Thank you Cris! It is a great system...and man, I can't wait to bring it to you this food plot season! Are you going to try it?

Absolutely Sir.

That's great to hear Chris...good luck and enjoy planting 🙂 Let me know how the plot goes too!

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 👍

Thanks a lot William, really appreciate it!

Man you are so welcome Hernan...I hope you really enjoy the year! Thank you very much. I bet you are pretty excited!?

Whitetail Habitat Solutions yes amigo excited to get some work at the property I’m in the comercial Roofing business I tell my son in Mexico we never hunted for sport it was to have something in the table for dinner all this is new for me but learning fast

You are welcome Randle!

I've seen that down your way!

Thank you very much Doug I have always appreciated all of your comments and feedback! I plant my rye in the Upper Midwest area around Labor Day...at least layering it on oats and peas.

You are welcome Paul...at least you have a couple of months to plan 🙂

The amount depends on the exact timing of the dozer operator. But roughly 250-300 pounds per acre. You will spread more or less the first time depending on timing...I will help you out then buddy 😉

As long as you get buckwheat on soil...always grows extremely well!

I think it will get down there.. as long as its dry we should b gd just been SO wet.

Whats the best way to determine how much seed to use on smaller plots

@@beavercreekoutdoors2869 good question Adam! I take an average width and length of the plot to figure it acreage, and then put that amount of required seed in the broadcaster. For example if need 100#s per acre of seed and I figure the plot is a 10,000 square feet out of 43,560 (an acre)...then I will use 25#s. Then the seeding rate I personally go by feel. But best way is to go lighter than you think. I like a hand seeder because you can see and feel how much seed is left. My personal goal is slightly under what I need...never running out of feel. The setting in the bag is really important...but not wasting seed is another. I used to way out all my seeds per plot, but now just go by feel. I know the "by feel" doesn't help...but the point I'd knowing when it is too much. You can always go back over quickly if you have seed leftover...can't go correct too much. Hope that helps a bit Adam!

@@beavercreekoutdoors2869 seems it is never perfect!

That's great...I hope that it makes sense! I plant my normal crops into the buckwheat...I split my plots. This year will be 100#s of peas per acre on one 1/2, combined with 50#s oats around 8/1. I will follow up on that 1/2 alone with 200#s of rye roughly labor day, just broadcast over the top. On the other half I will use a straight brassica blend, seeded at the same time as the oats and peas on the other 1/2. I will use no rye on that 1/2. After I seed I crush the buckwheat with the cultipacker. Buckwheat and soybeans are the only seed varieties you can effectively do this with...maybe iron clay peas. Buckwheat is perfect tho because the deer don't eat it as much as soybeans during the summer so it is a great smother crop for weed suppression. If weeds are present within the buckwheat I spray gly...gly also keeps the buckwheat from popping back up and shading out food plot forage germination. In the spring I broadcast into the rye (on one 1/2) and into the open ground brassica area on the other 1/2. I like to cut my brassica blend in 1/2 and make up that half by adding 7-8#s of tillage radish into the blend during that 8/1 broadcasting. I spread the buckwheat at 50#s per acre between 7-8 weeks from the time I expect to plant my Fall plots. That timing will determine what I do either rye and any Spring weeds. For example if the rye is 18" high I will broadcast buckwheat and mow, or crush and kill with the cultipacker. I don't have a brush hog...so that means crush and spray. If we have a late spring and the rye is only a foot high like this year...I broadcast and spray. This is the best method (buckwheat/Fall combo planting) for limiting chemicals while still being able to use high quality plants with small to medium equipment, but you still have to spray at least once per year or your efforts will be severely hampered. I just can't stand weedy plots that don't attract anything in November. Ends up a waste of time and you can develop a daily movement then. I sent you an Instagram...hope this all makes sense! So many food plotters trying to not use chemicals with small to medium sized equipment and it isn't practical or effective. Kind of a fad right now based on a lot of inexperienced advice...

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 will this method you just explained work in upstate ny?

