CNC this thread is why I tried it a couple years ago I had already stoped plowing my big bean fieilds and would just spread cereal grain over them when the leaves where gone as a cover crop. I could really see a big difference in these fields not to mention how nice it was not having to plow. My first attempt was a couple of small cover fields that had got old and needed to be replanted. I didn't even spray I just bushoged and spread the clover and put out 0-20-20 and caught rain. Those 3 cloverfields could be in a magazine and I was hooked. Fast forward to a couple years ago when I tested Elbon on several big fields mixed with wheat and clover agian I didn't even spray I just timed my bushoging right I guess and got the same result. Last year my discs went in to retirement for good and this year I'm doing the plots for a big hunting club and I'm doing T&M. That is how I feel about T&M I'm doing it on a money job with my reputation on the line with questions being ask if I'm crazy. I laid out a five year food plot plan that will save them money and make more food for longer periods of time and they trust me after taking for a ride on my place. I understand the don't fix it if it ain't broke attitude but that's not me I willing try new things and look for improvement I've been a first to do several things in my area and probably the state and I seem to keep striking gold. Bottom line is T&M is a big advantage to me I save time and money to spend on other aspects of management not to mention soil health and improvement. Thanks CNC for showing me the T&M light with this thread seriously.

I got a 30' Phoenix harrow basically given to me from one of my customers. That outta be the finest tool to incorporate seed without destroying cover on top to assure a good stand on small grains.

I'm throw and mowing turnips tomorrow. Going to try it early alone on about a 1 acre field sprayed 2 weeks ago.

Being in tn, I'm hoping doing it early will yield more bigger plants at frost.

I left off the spraying first last year and planted later.The cooler weather never allowed the weeds to really start back growing before the frost finished them off.

I recently had about 10 acres combined downed off of two different ridges (6 on 1 ridge 4 on the other). Soil is not great but that will take time. What is something good I can plant this spring, cheap but add some grass type stuff to the fields. They are gonna be bushhogged and discked this year to eliminate some saplings that the dozer didn't completely remove. I'll plant wheat, cereal rye, and red clover this fall. Depending on rain as to whether the plots make it both fields are high and dry with no shade. They are full sun all day long

Brown top millet

Deer are heavily utilizing the ragweed right now......Everywhere I look the tops are eaten out of it.

I believe this one is goldenrod....It's getting hit pretty heavy too...…

Not really sure on this one but it has the tops eaten out as well.....Can anyone ID this plant???

Checked my plots today and there is so much browse everywhere I’m not sure if they are actually eating my fields. I did see some big boys on my cameras and a bazillion turkeys.

Looks kind of like smart weed CNC

I think you may be right. Some of it is about to flower. I'll check it again in a couple weeks and see what color the flowers are on it. I keep thinking I have all the native plants figured out but there's just so many different ones. I bet there's 30-40 species just growing around my field.



Toothdoc……..Nice pics!.....I think we must have all had good hatchings of turkeys this year.

There’s three plants in this picture….all of which would be considered “bad” plants by most. There’re two varieties of morning glory (the vines) and then the plant with the yellow flower which I think we settled on being coffee weed. For the last 3 years I have hand pulled every coffee weed plant I could pull up in these areas before they went to seed….I’ve sprayed them…..I’ve mowed them…..I’ve cussed them…..and they just keep producing more in the same spot. This year I just said to hell with it…..it’s just gonna do whatever it does…..I’m gonna let nature sort it out without me manipulating things. We’ll see what happens.

As it is though……it’s one of the most active areas for “beneficials”. In the idea of it being a complete ecosystem….these creatures are a link in the chain as well. It takes flowers and color to attract many of them. These plants definitely bring that in. They do serve a purpose. Will they completely take over if I just step back and do nothing??? I don’t know……I do know that I’m not hand pulling nary a nuthern.

I’ve posted the link to this book numerous times in the past. I imagine it seemed pretty odd to most at the time too. If the light has come on though and you “get it” now……I’d highly recommend taking the time to go back and read it. These are the ideas I’m modeling my property after and where many of the ideas for T&M came from. Don’t get too hung up on the spiritual discussions. That’s definitely a part of nature too but don’t get so hung up on whether you agree or disagree with that part that you lose focus on the agricultural ideas.

http://www.appropedia.org/images/d/d3/Onestraw.pdf

Really cool pics from everyone of the volunteer plants that are attracting wildlife. I need to make an imgur account to link in a pic I took of partridge pea I have on my place, with all the tops browsed off. No chance I could've identified that a month ago before reading through this thread!

Partridge pea is an awesome plant to have growing on your place. Not only is it attractive to many different species of wildlife....but it's also a legume that's adding N back to the cycle. I've been thinking about buying some seed and trying to get it started on my place.

Black gold……….This is why we grow biomass. This is why we don't till it and burn it up. This is what many plots are lacking.

Here’s an important concept to understand concerning soil organic that I’m just now beginning to understand myself. Below is a short video that’s definitely worth watching….Here’s the gist of what it’s gonna tell you……..

Two major groups of microbes in the soil are “bacteria” and “fungi”. Both participate in the process of decomposing organic matter….but the end result is much different from one to the other as it concerns the amount of soil organic matter being produced. The total amount of biomass is not what matters in the end….it’s the amount of lipids or “fat” in the biomass that matters…..along with the carbon to nitrogen ratio.

Just be sure to watch this video and it’ll explain it better than I can….. It’s only 14 minutes….Watch it 2 or 3 times if you have to in order to understand what the guy is saying. I feel like this is something very important for everyone to understand………

Good stuff