Originally Posted By: CNC
Originally Posted By: ALFisher
One of my plots, which is about 2 acres, looks like 270wsm's above. The rye is taller, but the crimson clover looks just like his.

Last fall, I limed it and brought the ph up to 6.3 this year. Not quite neutral, but not bad either. I was actually thinking about doing some throw and mow this summer of peas or other good food. My only other option is just to lime and disc the lime in, and maybe plant some summer crop or soil building crop like buckwheat or sun hemp the old-fashioned way.

I'd really like to try the throw and mow method for the summer at least on this one plot. What do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? If a good idea, what to plant? and how?

Soil test also says I need 0-90-60 (lbs) for phosphorus and potassium per acre for iron clay peas. Loam and light clay soil.

Thanks.


If I were just starting the throw and mow method, I'd wait until fall and do my first planting with a cereal grain, clover, brassica mix. I'd spend this summer getting ready for that planting by mowing down those mature cereal grains and getting a mulch layer started on the soil surface. I'd then work on getting your nutrients right during the summer and allowing the plot to grow another crop of biomass from the natural vegetation which will be used to cover over your fall seed with another mulch layer.


That's kind of what I did last year. I planted cereal grains (mostly rye), CC, and rape in this plot. I spread one ton of lime per acre before doing so. That brought the ph up to 6.3 from 5.8. Given that, is your advice the same?

Also, when you say, "work on getting your nutrients right during the summer" what do you mean? More lime and disc it in then let natural vegetation grow?

Thanks for your help.