Yes Tom, for sure...I may even hit it by late July, I like the buckwheat to get 2-3' tall...not 4-5'. Hard to walk thru to seed into 🙂

The amount per gallon doesn't really matter. It is all based upon how fast you can cover the area. In theory if you could apply glyphosate perfectly you wouldn't need any water and could apply 1 ounce to 680 sq. ft. but since that isn't possible you add water to stretch the application. if you are using a backpack sprayer your travel speed will be slower than an atv sprayer but the amount of roundup needed will be the same. This is where the amount per gallon doesnt work because the more efficiently you can apply the less roundup you need per gallon. sorry it is kind of hard to explain.

Hi Paul...like I said, you will use the layered rye method. You can fertilze/lime/seed on same day. You will not need to drag or spray...which is a good thing 🙂 due to late food plot clearing...

Hi Jason I have d lot of explanation in Chapter 12 of my Food Plot book...very detailed explanation in this video...but I have a lot more videos coming very soon ☺️ I hope they make sense!

Ha, no worries! I was on a client parcel all day so been very busy all day...

It's a great way Bob and the beauty of buckwheat is that it doesn't have to be covered by soil...just a very solid throw and grow. I did not cultipacker...just sprayed. You should see it now! Dylan and I were filming on Monday, 10 days after throwing it on the ground and it was already 3" high with leaves as big as nickels! Holds moisture too 🙂

Great.....I believe I will plant some for erosion control and green fertilizer. We will spray it in July before we plant our fall plantings in Aug. thanks

@@rfb7117 I think you will enjoy it Bob! Hopefully it won't attract too many does in your area 🙂 I would try it this year for sure. It also germinated extremely fast. Mine was 3" as of Monday...10 days after throwing it on the ground.

Hi Nic...I have used a cultipacker since roughly 2000. My last one was junk. Check the last one out...I wouldn't recommend 😉 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gNR3nJaKnrO2eKc.html It is critical with the buckwheat that you seed into it and THEN cultipack the buckwheat over the seed (even the fertilizer although not critical) and spray. If you check it my 2018 best food plot blend you can see us cultipacking too. Just type in "2018 best food plot blend" on KZfaq and it comes up in top. Depending on the planting method needed I have used a cultipacker for 20 years depending on the plot and need. Sometimes not in one state...but in the other 1 or 2 states for my own plots. The Packermaxx is a cultipacker I can stake my reputation on...the one you will see in the videos is not. Had to repair it several times since 2016. It failed the first time out...

Haha that was the one I was maybe going to buy for my Rockier area. So the packer max won’t puncture with the rock ? Didn’t know If you needed too or if a good rain is sufficient. Thanks for the help.

I usually try to hunt at least gun season in MI...

D Holb - Keep the disk, or any other tillage out of the equation. Save the work hours and the fuel, while improving your soil. Otherwise you'll be moving one step forward and one step backward... Keyword to improve ANY soil, mulch, mulch, mulch. And mulch stays on top! That's what you'll want and specially your soil biology wants. Let them do the job they're good at. ;-)

disc seed roll

Or just before...just keep me posted!

Once the rye is mowed in the spring it won't come back...for sure Randle!

Hi Steve! Tough can definitely plant buckwheat...plan for a 7-8 week crop. With your rye that high, I would then cultipack and spray gly...You can also mow the rye but I've found you get better germination rates by cultipacking and spraying. I like spraying the buckwheat because it will kill any shade tolerant low broadleaf weeds and then it also keeps the buckwhest down for an instant death instead of a slow death where some pops back up and you get mixed growth results. I also cultipack the buckwheat twice at that time.

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 i'll give it a try thanks Jeff

Hi San, I do not recommend no till drilling into standing buckwheat. The buckwheat already acts like a 1/4 to 1/2" of soil, so no need to drill. You have to seed into the standing buckwheat, then roll/crush and then spray. All of the seed easily makes it to the top of the soil, and then crushing and killing the buckwheat holds moisture, aids in germination and acts as no till drilling. Drilling on top of the buckwheat will push some seeds... especially small seeds...too deep.

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Sounds like equipment is your enemy with this. Thanks.

Definately lots of food plotters with too much equipment ☺️ i found I could create the same food plots or better long ago, by parking my tractor. I put over 500 hours on my tractor before I sold it. Far less time spent food plotting too with this method, better soil management, eliminate soil erosion concerns. Just frost seeded Switchgrass by hand yesterday before cold and snow this weekend...just a hand spreader. Quick, easy, cheap and highly effective. My client 2 days ago is likely selling his new tractor 😁

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 How do you get to bare dirt to frost seed without equipment? Fire or another method??

