My plots were finally dry enough for me to lime last Friday and it started raining again as soon as I finished last plot. Been trying to lime since May.

Mine all dead now

Not sure if I goin 2 rent tractor or throw and mow

Last 2 years been throw and scratch or mow

I’ve tried telling our club President this. He’s still hell bent on planting Labor Day. Good thing I don’t hunt plots!!

Still don’t understand planting so early.

I planted my brassica fields a week ago.

But I won’t plant the other annual plots until mid September probably.

It turns off hot and dry like September 2019 , they won't be hunting plots either.

You would if you were nearly to the TN line where I’m at

From north Bama near tenn line to south Bama, first of October has always worked great for us…don’t understand why ppl plant so early otherwise

Matt, how early do you think i could plant clover and get a stand? Considering the weather this year of course. If i was to go ahead and plant it in a couple weeks, would the seed lay there till time is right or would it sprout and wither? How does the seeds from last years clover know when to sprout?

I’ve got volunteer crimson from last year starting now. Moisture and soil temp starts it.

What soil temp triggers it? Im assuming it would be a little cooler than right now?

All I know is last 3 years runnin my rebound crimson from around sept 1 comes on and kicks ass. My drill stirs up more then it’s like a salad Buffett

Probly more about soil moisture than temp. But once temp drops a doodoo ton germs

We are supposed to be planting the weekend after Labor Day. It may be a little early, but ... I'm just a worker bee and not the Pres. I have seen it all over planting early or late, I have never kept a journal, so I couldn't tell you what is best. The journal would need to include dates, amount of moisture since March/April on each area of the hunting lease, soil temps, how good/bad the plot was broken up before planting, how much moisture fell after the plot was broken, how much seed/fertilizer/lime was put down, etc. Whew, I'm not wanting to get into all that for a spreadsheet this morning.

I agree with what Matt said about the moisture and temp……I think that there’s likely optimal conditions for the seeds to germ and that occurs a little later on when things start cooling off…..However, the range of conditions are probably shaped like a bell curve and you have either side of optimal that also sees some germination from a small portion of the seeds. So you get a few kicking off early and late summer but most likely germ in Sept/Oct…… My best guess anyways.

We will plant somewhere around the middle of October - just regular ole wheat, oats, and rye. I have planted as late as Black Friday and had good success.

If you get lucky and get adequate rainfall a Labor Day planted plot will have about a month of growth on it up here in North Alabama by opening day of bow season. That may be your best opportunity to take a good buck with a bow, at least where I hunt. Within a week to 10 days white oaks start dropping and they don't use plots as much until after dark. But a lot of years September and October are very dry. Usually cereal grain growth declines rapidly after a hard freeze up here whereas they may keep growing all season down south.

I planted clover last year and it came up pretty quick. Mid september planting. I had one plot that was a little slower, so I added some feed wheat to fill in.

I figure its because some folks want some green grass to look at when the season opens...sit in a nice shooter house with plenty of corn piled in the field....I figure thats the way a lot of folks hunt now days...

Im in west central Alabama and the last time I planted around Labor day, my seeds did great. Sprouted and grew 2-3 inches seemingly overnight. Then it got dry and it all died and I had to replant around the end of October. Worst plots I ever had and it was expensive to buy more seed and fertalizer.

I plant around middle of October and it seems to work out great for my location...