@@GrowingDeerTV I thought I’ve seen videos of you crimping then planting is there anything wrong with that or having a crimper in front of the tractor and the planter in the rear?
John - Good observation! I did. Deer were consuming and killing them soon after they germinated,. They were way too expensive to keep having failures. Where beans work, they are a good forage crop.
For someone who can’t afford a no till drill and crimper, but already has a bush hog and disc, could one expect similar results by bush hogging, then discing, broadcasting seed, then going back over it with the disc? It seems like as long as the dirt is turned with the seed, and the old grass is left as cover, the results could be similar?
Unfortunately disking always decreases soil quality for several reason. Disking will not produce the same results. It's better to broadcast seeds for the next crop into the standing crop and then terminate the standing vegetation. Mowing won't terminate any weeds - just as mowing a yard doesn't kill many weeds or grass. In addition mowers leave a clumped pattern of the cut vegetation which will shade out the seedlings in some areas and not leave any mulch in others.
I am curious on what to plant over the fall/winter? We have 2' of snow right now. We just got our Goliath crimper and genesis 3 drill. I am hoping to have soybeans planted in the spring. I see your seed blend for the first planting is not soybeans but clovers and rye. I have 12 acres to plant. Northern Wisconsin gets harsh winters. This is the first year of our buffalo system. Are you planting the rye and clovers in to standing soybeans? I fear we wouldn't have much forage for the harsh winters we have.
Anthony - Sounds like you aren all set! Beans work OK if enough acres are planted that deer don't consume all of them long before fall. It will be important to plant the fall crop at least 45 to 60 days before the first frost to give the forage enough time to produce tonnage before the winter. It will be important to plant an early maturing soybean - if you plant soybeans - so they make pods in time to plant a fall crop. You likely won't need to crimp the summer crop. I drill through it to establish the fall crop and then plant the spring crop into the fall crop and then drill. Be sure the beans you plant are not treated with an insecticide like Neonics, Cruiser, etc.
We plant corn, but don't harvest any because we leave it on the ground. Can we plant corn thru it using a seed drill? Will it still plant thru the corn on the ground?
So what play list should I look in to find all the videos on this food plot method? In the video you said there you’d be several more videos on the “Release Process” I think you called it.
Great end result to show in light of the upcoming start-from-scratch series. Way to drive the point home, Dr. Grant. Don't stop the repetition of the points and the various angles/views we see them through in your vids.
Nick - The best results will be to wait till the soil warms up this spring, terminate whatever is growing, and then drill the Summer Release from GreenCoverFoodPlots.com I created that blend to not only attract and feed deer but to also improve the soil's health!
Mr grant, is your genesis 5 the heavy version or is it the light version, the light version weighs around 1800 do you think that is heavy anough. Thank you
Thank you for your very informative videos and podcasts that you have provided. I am making the switch to the "The Release Process" beginning in a week or so on our 11 acres of food plots. FYI - 8' crimpers are on backorder and may not be ready for spring planting.
Dang supply chain issues seem to be impacting everything. If there's not enough sunlight reaching the soil or weeds are a big issue, you may need to use a herbicide to set the stage for a good crop!
This is called "planting green" where seed is drilling into a living, mature crop, such as the Fall Release blend, and then the mature crop is terminated with a crimper and no herbicide is used! This saves time, money, and is much better for the soil's health! There are several episodes on our channel about our techniques.
Unfortunately I'm seeing a ton more tillage again in my area. Many had moved to no-till or strip-till but are now doing conventional tillage again. Trying to get to all no-till on my little place once I get all the ruts repaired. Love the video! How the family and crew are all healthy and doing well!
Excellent video Grant! Lots of great information as we start using Green Cover Seeds at our farm in northern Michigan. Can't wait to start incorporating our roller crimper to terminate our diverse cover crop mixes, to better build our soil.
This is super good information and the look of that field is amazing thank you Doctor Grant and believe me I took the time to listen to The Creator today
First time I'm hearing the term planting green. It's called cover crops. There are some great concepts for no till planting. Jeff sturgis has pretty great concept on his channel. North Carolina has a extension webinar on all these concepts and really worth checking out.
Ragnar - "Planting Green" is a very common term among farmers that work to improve the soil's health without using synthetic inputs. If you search on that term there's plenty of great information. Cover crops are plants - planting green is a technique.
@@GrowingDeerTV I understand the term and it sounds like a buzz word for cover crops. Concept has been around for decades and is thankfully spreading. This video is sadly showing you need to own a tractor and all the special accessories in order to do this. Tens of thousands of dollars on equipment for a hunting parcel shouldn't be the only thing shown in the video if your talking of planting concepts when the average land owner doesn't have that much plot to plant.
