No Till Food Plots - My Journey

[idn713]

Hey guys, I’m implementing a no till

method for my food plots this year. Better soil health and way less weed competition. I explain it in my video below and I will be updating the thread throughout the summer - come failures or success! 
 

As of right now the program is off to a great start! Can’t wait to see fall results!

[idn713]

For whatever reason it won’t let me upload the second half of the video so I’ll explain, but as you can see the buckwheat is coming in fantastic. It will act as a smother crop, that shades out weed competition during summer and acts as a pollinator crop. When brassica time comes I will broadcast the fertilizer and brassica seed into the standing buckwheat and then smash the buckwheat down with a roller and spray the plot with gly. This will ensure great seed to soil contact as well as creating a layer of “mulch” over my seeds to trap moisture and build my top layer of soil. On top of that it should kill any small amount of broadleaf weeds that did germinate during summer. The first portion is going well so I can’t wait to see the fall results! 

Edited June 15, 2021 by idn713

[wishinfishin]

Good luck . Can't wait to see.

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[whaler1]

Curious to see how it goes, sounds pretty cool. Matt “Bosun Cowboy” is tilling the little plot, not even a quarter acre, tomorrow. It’s in my backyard and it’s fun to look out the window and watch the deer.
Going back to Imperial Clover with a thin line of Conceal to keep my dogs from running the deer off every time they go outside.


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[idn713]

Just a little update here, BW is growing great in both fields, as of a few days ago tallest stalks are around 10-11 inches tall. Thought maybe they would be taller by now but the lack of rain in the last two weeks probably has quite a bit to do with that. In any case if we get any rain I believe I’ll see a big surge of growth in July. Pics below. 
 

 

[whaler1]

They look great!


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[idn713]

Update, growing like crazy! Buckwheat is starting to flower and is over knee high! Definitely a smothering the weeds out. As an added bonus, the flowers are highly attractive and beneficial for pollinators. 
 

 

 

[Reelfanatic]

I have been watching this technique on whitetail Habitat solutions. I will definitely be going this route next year. Just establishing a few plots this year and really need to break up the ground and get things flattened a bit.
Interested to see how well it works for you.


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[Reelfanatic]

Are deer hitting the buckwheat or pretty much leaving it alone?


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[idn713]

16 hours ago, Reelfanatic said:

Are deer hitting the buckwheat or pretty much leaving it alone?


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As of right now I would guess there is little to no browse, which is perfect. I don’t need them hammering the buckwheat 😂.

[idn713]

Little update for everyone, buckwheat is now easily chest high! In some places neck high! The time is near for seeding, fertilizing and then crushing the buckwheat. 
 

I will say this is working perfectly. The buckwheat has shaded and choked any undergrowth weeds and it’s just moist bare dirt ready for the brassica seeds. This has worked better than I could have hoped. Oh, and there are honey bees and butterflies in the buckwheat by the thousands! 
 

 

[whaler1]

That’s fantastic!


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[idn713]

Alright, big n beasty was seeded into both plots tonight along with 250 lbs of triple 15. Buckwheat smashed over top of it and it looks so cool! I will get pics tomorrow. 70% chance of rain (in Brockport) tonight so it should be perfect. 
 

I will up front make a disclaimer that I had the seed setting on my spreader way too open for my longer narrower food plot. So if it comes out as weird thick strips, that will be totally user error. I may hit over the top with a generic brassica mix to make up for it.  Either way, that plot will almost certainly be getting 100lbs of winter rye come Labor Day. 
 

last thought, holy cow does that buckwheat hold mosisture. My legs were getting wet just when I was breaking it walking through it seeding. 

[Reelfanatic]

Excellent! Did you spray the buckwheat to keep it down or just roll it? What did you roll it with? Sorry for all of the questions, I’m trying to get set up for this method from here on.
Thanks!


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[idn713]

Promised pictures and here they are! Brasscia seed is lying safely under its new bed of rolled and now today sprayed buckwheat (ReelFanatic). In a few weeks we should know what my germination results look like and of course I will document that. 
 

We did get rain last night but I’m hoping for a few more thundershowers to optimize germination. We might get one on Tuesday! Here’s to hoping we don’t have a total drought in August! 
 

 

[Reelfanatic]

Awesome!!


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[Gator]

I’d love to stop over once we get back from Alaska. I just finished planting my three plots today, and I’d love to quit having to spray the weeds at least twice prior to planting. Let’s compare notes come September


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[idn713]

On 7/31/2021 at 12:50 PM, Gator said:

I’d love to stop over once we get back from Alaska. I just finished planting my three plots today, and I’d love to quit having to spray the weeds at least twice prior to planting. Let’s compare notes come September


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Absolutely! Just PM me when you get back and we will link up! I can grab your phone number for easier coordination.

[idn713]

Germination results are fantastic! So far so good with the no till method!




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[jk1]

Is there a different way to get your video?  I dont seems to be able to down load it and I want to send it to a friend......jk

[idn713]

Quick update, thought I would show growth pics of the plot. My long narrow plot is coming along awesome, great germination and should be a killer stand of brassica.

My back kill plot something happened with my seed, it’s seems to have consolidated in areas getting awesom germination and then some bare patches in others. So that plot will have some good pockets of brassica but will almost certainly be getting 100lbs of winter rye come Labor Day.

In terms of weeds, well there are non. This no till method has absolutely destroyed the weed competition and honestly I’m sold on this process it’s worked darn near perfect.




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[darkeagle10x]

Thanks for keeping us posted with an honest play by play and pictures. I am going to do this next year. I am tired of the weeds and all the additional prep work.

[idn713]

Quick update, with just a little more time and rain the plots look incredible. The long one is darn near perfect and my back square plot filled in a ton more. I probably don’t even need rye in that one but I am still gonna give it 50 lbs and they both will get urea before the next rain! 
 

Gotta say guys, this has worked super super well. 
 

 

[idn713]

Quick update, plots look incredible. Just waiting for rain to spread urea, but they don’t even need it! Winter rye not needed either! They filled in perfect and it’s as good as I could have hoped. 

[whaler1]

Beautiful!


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