Ideas for next spring?

[TritonBill]

My buddy has some property in Columbiana County. He wants to plant some crops, something that may come up every year he says. I suggested planting some beans and then a fall planting instead. He has limited equipment, I know he has a tractor, an old plow and maybe a disc (not sure on the disc).

What do you think we should do to get started. This area is currently an open field that on top of a hill. He keeps it brush hogged down pretty good otherwise its just a bunch of weeds.

Is there anything we should do this fall?

I think maybe 2 or 3 acres of planting is what he's thinking about max. Any ideas?

[WRS77]

Whats the soil content in that area of the county? Asking because I live in Columbiana as well and have some luck with planting and some faliures, alot of it depends on what the soil is. Is it reclaimed mine, old farm field, and is it clay, dirt, a mix of both or neither, just trying to get more info before I start telling you things, is all.

[TritonBill]

I'd like to say old farm ground. It's never been reclaimed as far as I know of it. I'd say mostly dirt and not much clay, its higher ground.

[TritonBill]

According to: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

It is mostly Canfield silt loam, 6 to 12 percent slopes , however knowing this piece of land its pretty flat on top for about 4 to 5 acres out of the 8 in the field.

[Patriot1]

).

Is there anything we should do this fall?

?

get a soil sample to see what you have to work with

[TritonBill]

We do plan on doing a soil sample here pretty soon. Any recommendations on Soil Sample kits or services? I know antler king sells a kit to do it.

[bowhunter1023]

http://www.buckeyewildlifeinstitute.com/

Have your buddy gather up some soil samples from around the area he wants to plant and send them to Josh Legg at BWI. Josh did an awesome job testing my soil this year and my plots grew better than ever thanks to some quality input for the first time ever. He can also have it tested at the local Co-Op. I know ours does...

Have him take 3-4 samples from all around the plot. Remove the surface debris and take your sample at the depth you will be planting. (Roughly 3-5" will be sufficient.) Mix all the soil in a clean bucket and then place the soil in a clean Zip-Lok baggie. It doesn't hurt to let the soil dry out a little before you bag it either...

Most of the pics on that thread were just of the locations and me on the tractor or the quad tearing up the ground. This is a picture from the thread I did this spring about soil sampling. This is an example of one spot in my bottom plot where I took a sample...

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q273/bowhunter1023/100_9367.jpg

If you have any more questions, just shoot. I might have some more pics that you will find useful as well. Just ask...

[TritonBill]

How quickly did he turn around the soil samples and does he just tell you the PH levels? Do you remember how much it cost?

[TheCream]

Unfortunately Josh (BuckeyeWildlife) is in the process of moving to California, but I'm sure someone else at Buckeye Wildlife can help. I heard they do really good work.

As other have said, soil samples should be priority #1. We base what we are going to plant on those tests. We waited a while on planting our clover because we wanted/needed time to get the pH up closer to where it needed to be, and it has really paid off.

If you know where you are going to plant, I would advise you to do most of the clearing work, if any is needed, this winter. It makes a great time to take care of the heavy work like cutting trees, clearing brush, bush hogging overgrown areas, etc... while the ground is frozen and solid. We do all of that stuff during winter. It's a good time to do it, there usually is not much else happening, it gets you outside, and I think it is more comfortable doing hard work in winter when it's not 80+ degrees and humid. We'll clear an area as best as we can, cut/load/transport any firewood we cut, and burn the rest of what is cut. Then once spring gets here and the soil samples are done, you are ready to get crackin'! :coolgleamA:

[J105]

I would start by running a plow and doing a test planting and see what happens. You (or he) may have to do some work to make the soil more fertile but If it doesn't grow then you know something needs to be done with the soil, IMO.

[Big H]

Do NOT bypass the soil test! Simple to do, easiest part of the whole food plot.