I know this has probably been discussed a million times, but really don't remember. Do you have to spray the grasses and weeds and then bush hog, or can I just bush hog to the ground after slinging seed? The weeds and grasses are around waist high. Not expecting a harvestable crop, just something for deer to eat.

I prefer seed before cutting. It helps seed to soil contact, and the grass clippings cover like mulch.

Really trying to figure out if I need to spray, or can I just bushhog? With it being late in growing season, just not sure.

I’m spraying today. 2 quarts ranger pro and one quart 24d in 55 gallons.But I’m also going to spread seed then run a disk over it in a few weeks. I like the grass to be dead when I disk so the roots turn loose and I get good soil contact.

Imo the grasses/weeds are about to the end of the major growing season. We are going to sling seed and then just mow. Late October probably.

If its summer annuals you'll be fine not spraying......If its full of pasture grasses....bahia, bermuda, etc......spray it

[img]https://imgur.com/a/JpbZCwk[/img]


Found a little ole snake in some tall grass I was spaying today. He was pretty lucky for a while. I was Spraying lead and missing but his luck finally ran out.

Unless you’re burning your plots, it’s pointless to spray your fields now. I prefer my thatch to be green and not dead when I bushhog after seeding.

Thanks for the info. This is my first attempt at throw and mow, I've always disced and tilled.

Those of you that throw and mow, do you fertilize at planting or wait a couple weeks after germination?

At planting

I do split applications. Half at planting and the other half about three weeks after germination ahead of a rain.

A shot of N about 30 days post plant is always good. It’s especially important in throw and mow if you have a lot of residue to break down. You may even need a third application.

i always wait till the grain has germinated and is 2-3” high. a seed is a plant , in a box, with some food. the plant doesn’t NEED any nutrients until it has a root system. Uncoated nitrogen fertilizer will lose 5-30% of what you put out ( just to volatization, not to mention leeching and denitrification) when left unincorporated in warm temperatures. unless it’s time constraints, no reason to fertilize at planting if you have done your homework and addressed deficiencies and ph beforehand and only need your seasonal rates of n and k

Here’s my thinking for applying at planting……granted I haven’t used ANY fertilizer in quite a while…..

I don’t want my seedlings emerging in an N deficient environment……I want them to jump out of the ground and grow from day 1 with vigor to get established out ahead of browsing pressure or any future stress. It seems to take 10-14 days for N to really kick in after a rain and I’ve got small particles of “hay” starting to break down and suck up N as soon as I get done mowing…..

These are cereal rye seedlings that have only been out of the ground for about a week.