wildthing Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Fellas (gals)...quick question. I am going to be adding a new food plot this year and wanted to know if I should spray the plot with a weed killer then? Or til, then spray? or does it matter a whole lot? Last year...I tilled...didn't spray...and simply got the seeds in the ground early. They grew well...along with weeds...and I just kept mowing until the perennials really took over and thickened. What do yall think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 I've never sprayed, but if you're going to, i think you are suppose to spray 2-3 weeks in advance of tilling. Would also probably help to come in and mow once the weeds died. I may be wrong, just my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildthing Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 right now...there are no weeds...everything is pretty short cause I mowed last year, just didn't plant. I am trying to take advantage of the good weather this weekend and was thinking about spraying and then tilling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 You'd probably be fine with just tilling this weekend and working the dirt every 10 days or so until you are planning to plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Are you wanting to plant this spring? If so here's the problem: You can spray now and kill all the weeds currently present--BUT when you till and plant in 2 to 3 weeks you will also be disturbing thousands of weed/grass seeds that are sitting on top of the soil--so when you till you will bury these seeds and they will germinate along with your crop seeds. What I would do since the plot is very short right now is till the soil--wait 2 to 3 weeks and let all the seeds you covered germinate and then spray. Wait 1 week and then till again and plant. This will give you the best weed free plot for the time given. Tilling the green grass/weeds will also replenish nutrients back into the soil. todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Todd is spot on. Follow his advice and you will be good to go. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildthing Posted April 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 Todd...thanks...that makes perfect sense. I'll let you know my results in about 1 month or so...hopefully I can get some pics of big buck on the plot to share with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 What I would do since the plot is very short right now is till the soil--wait 2 to 3 weeks and let all the seeds you covered germinate and then spray. Wait 1 week and then till again and plant. This will give you the best weed free plot for the time given. Tilling the green grass/weeds will also replenish nutrients back into the soil. Yep, good advice. That would be what I would do as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 Good advice. However, you will ALWAYS have weeds, especially with a spring planting. We personally plant our perennials in the late summer or early fall to try to keep the weeds at bay. If you are not sure....divide your plot in 2, plant half in the spring and half in the fall and compare the two this time next spring after green up. Then you'll know. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 Good advice. However, you will ALWAYS have weeds, especially with a spring planting. We personally plant our perennials in the late summer or early fall to try to keep the weeds at bay. no doubt---weeds are a given when planting in spring. I also always plant my perennials in the fall. Many times when planting my spring warm season annuals I'll till about this time of year to kill the vegetation--then till again in 3 weeks and just plant. I won't even spray and this does a pretty good job keeping the weeds under control. I'm not too worried about a little weed problem in my annuals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildthing Posted April 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 I noticed that last year, when spring was in full effect, obviously there were weeds. But every time I mowed the plot, the clovers were thicker and greener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 We will never plant perennials in the spring here again either. Have had our best results planting perennials in the fall. Summers here can be terribly dry and warm, making for less chance of the clovers establishing well before the weeds come back and get out of hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildthing Posted April 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 well today I decided to bust out the chainsaw and clear some trees that were more or less dead. I also had my brother, his girlfriend, and another friend out working...tilling and clearing trees. Honest days work. tomorrow I am going to burn because the conditions should be better for it...we had a sunny and slight breeze here today. We got about 2 1/2 acres tilled today...with a rototiller...that's right...a rototiller...now that is putting in time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 those rototillers are killer!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 If I am going to do a spring planting, I like to spray in the fall. The dead weeds will start to rot away and tilling or discing is much easier. I get too anxious in the spring to get going to wait until fall to plant. We plant brassica and turnip by the first of August if possible and plan to spray the plot by the second week of July. We spray every plot before planting except on a piece of lease land we have which is certified organic. We can definitely see a difference in the growth of plots where we didn't spray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildthing Posted April 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 I put in some labor this weekend with the rototiller. Basically, each plot took me about 3 hours of continuous tilling to complete...but hey...I got it done! I am gonna wait for some germination...spray...drag/disc...and plant. I also have some 55 gallon feeders that spray corn...this past weekend I counted 15 deer in the general area at 1 time...and turkey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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