The only problem with pressing rye without a drill is that if the rye is really thick.....then it'll create a solid weed mat that suppresses everything. Drills cut little rows in the mat that allow the seedlings a place to come through. Just food for thought.

I may have to check out that field day from your e-mail, that looks pretty cool.

Good point! Yep, the field day looks like it would interesting. Looks like they will be having more. Sure wish I could make that one.

I pass by the EV Smith place all the time. They've got some test plots growing in what looks like pure sand right along the side of the road. It looks like they've planted about 5 or 6 different plant species beside one another and then repeated that in 15+ different squares. I can't tell what any of it might be though. It all looks to be growing well. Some of it looks like kale.

Hey CNC,

My rye is really starting to seed out. See the pictures below. I hope you can see what I am talking about. I guess it is the early spring. How much longer before I can throw and mow? Am considering after Easter. I assume I just follow my soil test for fertilizer?

Will be my first attempt at T&M for warm season crops. If it fails, no big deal as nothing would be there otherwise. Thanks.

I'd give it another month and let soil temps warm up. What are you planning on planting? Did you fertilize the field last fall?

http://dtninfo.alfafarmers.org/index.cfm?show=1&mapID=20

A mix of milo buckwheat peas. Not sure of the amts. but probably 40 lbs peas 15 buckwheat and 5 sorghum per acre. Yes I fertilized last fall. Twice. Once at planting and once in late December. Second was 34-0-0. First was 17-17-17

I’d hold off planting until soil temps reach 65 degrees or better.

As far as fertilizing…….If you fertilized according to a test last fall then your “P” is likely still ok, it holds well for a long period. Your “K” has likely dropped some but I doubt it’s bottomed back out. It’ll hold better and better as you improve the OM% in the soil. I’d probably just add a bag or two of 0-0-60 per acre at planting and then retest before fall to see how things look. As far as “N”…..that just depends on how much yield your trying to produce. You can add anywhere from a little to a lot depending on your budget.

Thanks. Won't be long. 5 day average in my area is 63 degrees.

Are you sure your talking about soil temps and not air temps??? I think this morning's reading showed high 40's for soil temps for most of Alabama .

Yea, soil temps are nowhere near air temps right now. Two completely different things. All plantings should be done by soil temps, not a date on a calendar or air temps, besides it's still frosting at my house 3-4 times a week.

It’s hard to contain our excitement in these situations…..I’m one of the world’s worst……But I think that often times its better to wait and not rush to get something in the ground. In the fall you could plant in early Sept……but its better to wait a little longer and plant more in line with the natural transition to fall crops which comes a month later. Same thing in the spring…..you could put something in the ground in early April if you wanted to…..but you’ll probably have better luck to wait another month and plant more in line with the natural transition to summer crops.....especially with things like buckwheat, milo, sunn hemp, etc....

Is this site not correct? http://www.greencastonline.com/tools/soil-temperature

Says 24 hour average is 58 and five day average is 61, but I'm in southwest Alabama.

You sure that doesn't say 5 year average?

I don't think that map is showing the same temp readings that farmer use. Soil temps for the sake of planting crops are taken at 7:00 am every day I believe it is. That map you're linking to appears to be using an around the clock average or something. If you want to get a true reading then buy a meat thermometer for a few dollars and check your field one morning. Measure the temp at 4 inches deep.

I was just letting the dogs play the other morning when I heard one gobble way off across the swamp. I ran to the house and grabbed my stuff and got setup but only ended up hearing him one more time. It sounded like he was even farther off the second time. I went ahead and set up my tent style ground blind toward the back of the T&M test field in case it happened again I'd be ready. I was gonna go out and listen for him yesterday but the wind was so bad that I didn't even bother.

Today’s weather was much better. I listened this morning at daylight but didn’t hear anything. About mid-morning I decided to ease out there and sit in the blind a little while to see if I could hear him again. I took my box call with me and after sitting down I made a series of basic yelps loud enough for them to carry across the swamp……but nothing responded. I waited a few minutes and let out another series of yelps……. but again nothing. So… I sat the box call down on the ground, kicked back in my chair, and just started listening to the birds. About 15-20 minutes passed when suddenly I heard him let loose WAY off…..probably 400-500 yards. “Gobbbbbble!!” … …. A couple minutes went by and he hammered again……”Gobbbbbble!!!” He was so far off though that I wasn’t really for sure if he was answering me or if I’d just happened to catch a couple stray gobbles like the other day. A few more minutes went by and I decided to call to him again. When I did he answered my right back this time……obviously closer than before…..”Awwww chit!!!”….I thought… …“He may be actually coming to me!....There's no way this is about to happen!”…..My heart started thumping then.


Sure enough, here he came on a rope. It took him about 15 minutes to cover 400-500 yards and come straight to me……The closer he got, the more he started gobbling. I didn't call to him but one more time. My field has a rise in the center of it…..He was on one side of the field over the rise and I was on the opposite side. I could hear him gobbling just off the field in a little bottome but couldn’t see anything due to the rise in the field. I knew that meant he couldn’t see either though so I gave it one more really soft yelp…..and…. “ Gobbbbbble!!!!”…he cut me off…..I sat the call back down and that’s when I saw his head pop up over the cereal rye coming at me. He was looking hard too....He’d look, then strut and gobble…..look, strut and gobble!!!.....By this time my heart is just about to pound out of my chest……but I held it together and eased the gun barrel out of the blind just as he walked in front of me at 20 yards……..”BOOOOOM!!!!”…..Flop…….The End.

Congrats and pretty feild

Thanks man!

Heck yeah man!! That T&M field has been dang productive for you man. Tough to argue with results like that!! Keep up the good work

Thanks!......This little piece of property has been good to me over the years.

Mmmmmm.....deep fried turkey nuggets.....Sure wish I would've shot him a little higher. It's like treasure hunting with your teeth.