Tell me what you think

[msbadger]

Perhaps it is the amount of rain combined with the deer just having just hammered the bucwheat.....but in a few of the plots I have a heavy amount of weeds starting to cover the soil....Now I normally do'nt have this problem and in Aug over seed with the Braccs but I'm afraid the weed cover will hinder the germination...
 
What do you think....mow down now and spray the young weeds ...wait until Aug and disc in something like winter rye ..tritical of wnter oats....or mow down... spray...wait a week and drag in some clover?....I have 7 BW plots and see a real problem in 4 of them....

[msbadger]

Hhhmm this kind of a time sensative ?...no thoughts out there?

[DeanoZ]

badgey....we're usually asking you these questions!!!  I'm really no help as I don't have the experience, but assuming we continue to get wet weather, them weeds will keep growing so you need something now to choke'em out.  If it were me, I'd mow, spray, wait a week and throw in something that germinates quickly...maybe once it takes root and you get the weeds under control you can disc it later and throw in the bracs or something else?

[69Viking]

Well I can only tell you what I've read in reference to researching my own fall food plots this year. The best scenario is to plant something thick like clover and then keep it mowed down 4-6 inches, the clover will re-germinate and come back thicker while the mowing keeps the weeds from seeding. I'm not sure you'd have to spray and kill off the weeds, that might damage the buckwheat you have left too. Just mow everything short and spread your clover out, if it's as wet as you say then the clover should germinate quick and smother out the weeds with it's low to the ground wide leaves. The first frost will also kill off the weeds so think about that in whatever plan you take. Again I'm no expert, I've just been reading a lot online about establishing food plots that are low maintenance and clover seems to be the preferred method so that is what I've read a lot about it. Good luck, let us know what you end up doing.

[ranwin33]

Depends upon if you still want to overseed with the braccs. 
 
If so, mow the plots now, wait two weeks and then spray the new growth.  Give these a couple of weeks to die, then overseed, that should put you into early August.
 
The deer will still be getting some use from the plots after the weeds are cut and start to regrow the two weeks after mowing, and the two weeks it's going to take for the herbicide to really kill things.

[Goose]

A clover/cereal rye mixture would work well. The fall planted clover is best and the rye is a great weed suppressor.
It depends on if you plan on replanting a warm season crop in the spring, if you are then brassicas would work. If you aren't going to then I would want something like clover.

[msbadger]

Thanks guys ...I'll be gleaning a little of all your advise...69 viking..problem is that the weeds sprouting have created a ground hugging MATT...of broad leaf something....DeanoZ...we all need help...well a nudge sometimes...thanks for that vote of confidence..[;)]...Goose I never thought about mixing the rye grain  with clover...heard it was a good planting with trifoil though.... makes scense...thanks...I lost a tritical plot to rain...soooo...its a mowing now and spraying with Erase...week to die and then a discing in...it's my understanding that planting the rye with a ligume (sp)...is possible now   other wise wait...so I'll try that in two areas....the others...well one is pretty shady so it will be a annual rye...and another will be a till firm and getting rid of some of last years clovers and trifoil...all other plots are looking good to go for the fall braccs...may have to drop a little in the ones I'm about to redo...Now my P. plots are down to 3 inches...I seem to have an explosion of feeding activity...I'm afraid P. plots have some rabbit as well as turkey activity going on [:o].....thank you for the help guys...Badger

[msbadger]

Heres whats been happening....killed disced and prepared the plots....fertalized and planted the appin /purple tops...in one and the other I planted rye grain( yes early) and the turnip mixture
 
other plots I got rid of the rest of a red clover I had and a light toss of rape seed.....then on Mon. when my secret spot arrives ...I'll spread that.
It rained with in 30min. of each planting
 
The remaining buckwheat plots I top dressed with the rape seed....which sprouted and is growing well under the shade of the buckwheat....Which along with the clover I just mowed has made the local wild honey bee population very happy and the deer dropping in it are massive....I just may have to buy a couple of hives this spring....nothing better than buckwheat honey....[;)]I'll post pics soon