All about no-till regenerative-ag soil building methodologies and timber stand improvement techniques, focusing on oak regeneration and creating secondary successional habitat for wildlife. I will show how we treat invasive species, why we treat them and document our timber harvest when the time comes.
The goal is to track and show our progress in increasing soil health through diverse plantings that focus on carbon sequestration, feeding mycorrhizae, feeding whitetail deer, increasing organic matter, increasing the nutrient density of the plants, all while reducing inputs and no-tilling. From wildlife food plots to gardening, we will be implementing these ideologies with the goal of always working to create MUCH better soil.
Please follow along on our journey for better soil and native timber!
How old is the brassica? They say if they are planted to early and become less pallitable the deer won't hit em very hard especially if there's decent forage or other AG around, everyone is gonna have different results depending there location, soil, herd...etc and brassica needs alot of N, especially uria
Great information, browse pressure on both food plots and native sources can provide a great insight into the carrying capacity of a property. I also like to use trail camera data in conjunction with the browse observations to help determine age structure, sex ratios, etc. to further determine my personal management objectives.
@@butleroutdoors2188 absolutely! I have a checklist I go through from hunting observations to timed trail camera data analysis to browse pressure surveys. This allows me to feel confident in my pressure on the trigger.
Honestly, i dont get excited over huge bulbs. The way i see it, top growth feeds the deer, bulbs feed the soil. I actually hope to have bulbs rotting in the ground come the following spring. If my bulbs get hammered by the deer in my eyes that means i didnt have other forages.
@@brendanomeally8070 I love this!! I absolutely can relate and appreciate that! If I don’t have forage left over. I better manage deer populations or plant more food.
Do you think with crab grass being a summer grass, it wouldn’t be too much of an issue if you just crimped and didn’t spray. I’m wanting to go herbicide-free on my plots, so just interests in your thoughts.
@@jasonduncan9943 that’s a great question. So if you are hoping to eliminate it. I’d suspect it’ll be variable on deer browse, soil fertility, PH, etc. I think if you eventually could get enough biomass to smother it- you might be able to take advantage of this. However, I’m fearful of other noxious weeds coming into the field - so just be sure to constantly be observing. Also - spot spraying is an option for those who don’t want to do entire large scale burn downs. This is a great way to reduce herbicide. Thanks for comment and watching.
@@Ryan_YoungUSA I just broadcasted some today before a rain. It’s the main way I plant clover. If there is a lot of weed competition - spraying it off can help.
I hope you would consider doing a "Garden Time with Al" series (as if you weren't busy enough, lol). You are an excellent communicator of ideas and practices in very digestible ways. I know I have an interest in growing food plots to feed deer along with fruits and vegetables to feed my family. Both are quite an undertaking, but so much fun (and incredibly frustrating)! Plus, getting to see 70+ year old Italian Heirloom tomatoes grown and harvested would be a bonus. Thanks for all the helpful and interesting videos
So are you going to do the pollination manually or are you going the "promiscuous tomatoes" route? Which is what Joseph Lofthouse called his tomato project. In that case you have to also select for bigger, more open, more attractive flowers if I remember correctly. Another guideline is to keep adding new genetics to improve the diversity of the genetic pool, ie the plants' toolbox, and also to avoid a genetic depression.
@@tomatito3824 great questions. My plan is to simply save seeds with a purpose and allow it to pollinate as nature intends. I plan to take seeds based on a few different categories and then plant again next year. And continue this for my lifetime. This variation is 70+ years old and passed down - so my hope is that it’s genetic makeup is fine for my lifetime and by cross pollinating various genetic superiorities with other genetic superiorities based on observational analysis - the blend (over time) will result in an ever better tasting and yielding tomato. I’ll update as I go! Thank you!!
With the drill lifted and level. Are the coulters and the double discs level with each other? If I run the drive wheel adjustment all the way out , the double disks kind of lift and run shallow. Are you usally the counters as your seed depth determinant?
@@mattgeib2487 that’s the battle here is the drill wants to “teeter totter” on the double discs. We’ve found a happy medium but it’s taken a lot of adjusting and re-adjusting.
Found if the very first thing u do is spreed seed it works best. I typically seed, lime, i like chicken manure fertilizer at planting then spot spray weed than cultipack. Farmer told me that way all the different activities work seed to soil. Seems like 70 80% seed germination. Oats are only ones little hard to get going.
@@denniskemnitz1381 I’d say timing with rain is most critical. Would you be drilling in or broadcasting? I’d shoot for fall, let it get established and graze next spring. I’d say that in KS anytime from August to October would likely be fine. Thanks for comment and watching.
Al, have you found that broadcasting fertilizer into a no till situation (without discing in) is a waste of time? For instance, if I was showing low Phosphorus in a long term no till field, I should disc in the fertilizer? Thanks for the videos.
@@bradmckinney922 thanks for watching and the comment. So I wouldn’t plan on synthetic p moving in most soils to drive yield. I’d focus on organic forms, highly diverse cover crops to move p in soils, etc. I did some TND (total nutrient digest testing) on sandy soils and found that the P levels in 6 inches were enough for many many many years - that was sub 1% OM. The best way to have them become available is through biology or organic forms. In my experience. Without it - we will likely have what’s called nutrient stratification.
@@vodekz1534 that’s a great point. That would really impact the plants nutrients and health as well, this of course is variable depending on the quality of the soil in which it’s grown. In general, less is more with brassicas per acre. Also stressed plants don’t do a great job of full proteins conversion- resulting in further less attractiveness to those concentrated selectors.
