Most of us end up planting our plots in areas that are really not very fertile. This is where our soil sample really comes in handy, I was recently asked to take a look at 4 soil samples taken from a rather large farm where a couple of our members are making a commitment to turning their property into a deer mecca. When looking at the samples I found that all 4 samples had a sufficient ph level
one of the fields had an organic matter of 7.2% the other 3 samples showed a 3% or less organic matter 
while all of these plots will grow a decent crop it is obvious that 3 of these plots need a long term plan to improve the organic matter. thats where we come in.winter wheat, winter rye and Brassicas, specifically rape will greatly improve the organic matter in our soil. it may take years but it will be worth the wait. One big mistake I used to make was to hook the plow up and drop it in as deep as I could and turn all of the topsoil 10″ underground My next year samples would show a significant loss of organic matter. It probably took me 5 years to fix what i had done I guess what I’m saying is try to only till about 4-5″ deep. keep all of that trash in the topsoil don’t bury it. Pat has a good set up for this. he mows the plot and then tills the trash into the topsoil at about 4-5″ doing this year after year will greatly improve your soil 
April 30, 2011 at 9:42 pm
#204490
It is nice to know that the first year is the toughest and then your hard work will work for you in years to come. How many years can you plant corn and beans before rotating just those two or every couple of years should you rotate in something completely different? What would be the ideal range of 
Good info as always Bob 
Rotating corn and soybeans will work forever. But you can really improve your rotation if you also add a clover plot or two into the mix. they will fix very valuable nitrogen into the soil for a great corn crop with very little fertilizer