Some past history 3 yrs ago 10-15 thistles showed up in my one clover plot. I didn't understand thistles so I pulled them and kept cutting them off. So last year I had a lot more so I mowed them 4 times. But appears I spread some of the seeds to my other clover plot.
This year which is the 3rd year I have a full 1/2 ac in the 2 clover plots of solid thistles.
Doing research on thistles I bought some Imox weed spray and the fertilizer additive. I sprayed the Imox on April 3rd and the thistles were 30" high due to wet weather. On April 10th the leaves were starting to turn yellow so I bushed hogged the 2 plots.
I must not have waited long enough for the Imox to kill the plants as I had all new growth again.
On July 6th I sprayed Imox again got better results as I have 90% less thistles now. But the older plants never got over 8-10" high and not budding out.
I bush hogged everything 10 days ago for fall planting and the thistles were not getting taller.
Today I looked over my over look and show new green growth and thought the thistles were coming back. So I went to the plots and to my relief the new green growth was chicory that I planted this spring that didn't take.
So going down to spread fertilizer and rototill the 2 fall plots.
My clover plots have 6 seasons but doing OK so I'll leave them go until 2019 and rotate them in to fall oats and turnip-radish plots.
Today putting in 1 ac of WI oats as a cover crop for new clover-alfalfa plot. Also planting a 1/2 ac of radish- turnip plot. I have great success with fall WI oats and turnip-radish plantings for the last 6 years.
FYI the WI oats always winter's over for a good early spring green up here in SW Ohio.
sagittarius's Link
Rotational planting interval following Raptor/clearcast application: alfalfa, wheat: 3 months, Corn: 8.5 months, Oats, turnip, pumpkin: 9 months, Sugarbeets: 18+ months,
Aug 24 Installed my Moultrie electric seed spreader on the back of the golf cart.
1. Sowed 1.0 ac of WI oats at 50% as a cover crop.
2. Used the tractor and drug the drag across the oats.
3. Sowed the clover-alfalfa mix from GPO on top of the WI oats.
4. Sowed .5 ac of radish-turnip mix from GPO in the other plot.
5. Used the tractor to cultipack both plots.
Rain forecasted 50-60% for Sat and Sun.
FYI fore smaller plots the Moultrie electric seed spreader is 2nd to none and would buy another if needed after 3 seasons of use and works 100%. I always seed at 50% and sow the seed 2 times so I don't run out before done.
But 7 days later we got a really good heavy rain and the next day got another heavy rain.
So it's 3 weeks after the rain and the turnips-radish are about 4-6" and the oats is 4". Deer are feeding in both as I can watch them from my overlook.
Deer sure are fed well here. Plus there is 110 ac of horse hay field behind my food plots. We have 20-30% brushed in areas here so the deer numbers are OK with the year around food we grow for them.
