The existing grass that was growing in the heavy clay area was ideal for planting like this�..My turnips are a lot thicker in this area than I meant for them to be though. It�s amazing how many turnips are in 1 lb. I only planted 5 lbs TOTAL across 5 ish acres and they�re everywhere. This heavy clay area probably got the best germination of anywhere I planted. The rye established so thick that I�m kind of wondering if the clover will make it. We�ll see. I�ve said this already back at planting time but it�s worth repeating again while folks start talking about fertilizer rates in other threads��As of right now my fall plantings have had 50 lbs of 34-0-0 applied. More efficient management practices result in more efficient use of nutrients. I have no need to add any P&K right now. Levels are good to go.



All right so let�s show some of the ugly too. Really think about what has happened in the next couple pics��.

Remember back a few months ago when I decided to do the simulated mob grazing experiment��Well, even though I had my disks barely cutting, some areas of my field weren�t quite as thick with vegetation as the rest of the field and the soil is just so soft that I cut in way more than I meant to. Fortunately, it was only a few small areas so it�s not a widespread issue. These micro-areas were basically tilled and the bare soil exposed. Here�s what those areas look like now.



This is the power of rain on bare soil. See that black stuff there��.That�s the end product of my organic matter that used to be a part of the soil. When heavy rain hits a bare soil surface, the force it carries with it creates a little explosion on the surface that actually separates the soil particles. You can see where it�s happened here. The OM has been separated from the sand and my soil is degrading�..leaving me with nothing but sand again on the surface��.harsh, harsh conditions. Look how the clover is establishing in the pile of separated OM��.I also see Mother Nature coming to the rescue as well to put a band-aid on my boo-boo�..Observe and ponder��