot the other day in a pasture field...ph is 6.9, so there's no reason to put any lime down
 
He probably should, but probably wont.........

Lime is never a waste of time, even in crop rotation you still need too. Just because the ph is good for the clover he has now, doesn't mean its going to be good for brassicas he is going to be planting
 
He probably should, but probably wont.........

Lime is never a waste of time, even in crop rotation you still need too. Just because the ph is good for the clover he has now, doesn't mean its going to be good for brassicas he is going to be planting

Which is exactly why a soil test should be done. If the soil is already neutral then lime is a waste of money as it will have zero effect on the soil.
 
With a ph of 6.4 you are ideal for growing clover and brassicas and no lime should be needed. Review your P&k levels and fertilize accordingly. Would retest again every 4 or 5 years.
 
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