Are you ready to (food) plot?

[Cue best British accent with “on stage” microphone voice]

Hello Minnesota and Wisconsin! Are you ready to plot? I said, are you READY TO PLOT? I can’t hear you…

Who’s ready to turn some dirt? Are you getting pretty close up at your property?

Food plotters are coming out of the woodwork left and right and the first pallet load of Eagle Forage Soybeans and acres of Midwest Monster seed blends are already out the door here at Midwest Monster headquarters, so the food plotters are getting ready but haven’t talked to anyone who’s actually working dirt yet. But it’s always good to get your stock of planting supplies put together early so you can just focus on planting when the time comes.

At the Midwest Monster farm near Hinckley, MN I would estimate that we’re 3-4 weeks away from being able to start working dirt. I was up there on Monday and there was still snow covering some of the larger plots and everything was SOPPING wet. In areas where the snow cover was gone, the top 3-5 inches was thawed, but then it was frozen solid below. Even with some good sun and warmer temps, I don’t think we’re going to have ground that is both dry enough and thawed enough to work for 3-4 weeks yet.

In the meantime, I’ve started all the usual maintenance chores. I already changed the fuel filter, but the tractor needs an oil change and this year she’s getting a full hydro fluid change, so I’ve got filters and 10 gallons of hydro fluid stockpiled and ready to go. Have to get the tire chains off of her as well. I think we’re safe, right?

I’ll have to post my updated 2019 plan based on your feedback on the earlier thread, but the plan is done, now let’s see if the weather lets me get rolling before late May like last year!

How’s it looking in your neck of the woods? Best of luck for 2019.

Grouse

I am dying to get to the farm and check things out. This is the lastest in spring I have ever gotten up there, but heading up next weekend.

I have a feeling things are going to be rushed this year. I am going up next weekend with hopes of mowing the corn. The following weekend is easter, then I have one weekend to get things tilled up and fertilized and one weekend to get seed in the ground before fishing opener.

Forecast is a mixed bag for next week. Rain, possible snow, then sunny later in the week. Looks like over 1.5 inches of mixed precip over the next week in the Hinckley area, so not great, but not terrible either.

For me, it’s what happens after the first of May that matters the most. Both in terms of rain and frost possibilities. My average last frost date is May 17 and with a full moon on the 18th, she’s going to go down to the wire this year I’d bet.

Grouse

I’m not ready guys. I haven’t even gotten my order to Grouse yet. I have high hopes every year. We will see how it goes this year.
DT

deertracker wrote:

I’m not ready guys. I haven’t even gotten my order to Grouse yet. I have high hopes every year. We will see how it goes this year.

Go all in on Mega Clover Plus would be what I’d say from the looks of things up on your property, DT. You’ve got some pretty soft ground up there and the nice thing about clover is you have a wide planting window. You can spring/early summer plant, or you late summer plant.

Plant it with a nurse crop of oats or rye and you’ll have a great plot even the first year.

Heck, if you’re getting steady rains, I’ve even planted clover in late June, not something I’d do every year, but if the ground is damp and there’s good rain in the forecast, it can work.

Start with a clean plot and the clover will be good for 3-4 years. As close to low maintenance as a food plot can get.

Grouse

Am I ready? Ah….no, but I wish I was.

It’s pretty sloppy and wet still. But I did stop by the feed store today on my way north to see if they have oats to cover my clover. They do, but they asked me if I wanted cleaned or not. Hmmmm… Any recommendations? From what I’ve read, there’s decent chance of getting weed seed in the non-cleaned (whole I think). So I’m going with cleaned unless someone has a compelling reason not to. Price difference was about $10 for what I’m planting.

I don’t remember ever being asked. I believe I always used whole oats. Lately I’ve been using cereal rye as a cover. My deer like it better.
DT

I just filled out my Monsanto seed paperwork so I took a step in the right direction.
DT

fishingchallenged wrote:

But I did stop by the feed store today on my way north to see if they have oats to cover my clover. They do, but they asked me if I wanted cleaned or not. Hmmmm… Any recommendations? From what I’ve read, there’s decent chance of getting weed seed in the non-cleaned (whole I think). So I’m going with cleaned unless someone has a compelling reason not to. Price difference was about $10 for what I’m planting.

Oats are a really dirty grain when harvested, there’s a lot of chaff, dust, and other plant matter still left in the oats.