Those green manure crops look very suitable for ground nesting avian fauna, that crimper as opposed to a sprayed burn-down? Which one might bring-off a successful nest? We’re all worried about turkeys, quail, pheasants, etc. keep up the good work Doc!
Scott - If this was the only cover nearby I would share your concerns. However, there's lots of great native cover at my farm which is the preferred nesting and fawning habitat. Thanks for watching!
Almost all weed seeds are very small. For example, have you have seen a pigweed seed? They don't store enough energy to germinate, grow out of the mulch and photosynthesize. Larger seeds like clover, sunflowers, etc., do. and therefore they survive and then thrive in the great habitat created by the mulch.
Thought of a follow-up question: You use a drill and you have rocky soil. Have you encountered any problems using the drill in rocky soil? I have rocks in my fields and am researching drills now. I've had a couple of people ask if I had considered that potential problem. Thanks
John - We've been using a drill for 20+ years. The coulters will get dull a bit quicker than in dirt, but will dull in both. Otherwise, as long as you go the appropriate speed and don't hit a boulder the size of a truck, drills simply roll over them!
Have you thought of doing a contract with a grazier to come in and graze the crop with a quick rotation to weaken the existing plants before the drill to improve germination?
Thanks for the comments on blends with examples of different species to use. My interest is in learning when to plant so I have the blends working for me the whole growing season. For example, what to plant for the fall hunting, then what to frost seed for spring green up, followed by spring planting etc. in other words how to rotate so I am maximizing the soil building while also having a productive plot for Oct/Nov. Can I just rotate the same blends through Fall, frost, spring, fall... Your program seem heavily dependent on annuals. Is that also accurate?
Needs More Toys. Great observation - yes prefer annuals. They are much easier to manage the perennials and do a better of suppressing weeds. They are often more palatable to deer due to the rapidly growing tissue. I plant during the spring when the soil temperature is about 60 degrees at 9 am at 2" deep and then again about 45 to 60 days before the first expected frost (average frost date) during the fall. This provides great tonnage and soil health improvements! I dud frost seed a few small plots with clover.
What are your thoughts on burning the plots every year in situations when drilling is not an option? Does the better germination on a burned/broadcast plot outweigh losing the thatch layer compared to poorer germination when broadcasting into standing cover but leaving the thatch?
Great video i just purchased 2.4 acres of wooded and open grass area how would you go about planting a food plot without discing the open areas . I am just string trimming the grass and weeds down now but how would i plant the seed using an atv? thank you for any response you give i am really looking to bring the deer over . i have agriculture fields to the west side and pasture on the north south side with highway on the east.
Congratulations Dennis on purchasing the land! Seeds need good contact with the soil. You could terminate the existing vegetation with a herbicide and the broadcast the seed, or if there's enough dry thatch, use a prescribed fire to create a seedbed.
Blake - I crimp when the majority of the biomass, which is usually the cereal rye, is producing seeds in the dough stage. This will hold down the other species, depending on the blend.
This is a little frustrating. I like this method for “healing” the soil and for wildlife but what would his field look like if he had harvested that field? Probably pretty crappy
Thomas - Thanks for sharing your opinion. I think the field in the video looks great don't you? It's been managed that way for many years. In fact, it's never been tilled since the brush was cleared. There's lots of university research showing the great results of this system. I realize it's a change for some folks but it's proven to be an extremely effective system to produce quality crops and improve soil health - with minimal expense.
I’ve had less than 1/2” rain so far in Michigan in last 45 days. Terrible dry. My spruce seedlings are in stress already. Farmers say it’s worse the have seen for a spring. Sigh...
Thank You @@GrowingDeerTV for the replies. Was just wondering if there was an alternative natural remedy. I have glyphosate and was planning to spray it. I've done the soil test and am at 6.0, so am adding lime too. What steps should I follow? Spray, lime, broadcast?
SuperCreeky - I've never tried rabbit manure but I'm sure it would be good! Did you know "Bunnies actually make two different kinds of droppings: little black round ones and softer black ones known as cecotropes that are eaten. This process is known as coprophagy, and functions the same as cows chewing their cud."
I live in northern mn. We have million deer. Cars kill a million a year , and we still have a million deer. Why are you feeding them other than for there horns.
Angie - There's lots of ag in Minnesota. I live in the Ozark Mountains where timber is the primary land cover. Food plot provide much needed nutrition. Even in Minnesota, there's not much for deer to consumer once the commercial crops are harvested. I wish to provide quality food for the critters during this tough stress period.
