What would you do?

The land I hunt has a lot of fields that are no longer being planted, and one big hay field the just gets bush hogged. The land owner has said now that I can plant whatever I want....my question is, the big hay field....it's grass and patches of clover....should I worry about planting anything this late in the year, or just wait for this season and get it ready for corn and stuff next year?

Kinda hard to see whole field...but this is it

I wouldn't fool with it this year. It takes a few weeks to get a complete kill of the current sod (usually mainly fescue). Plus it's raining all week, and then you'll be in to October already. You needed to start Aug. 1 spraying it. The only way I would even consider planting this year is if someone had a drill that could drill it for you. Then you could mow it close, then spray/drill at the same time.

How big is it? Looks big for a food plot. Which means expensive if you do it right (fertilizer/lime/seed). If you've got the money, that would be great to plant the whole thing. If not, you could strategically allow the edges to grow up in natural weeds and forage and plant a portion of it.

it's not too late to plant turnips, winter peas, etc. But yeah you won't be able to kill the sod in time. plant kernels of corn in a pile.

Do you have this land leased? be careful of investing to much if you do not have the land locked up,, that looks like an awesome opportunity,,,,,,,,,,,

Now is a great time to kill fescue. If there is volunteer clover already growing there it could release more clover in the seed bank to kill the fescue. Use a grass selective herbicide such as Sethoxydym to kill cool season grasses without damaging clover. You could always broadcast a cover crop mixture with daikon radishes, turnips, crimson clover and rye grain. This could help your soil quality and reduce work and cost for future plantings. Killing the fescue and letting volunteer vegetation come back can provide some big benefits without the cost of planting. Ragweed, goldenrod, pokeweed all provide high protein warm season browse. Asking the landowner to modify the mowing schedule to only mow about half the field each year (after fescue is dead) will help from a cover standpoint.

I'd get a 15 year lease, plant European Filbert and Downy Oak and harvest truffles for 10 years ;-)

It's not a lease..the guy let's me hunt all I want to. If I can lease it first of the year, I'm hoping to plant half in corn next year. That field and the other fields are a total of about 15ac, then it has about 35ac of hard woods and cutover mix

Zombie said:

It's not a lease..the guy let's me hunt all I want to. If I can lease it first of the year, I'm hoping to plant half in corn next year. That field and the other fields are a total of about 15ac, then it has about 35ac of hard woods and cutover mix

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If you do lease it and need a hand, I still believe in being neighborly and would be more than happy to help with whatever I could. No hunting strings attached.

I would spray the mess out of it with glyphosphate and sethoxidym. Overseed with winter rye once the grass starts to die. Watch the deer come in November. Next spring spray out the rye and turn over and plant whatever.

Kill it and drill in soybeans next spring. You won't be sorry.

jug said:

I would spray the mess out of it with glyphosphate and sethoxidym. Overseed with winter rye once the grass starts to die. Watch the deer come in November. Next spring spray out the rye and turn over and plant whatever.

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That sounds like a good plan....I wish I had a spot that big to plant.