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2024 Spring/Summer Plots

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    2024 Spring/Summer Plots

    Its that time of year again, what are y'all planting?

    Given the bust that my dove plots were last year (they actually grew well until the cows destroyed them), I wasn't going to plant anything for doves. I had a late change of heart and planted a couple of acres of native sunflowers a few weeks ago. I was definitely late on this one but I have had good rain since planting so we will see. We have also had a few nights of temperatures in the 30's since planting so I'm optimistic some will germinate. It was really muddy when we planted them so we didn't cover the seed very well which hopefully allowed them to get colder than they would insulated in the soil. My hope is they will sprout and grow quickly to be not appetizing to the cows when they get hungry. Currently we still have good fall plots to keep the cows busy. In the fall I plan to plant natives when I plant my fall plots and see if it works better.

    A few weeks ago I also replanted and planted ~10 acres of Texas Wildlife Perennial mix from Turner seeds. I know it is a slow go with this effort but my goal is to change some of the vegetation geared towards cattle to vegetation geared towards wildlife. In the future I will plant about 5 acres per year and hope what I already planted spreads. Currently I'm sitting at 11 acres planted of the perennials over the past 2 years.

    In 2 weeks I plan to plant our spring deer plots. I got a head start planting 1 acre last weekend ahead of a little rain. I'll plant over 9 more acres on April 13 assuming the weather cooperates. This year I'm planting 5 acres of Turner Seeds Spring Deer Plot mix which is mostly cowpeas and some other clovers and 6 acres of a bag from the local feed store which is mostly soy beans and peas. The local bag is more of a generic wildlife mix so it does have some milo and sunflowers for the dove and turkey.

    Here's to no rain when I need to plant, rain after I plant and good ole sunshine to make them grow.....

    #2
    My new John Deere 5100E tractor showed up a couple days ago, have a 10 foot mower, 7 foot conservation seeder, front end loader, and a 225 gallon three point Boomless sprayer to go along with it, plan on mowing and spraying about 30 - 40 acres total, hope to get started next week with at least the mowing, going to plant a mixture of dove prose millet, white prose millet, brown top millet, peredovik sunflowers, and some cow peas. I think in Childress County they recommend waiting until after April 15 to plant. 20 acres of that is mainly for a dove field, hope it comes up, the deer can use it as well.

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      #3
      I think I am going to plant about 2 acres in 50/50 cow peas and soybean with 0.5 acre of egyptian wheat screen down my fence lines
      Last edited by EastTexasMan; 03-29-2024, 01:54 PM.

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        #4
        We are still in drought status here, so I ain't planting anything till we get rain and the caterpillars go away. I have the seed bought and fields sprayed but am holding back.

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          #5
          I prob wont plant in OK until early May but going to be same mix I used last yr of truner spring plot mix with additional milo, sun hemp and buckwheat added in. Then Hybrid sudan for screen cover. It all came up great last yr.
          At my new TX place I have to do alot of brush clearing to be able to plant much for spring. So probably spend most of my spring getting the new hay fields cleaned up and sprayed.

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            #6
            Sprayed and planted 3 acres back on March 12. Rolled the dice going that early, but seems to have caught the rains at the right time and temps cooperated. Tried an acre of the new Hancock no-till spring mix, and then planted 2 acres of their quail mix (milo and millet with aeyschenome vetch and alyce clover) along with their bee mix and some korean lespedeza.

            Will see what comes up, some green poking up through the dead cereals, but not sure what yet.

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              #7
              Originally posted by txbowman12 View Post
              Sprayed and planted 3 acres back on March 12. Rolled the dice going that early, but seems to have caught the rains at the right time and temps cooperated. Tried an acre of the new Hancock no-till spring mix, and then planted 2 acres of their quail mix (milo and millet with aeyschenome vetch and alyce clover) along with their bee mix and some korean lespedeza.

              Will see what comes up, some green poking up through the dead cereals, but not sure what yet.
              Wereabouts ? I am anxious to get started at our new ranch but have been told to not plant before April 15, plus I need to spray and was told the pasture grasses will not green up until late April or early May, we are in Childress.

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                #8
                Originally posted by mjhaverkamp View Post

                Wereabouts ? I am anxious to get started at our new ranch but have been told to not plant before April 15, plus I need to spray and was told the pasture grasses will not green up until late April or early May, we are in Childress.
                About 400 miles south of you in fayette county. Pastures were in full bloom and soil temps had been north of 55 degrees for a couple of weeks. Seems like spring rains concentrate in last two weeks of March and first two weeks of April for us. So I wanted to be in the ground before then.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by mjhaverkamp View Post

                  Wereabouts ? I am anxious to get started at our new ranch but have been told to not plant before April 15, plus I need to spray and was told the pasture grasses will not green up until late April or early May, we are in Childress.
                  If you are talking about deer plots, I would say you are pretty close with April 15 where you are. The perennial plots I planted have a plant date of Dec 1 to June 1 and sunflowers are 9/1 to 3/1 (I was late but will correct next year). The deer plots I'm looking at have a plant date of April 1 to June 1. Given how far north you are, relatively speaking, I would say mid to late April should work well for you.

                  As I mentioned, I got anxious as you are and planted an acre a couple of weeks early. I should be good tho as temps have been good and we have gotten a couple of rains since then.

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by cehorn View Post

                    If you are talking about deer plots, I would say you are pretty close with April 15 where you are. The perennial plots I planted have a plant date of Dec 1 to June 1 and sunflowers are 9/1 to 3/1 (I was late but will correct next year). The deer plots I'm looking at have a plant date of April 1 to June 1. Given how far north you are, relatively speaking, I would say mid to late April should work well for you.

                    As I mentioned, I got anxious as you are and planted an acre a couple of weeks early. I should be good tho as temps have been good and we have gotten a couple of rains since then.
                    I think I am fine with the sunflowers, planting peredonik ( black oil ) sunflowers.

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                      #11
                      My deer vetch field reseeded and it’s probably 1.5 inches tall, going to spray 4oz of Pursuit on it tomorrow to clean up some small grasses and broadleafs that are popping up. Also this weekend going to plant Alyce Clover and Eagle Seed Soybeans and Cowpeas around 3 acres total. Looks like good chances of rain in the forecast next week.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by mjhaverkamp View Post

                        I think I am fine with the sunflowers, planting peredonik ( black oil ) sunflowers.
                        About 10 years ago I had a bumper crop of Peredovik Sunflowers come up and it was really cool. When the flowers matured out, the hogs figured out what they were and devastated the field in a few days. I have never planted them again.

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Radar View Post

                          About 10 years ago I had a bumper crop of Peredovik Sunflowers come up and it was really cool. When the flowers matured out, the hogs figured out what they were and devastated the field in a few days. I have never planted them again.

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                          That is why I hate hogs, could care less if I never saw another one on our place. You think it was the peredovik sunflower that attracted them ? I am only planting a couple of pounds per acre with them because I will have some millets and peas in my mix as well, its basically a bird field, hope the swine stay away.

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                            #14
                            That year I decided to plant sunflowers heavy and mixed in Iron and Clay peas. My intentions was to shred the field in mid August for the doves and deer, the hogs had other plans. I had the same experience with sorghum, the hogs wiped out a half acre plot in a few days.

                            You will not have any problems with what little sunflower seed that is in your mix, the deer will eat the plant off before they get 12" tall.

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                              #15
                              Deer plots are iron and clay peas, black eye peas, lab lab and sorghum and millet.
                              Dove plots are Turner mix.

                              Rain is in the forecast so we will be on our horse to get it all in by Sunday night. Good news is I can seed and drag at night.

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