Throw n Mow 2018-19 has started out very successfully in Escambia county.
Did not do anything to the fields over the summer, no spry or cutting.
On October 20th we got a buggy with seed and fertilizer (wheat, oats, and rye). Pulled the buggy with the tractor over all the fields (about 8 acres in all). Put on the Bush Hog and cut everything. Went back with the ATV and spread the clover (crimson, arrowleaf, and a little ladino). Total work time about a day and half (had to watch some football).

Oct. 20th





Nov. 3rd


All fields are looking great.

Checked my fields again today and spread some more fertilizer ahead of this rain.

Still underwhelmed by my results and I hope this round of fert and rain really kicks them in the pants.

One field is a total failure but I think my seed must have been bad. Reseeded it today.

I need to remember to take some pics.

I’ve never had a total failure of food plots. Till or no till. Even with the infamous drought a few years ago where it didn’t rain a drop for 60-something days. It still looked greener than its surroundings.

The fields at the new lease that I was worried about being too thick are looking outstanding. There’s a few areas here and there where it actually was a little too thick……..but for the most part its all doing great. I’ve actually got a little better soil to work with there than what’s in my field here at home. We hit most of it with some nitrogen this evening. We added some at planting but you could clearly see stripes where we’d missed some. I’ll take some pics here in the next couple weeks when I get back down there.

Everybody always blames the seed.

My plots are coming on pretty good

I actually had pretty good luck with my first go a T and M. I'm trying to plant these red dirt landings I have in some marshall rye and clover and the one where I did t&m looks the best. The sage grass and other crap I cut down did well holding all the seed in place so it could germinate. These spots will likely never make great food plots, but at least I know I can plant them in something like rye grass and give a little extra food for the deer.

The seed is a couple years old and it was free. I think a combination of that and it being the first year I have tried to plant that plot is causing me most of my issues. Very little thatch to cover it up.

The other two fields are better and were planted last year so there is a much better thatch layer.

I may need to increase my seed rate to get what I am looking for.

Patience is gonna be key for a lot of folks with this method. It’s very unlikely that you’re gonna have an ideal situation on the first attempt for this method to thrive. You have to create those ideal conditions over the course of several rotations.

If you're gonna invest the time and $$ to plant for goodness sake don't risk failure using cheap or free old seed. Timing is everything with growing any crop. And starting over means being late usually

all of my fields are looking great, clover and brassicas are really starting to fill in after last weeks rain. here's a couple to look at that I forgot to post. these pics are from almost 2 weeks ago and they look wayyyyy better now than in these pictures. I had a bag of IC peas left over from summer planting so I just mixed them in with my fall seed as you can see in the bottom picture. They're all gone now. There has been a few weeds that my chemicals didn't completely kill but it's only in a couple of the fields. honestly, I don't see a difference from me spraying this year, to not spraying and just waiting for everything to die last year. basically the only thing that has come back are saw briars and bermuda grass. I did have one field that was all briars that I did T&M on, after spraying it, the ground underneath briars left alot of seed exposed after bushhogging and the birds and turkeys sure have worked on it. I over seeded it this weekend so maybe it will make a jump with all of the rain coming this week

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We T&M this 10-13. It is wheat, elbon rye, oats, arrowleaf clover.

The strip at the far end goes to a small lake and that area has turnips that are just breaking the ground. The only place we disked was the road (dark area at bottom of picture) due to loggers ruining the road. Had to disk it several times and cultipack to get it half way smooth. A skidder will do a lot of damage to a road but at least they stayed out of the food plots.

Sorry picture is sideways. It wasnt when I sent it to tinypic.

It's the second year on two plots and they are definitely doing better than the field I planted for the first time. I just used the older seed trying to build some thatch for next year.

Used WMS alabama blend on the other fields but I think my seed rate needs to be heavier. Time will tell I guess.

I may have to hit them a third time in December with some fertilizer.

Don't think I am doubting this process. Just venting a little and looking for some advice on where to go next.

I am really hoping time and moisture are the ingredients that have been lacking.

CNC or whoever,

I converted another field to T&M this year, hesitantly. I say that because one of mine last year didn't do so well. It mainly had dog fennel, ragweed, or whatever the weed in the picture is below, which is actually of me seeding and fertilizing before cutting. That stuff doesn't seem to create the greatest thatch because it seems to have more stems than leaves/cover.

What is your experience with T&M in fields with this type of cover? I assume that next year, maybe I need to plant a millet or something more grass-like in the summer?

Thanks.

That looks like dog fennel to me.....Wait until the dog fennel gets about waist high next spring/early summer and then mow it really short. That should allow some other grasses to come in. You may want to spray it as well. It wouldn't be a bad idea to throw in some millet too. You're needing more "grass" so that you'll have a better hay crop for thatch.

How is it going to do this year? Just not enough cover?

Hard to say for sure.....it looks pretty dang thick even though it is just dog fennel. If we get some timely rains and its stays moist...it may do well even without enough thatch.

When I start to see a lot of dog fennel in my fields I usually need to lime it again.

Yeah, I know the ph is not good. I've limed it two years in a row. It's getting better. Will prolly have to do it again.

This is an area that I keep mowed during the summer. At around this time last year I sowed it heavy in crimson clover. It did well and when spring came along I waited to mow it until after the clover had fully gone to seed. Now it’s coming back on its own without any additional inputs. All of that light green stuff you see if crimson clover emerging. This whole area is covered in a carpet of it.