I use one, but only with the tines "up". My plots originated with a Fecon mulcher, which leaves lots of "bats" and shreds of wood- which will catch and clog your drag if your tines are face-down! If doing a fine soil bed w/o weeds or clumps of mulch, the tines will help bust up that top 3-4" of soil and mix some of your seed in with the dirt. Otherwise, I'll drag tines-up, then pack the soil.
Just finished tilling 2 1/2 acres of hayfield with a 4’ tiller. I don’t care to do that again. Someone on one of the food plot groups mentioned you and your 2 step system. I’m very interested in trying it. My question is if I terminate the grass and weeds then broadcast and cultipack will I get sufficient seed to soil contact ? This is a 200 year old hayfield with a lot of thatch. Thank you!
@@woodyaborn5641 it can be done but normally you need to time it with a rain and increase seed rate. Please send me an email. I believe you may have over weekend - I responded. It might have gone to spam folder / please check. We can setup a phone call to discuss as well. Thanks for the opportunity!!
@@VitalizeSeed thank you for responding. I’ve planted everything for this year. Wanted to go up June 1st to plant spring stuff but tractor was down. So I went last week and planted my spring stuff(too late) and my fall stuff( too early). Not sure how that’s gonna work. I do want to be ready with knowledge and equipment for next spring . I’m hung up on seed to soil contact. The 2 1/2 acres I tilled this week maybe ok next spring as far as thatch goes. When is a good time to call? Thank you!
@@justinkelley4984 great tip! I like that! Thanks for sharing!! I recall some super interesting testing also where they sprayed late at night, vs. daytime and they found superior microbial co2 respiration and plant absorption at night - due to microbes being more active. Super interesting stuff. Thanks for comment and watching, buddy!
Great video , one of my followers just referred me to this video . I did the same to my food plot two weeks ago . Having great success with the Throw and Mow . You got a new sub 😉 from me 👍🏼👍🏼
It’s the setting your property is around from what I’ve found. If your in AG area they prefer soybeans because they are 34% protein versus brassicas are 24% or less. No AG around the deer aren’t as picky.
Good points Justin! I’m sure that makes a difference. Once the AG is off - you’d think the draw to that protein would be significant. However, that response does seem variable regardless of the area. I personally believe that’s where it becomes a microbial piece and association with below ground fungi and nutrient uptake but that’s just a theory of mine. Thanks for the watch and comment.
Also I think a lot of food plotters disregard the micronutrients of all plants. So I will be experimenting of increasing the boron copper manganese and other micronutrient levels in my brassicas this fall.
You can - however, keep in mind that when you do that you stimulate microbes which in turn is going to use that more as a food source now - then a slow release fertilizer. So as it breakdown, so will some OM. If trying to increase the OM in the total soil profile - I’d recommend not tilling it in and focus more so on natural cycling that occurs from subsequent plantings.
@@VitalizeSeed if i dont till it in soil then how i manage this? Just lay down on ground if i lay it on ground then how i will sow seed of next crop ??
Certainly weed pressure can be an issue - this field was planted in our carbon load last fall. It was virtually “weed” free. I do expect to get some of the clovers and chicory to survive. The other field is at about 60-70% term rate. I’ll keep updating throughout the growing season.
I don’t recall off the top of my head. I think it’s between 2-3. But my metered setting has some play in it. If you email me or text me - I can send you my calibration notes.
@@VitalizeSeed thank you Al I appreciate it I want to see if I can build the soil in one and half acres I have lime it how much fertilizer would you suggest for nitro boost thank you for replying back to me
I laid down 2 semi loads of gravel on my driveway 20 years ago. It was probably 8 inches thick. Today the grass is back and black dirt is visible. It sure gets muddy now when it rains. I need more gravel, but I sure realize how mother nature builds soil.
I planted Beets n Greens 2 years now and the deer dont touch them. Now a friend of mine that lives 12 miles north of me plants the same thing and the deer absolutely destroy them. I'm sticking with clover as it's easy to grow and the deer hit it hard.
None - this is a diverse mix of this was a fescue pasture so we burned it down once and no tilled into it with our 16 way mix. We use diverse mixes to outcompete weeds. We don’t have time to use selective herbicides nor would it work with our system. Thanks for comment.
@@brushcrawler8612 ah! Yea - I can’t speak to that but I’d say just from speaking to a lot of foodplotters - they have issues with it (depending on the area). I’ve planted them all over and never had an issue. Although I haven’t planted them in monocultures in many many years. Thanks again for comment. Have a blessed day!
The people trying to make money tells you that deers eat Brassica. It takes multiple years to Condition the deers to eat it. Just like deers don't use mock vines nor do Bucks even dare to walk into an open food plot in the middle of the day.
Great information Al! Those are all great techniques, and they can be easily used by just about anyone. The lack of equipment keeps a lot of people away from food plots, but the one two system makes it so much easier.
Depending on just how much sand there is in your sandy soil, the initial process is as you describe, but the fastest way to get to where you can grow a truly diverse mix of seeds is by starting out with buckwheat in the summer and winter rye in the fall. Another key element is to introduce organic matter to your sand. I have found poultry litter, broadcast in the early spring, to be one of the best ways to achieve this. After 1 to 2 years of the buckwheat/winter rye program, you can start to see other things begin to grow reasonably well, like chicory or alsike clover. Throwing highly diverse seed mixes at REALLY sand soil, in year 1, doesn't work out well, in my experience. Maybe in some places, or with enough rainfall, it can work, but in the upper midwest I have found that sticking to just BW/WR is the way to get started.
