Frost seeding

[Gino Bruno]

OK TC, Leo, or anyone else, what are the benefits here and what plants does it work well for? it is completely common to have hard frost well into the middle of april here...... sometimes longer. with plants like alfalfa, i have read that i shouldn't plant until the soil temps are roughly 46 degrees or better since that is right around where germination will start to take place. yet i have also read where alfalfa seed will start to rot and/or not function if exposed to direct sunlight for too long. since clover is also a legume, wouldn't this also be true of it? or is what i have read in the past not completely accurate?

i really want to get a jump on it this season. i planted 9 acres of alfalfa last spring but got it started later than i wanted due to not finding a tractor as early as i had hoped. this past summer, i sprayed (twice), then plowed, disc'd and lymed about 12 more acres to prep for this coming spring planting...... then i sprayed it one last time at the end of september just to nail any of the weeds and grass that were trying to pop up. i have a few sections that hold plenty of water for clover but am thinking about chickory and small burnett to add to the buffet...... plus, i want to keep some areas out of alfalfa so that when the time comes to rotate the main alfalfa stand out for a year, that i am not completely without it.

[topcamp]

i can't give you a lot of help with the alfalfa...........other than it seems to hold up a little better once cold weather sets in then your clovers.........that being said.........back on the shore ........our best food plots are white clovers......period............with winter wheat running a second come cold weather and turnips coming on strong after a hard freeze...........pretty simple........we experiment but always pretty much end up coming back to the above..............on clovers............i frost broadcast in march with no burndown..........then come in and bushhog close to lay cover over the seed........i will use sley [ generic] and a grass getter when necessary throughout the summer........however......usually cutting the clover mid july/august [ though not to late in august] takes care of most broadweed problems and you can get by just using a grass getter to fall..........this usually works on a plot for about three years before i just nuke it all in the fall and start over the next spring.................

i've had great luck broadcasting small grains in early september, bush hogging to cover ..........though if you have the drill equipment .......drilling it in saves turkey stress...............once you get your deer hooked on turnups over winter........[ takes a couple of years ].............you won't believe how they will hit a turnup patch come the first hard freezups...............and as the winter progressses .......they will start to dig up the turnups .......eating them like apples................turnups you want to broadcast in late august/early september .......just mix the seed with a fine sand in your broadcaster......or mix it in what ever grain your putting in........or just put a hole in a bag and set it on the tractor fender...............

hard freezes will knock back clovers and alfalfa...........hence the need for winter small grains.......and turnups.........of course full disclosure................

timed feeders with corn will out produce all of the above in daylight hours except for trophy bucks...........haaaaa............

yet there's nothing like busting a great animal in a small nook over one of your clover patches...........i would say if you have drill equipment you could try a late full season soybean........though from the numbers of animals i see that you have hitting your farm............i don't think you have enough accerage to get a crop of beans up to maturity..............sooooooooo......your going to be much better off with grazing food plots that can withstand the preasure............and again that comes down to clovers.......alfafa [ you probably will have to hay it in order to not let it get to stemy]........and your winter small grains................

[Gino Bruno]

so what turnips are you using? what seed depth do i run?

have you tried any small burnett? the small patch i planted is flat out deer crack after the frost hammers the alfalfa. this year, we have about 350-400 acres around the house that was planted in winter wheat. when the snow was really deep, the deer were digging in the burnette and ate it down until they were forced back onto the wheat.

you are right about the deer numbers. last wednesday we had 113 deer in the pasture after i went out to feed. there were more yet out in the wheat and up in the grass that didn't want to bother with the competition. i am definately going to have to get a solid handle on the does..... there are just WAY too many of them and too many deer in general.

if i think about it, i'll snap a pic tonight when i go out to feed. it is getting retarded around the "whop" ranch.

[topcamp]

i just by buy the lb......what ever seed the coop is selling for turnups..........a little bit goes a long way but you need to thin the seed with sand to get an even spread..............i just broadcast them on and away they go.........