Need to fix my plots

[Ultradog]

So I plow and disc my plots every spring with a tractor then broadcast a plot mix and roll it in with a cultipacker.
But the last two seasons the weeds have pretty much taken over and choked out everything in the plot.
This year was particularly bad. I had nothing but weeds and nothing for the deer to come in for.
So I'm thinking about gearing up to spray a weed killer down and starting over.
What kind of equipment do I need to do this on about 2 acres? How big of a tank and pump? What kind of chemical do i use and when is the best time to apply it?
I can cut and weld, build a boom, hook up tubing and nozels and configure a pump to a small engine. I could make this to fit on the 3 point hitch on the tractor or a tow behind unit on a trailer. I just need a jump start so i can start collecting stuff - and info - to make this happen this year.
Thanks for any replies.

[wtnhunt]

I just have a 15 gallon cabelas atv tank sprayer.  I rigged up a boom out of pvc and some lawn sprinkler head nozzles that have adjustable patterns.  One head on each end boom is about 3.5 feet, to give me overlapping coverage.  I get about 7 ft wide per pass.  Plumbed in a T and a quarter turn valve between there and the boom to allow me to still use the handheld sprayer.  Also used a pvc threaded connector to be able to remove the boom when not using it. 

I use glyphosate(generic roundup) and 2 4 d for complete burndown of weeds and grasses.  

[wtnhunt]

Used rainbirds similar to these for mine http://www.homedepot.com/p/8-15-ft-Half-Pattern-Shrub-Head-Spray-Nozzle-A17H/100128340?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-VF-PLA-D26P-Plumbing|&gclid=CLqqiIuw_tACFRAkgQodkFQIEA&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Turkeygirl]

I had to replant a turnip/brassica plot because of the weeds this year Tought part is plowing brings up dormant seeds that then regenerate. I think because of the heat it was just a bad year for weeds in general.

[MUDRUNNER]

I pretty much have a similar set up as William. With a 15 or 20 gallon tank you would probably have to re-fill it after you sprayed about an acre. It sounds like maybe you need to wait until weeds are growing in the spring and spray, then till or disk it about 2 weeks after that. Wait another two or three weeks until weeds are growing again and repeat the process. It kind of makes it hard to get spring plantings done this way since it takes so many weeks, but works great for fall plantings as long as you have the time and can get to it every two or three weeks.

[wtnhunt]

Yep with 15 gallon tank i have to refill once to do a full acre.  If i were to build one or buy another i would go with at least 25 to 30 gallons. Also for best results you need spray mid day or at least after noon. 

Gonna probably plant my whole back field in rr beans this coming spring, then go with a fall clover plantings in two areas i have clover now.  My clover plots are on about year 5 and are more grass and weeds than clover now.  Time to redo them. 

[dogdoc]

Kind of late to the party but still plenty of time before spring plantings.  The only thing I plant now in the spring is Eagle soybeans.  Discing in the spring just brings up more weeds.  Even if you disc early and them early spring spray before discing you will still be struggling with weeds all summer long.  Two options is plant and roundup ready forage such as eagle beans so you can spray glyphosate to kill all the competing weeds and still have a great stand of beans.  The only downside is you have to have a plot large enough to support browsing pressure on the beans.  The other option is to plant something that will out compete the weeds---buckwheat is the best plant to accomplish this.

I have changed my process the last couple of years and it has worked out perfect.  I plant my spring plots in the fall!  Discing in the fall will still pop up some weeds but these will be warm season weeds and they will die with your first freeze.  In the fall I plant a mix of rye, wheat, oats, daikon radishes, sunflowers, and red clover.   The young tender sunflowers are my early attraction and will die with your first freeze.  The cereal grains and radishes will get me through the winter.  Very late winter/early spring the red clover will start taking off and by the time the rye and wheat become unpalatable the red clover will be there to provide forage all spring and summer.  Not only are you providing a high protein forage for your deer but you will also be improving your soil.  You can mow the plot when the cereal grains start to head out to release the clover or you can leave it standing to provide awesome fawning cover.  I have found red clover to be highly palatable to the deer while it is fixing Nitrogen back in the soil.  The clippings of the cereal grains will be adding organic matter back into your soil.  If you get weeds then most of them will be annual or perennial grasses and they can be controlled with a spraying of clethodim and not harm your red clover.  The following fall you just mow short and disc the clover back into the soil---again adding some great green manure back into the soil.  I have been doing this for 3 years now and I don't even have to fertilize anymore.  Just repeat this procedure every fall and you have a 12 month plot with less work and money saved!  Trust me--it works!!!  Less herbicide used, less fertilize used, healthier soil, and healthier deer!

75# of wheat and rye (can just use one or the other but I like to mix)

25# oats (will probably die after a few good hard freezes)

15# of sunflower (I just get the cheap sunflower seeds at walmart for feeding the birds)

5# of daikon radishes

12# of medium red clover (I use kenland)

Mix all seeds together except the clover.  After discing spread the larger seeds and lightly clover.  After covering the large seeds then broadcast your clover and then drag or cultipack.  Do not disc under the clover. Seeds too small and don't want them deeper than a 1/4"  All rates are at pounds per acre.

good luck

todd

[dbHunterNY]

unless you live in NY.  then getting some selective herbicides are tough to impossible.

[Ultradog]

Just an update to this thread.
I just bought a 25 gal tank with a 12 V pump on it.
It came with a wand so I might just use that to spray our small plot.
But it would be nice to build a boom so I can spray about a 10' swath at a time.
I was looking st some sprayer tips at Fleet Farm on Sat but don't know enough about flow rates, application rates, etc to start collecting parts yet.
I pretty much resigned to just leaving my plots fallow this summer.
I'm thinking about plowing and discing as usual in May and then waiting for a few weeks and spray the weeds that come up.
Then in mid August plant a winter rye.
That should give the deer something to come in for this fall and supposedly will regrow next spring.
Im not sure what I'll do then. Am open to suggestions there.
I hate to leave them fallow this summer but I guess I need to take the long view on this process.
Anyone here have thoughts on my plan?
By the way, thanks for the replies from last fall. I realize I just let the thread drop and didn't thank those who replied.