Cleaning (often called “re-cleaning”) is a process that removes much of that dust, chaff, and foreign matter including weed seeds. For that reason, it’s better to use cleaned oats if you plan to plant the oats because you don’t want that foreign matter in the seed for a lot of reasons.

It costs more because of the labor and equipment involved in the cleaning process, but than you’re also not paying for the weight of all that dust, chaff, and weed seeds.

Grouse

Thanks Grouse! Clean it is.

I went on back at my house to see if I could at least mow the corn and bean stubble. Not a chance, way too wet. Going to be a while yet boys.

I ripped up most of my plots last weekend. Got more discing to do to get rid of the corn stubble, but it is getting there. Tilling and fertilizing this weekend in preparation for planting next weekend.

Yeah, thanks for sending me a bragging text with picture… I’m still trying to figure out when I will have time to make the trek north and work on mine.
DT

deertracker wrote:

Yeah, thanks for sending me a bragging text with picture…

Oh, so you got the StickerGloat pictures as well, did you? Siri must have been having a bad day because she sent Sticker a reply that said, “I hope your little tractor hits a soft spot and sinks to China.” Bad Siri.

Don’t be in a hurry to go north, DT. I was up at my place near Hinckley on Friday and Saturday before we got 1.7 inches of rain up there. It was SOPPING wet, even on hillsides. The plots were squishing wet all over, not just in low spots but everywhere was just soaking. I think the frost has come out in the plots, but there is no way there will be any use of a tractor on my ground for at least 2 weeks and we need dry weeks to make even that happen.

The good news is that things are going to green up fast now. I feel sorry for the deer, they are really grubbing hard for the first of the new grass.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

The good news is that things are going to green up fast now. I feel sorry for the deer, they are really grubbing hard for the first of the new grass.

Grouse

I was really surprised that my clover plots I planted last fall with rye, the deer had the rye nipped right off to the ground. It had greened up and was growing, but they didn’t let it get very high.

Oh, and you are both welcome for the picture

Not plot related as I’m not much of a food plot guy, but we’ve been planting the crap out of dogwoods, spruce, apples and pears.

The dogwoods we planted a couple years ago were absolutely hammer by the deer. With all the snow we received this winter, the ground food was inaccessible. We will end up planting another 30 dogwoods this spring.

Mowed the corn ???? last weekend

outdoorsmn wrote:

Not plot related as I’m not much of a food plot guy, but we’ve been planting the crap out of dogwoods, spruce, apples and pears.

The dogwoods we planted a couple years ago were absolutely hammer by the deer. With all the snow we received this winter, the ground food was inaccessible. We will end up planting another 30 dogwoods this spring.

What variety of Dogwood did you plant? That’s on my list of possibilities. Did you put them on the edges of clearings?

fishingchallenged wrote:

What variety of Dogwood did you plant? That’s on my list of possibilities. Did you put them on the edges of clearings?

We planted Red Osier Dogwood mostly along the creek in our bottom land. I planted them around deer creek crossings and along four wheeler trails which double as heavily used deer trails. They provide cover, food, and excellent erosion control for creeks/rivers.

The plots at the farm all got disced, 700lbs of Urea got spread, and then they all got tilled. All ready for planting next Saturday

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Depending on how much rain we get the rest of the week, I could be close to being able to start with the disc next week. Having some dry days with a good breeze would really help me out.

But I’m not in a real rush because I want things to green up. It’s too early for soybean planting in my area and all the other crops I’m planting are non-roundup-ready so I want a good kill before those go in the ground. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s worth the time to get that extra kill on the weeds.

I need to go up there soon and just get some maintenance done on the tractor, get things fueled up, and get the disc hooked up.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

But I’m not in a real rush because I want things to green up. It’s too early for soybean planting in my area and all the other crops I’m planting are non-roundup-ready so I want a good kill before those go in the ground. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s worth the time to get that extra kill on the weeds.

Grouse

Agreed, I am going with all corn this year. Soybeans would have needed a couple more weeks for the ground to warm up.

BTW Grouse, I found a couple rocks up there I meant to bring home for you. I will get them next weekend.

sticker wrote:

BTW Grouse, I found a couple rocks up there I meant to bring home for you. I will get them next weekend.

I’m glad you’re finding the rocks I put out there. I have more where those came from.

Grouse

Don’t worry Grouse. Every time I pass Sticker’s place on I94 I throw a couple rocks out the window.
DT