Hi Steve Rye grain... similar to wheat. I get mine at the local feed mills.

thanks.appreciate it.ill look into it.

@@stevestarkey6183 wheat can be used as a substitute for sure...

Buckwheat works great in OK, but needs half way decent moisture. I look at it as a 2 month smother crop...the same system will work in your area for sure! Again tho...like most plantings drought can hit it hard, but it can get by with a little bit of drought. I've had it stand very well with 9 weeks of less than an inch of rain in the UP of MI...either 99 or 2000, can't remember. Spring planted clover was dead and gone - buckwheat held on.

I wish I could tell you more...but whatever is st the feed mill. Usually around $40 or less for 2.5 gallons. I'm on a client trip in MI til next Thursday still or I would go check to make sure for you...I recognized the generic name (41% glyphosate), but just can't remember

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I found some at my local Tractor Supply store. Thanks

For sure Randy...and then any low broadleafs that made it thru with the covering of buckwheat. I can't stand weeds! I also like the buckwheat to die quickly, insuring good germinated seed to sunlight exposure. Which is why I only recommend letting the Buckwheat go for 7-8 weeks, which sets up the exact late July/August planting timing for your area.

Did that end up working for you?

Hi Tom...really tough call BUT, you definitely want to plant your clover with a cool season cover crop. Here in SW WI I would focus on planting a brassica blend with the planting, same time and mixed together in early August. You can also plant 100#s of oats per acre with the clover...oats are a great Fall cover crop and I have used rye for a clover crop going back to 99. They all work very well!

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 thank you jeff

@@TS-nb9ko you are welcome Tom!

I would recommend an electric fence setup as well. At half an acre in the middle of the woods it won't have much chance to grow. Once it is established you might have better luck.

Thanks

Hi John! Rye is gr at to seed into and naturally suppressed weed growth. Weeds in general are tough tho because there is always a worry of the weeds being so thick that seeds do not get into the soil or get enough sunlight to germinate. I would either spray glyphosate ahead of time or at the same time of planting, and then smash. It really depends on the level of weed cover tho. And the particular Spring. This was a cold spring for us so really not a lot of weed growth to worry about. I also got behind on controlling weeds last year with some unplanned planting constraints, so my weeds were worse than normal this year. If you have sparse weeds and you can get your seeds on the soil...it might be a great plan to broadcast, smash and spray. Hope that helps a bit!

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 thanks Jeff! I sprayed today, planning in a week to weed eat dead weeds, hand rake them away then seed, I know it's a lot of work but I only have a quarter Acer so I think it might work

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 plot is in southern Indiana, a large amount of ag around. Planing to plant Sweet Feast Brassica Blend from Northwoods, thanks Jeff!

@@johnheitkamp4792 that sounds really good John. Make sure to get the blend planted on the other side...oats, peas, late beans...some rye later.

@@johnheitkamp4792 oh I see John...seed that in Sweet Feast and then you can follow up with a broadcasting of rye 4-6 weeks later if it doesn't grow or is heavily consumed.

Hi Joe I hope this helps 🙂 As soon as Glyphosate hits the ground it is nutralized. There is no residual. It only kills when plants are in full leaf and have already emerged - "post emergence". For example you can soak a small tree or bush before it fully buds out and it will not kill it...it has to be full leaf, and then it will kill. You can soak your seeds with it...it will not kill, they have to be emerged and at full leaf. If you add water from a creek that has soil particles, the gly will not work. It will not effect future growth from anything after you spray, other than what has already emerged. It will not stay in soil and kill later plantings. It will not harm seeds. Been using it since 99, a lot. In lots of different ways. But again it is a post emergent. 2-4D is a post emergent broadleaf-only killer. Simazine or atrazine is a pre emergent killer -you can soak growth with either that has already emerged and it won't kill it. 2-4D has a residual of about 2 weeks in it. Meaning if you spray and then immediately plant beans, buckwheat, peas, clover...it will kill what comes up within that 2 weeks because it has a residual.... glyphosate does not. Simazine and Atrazine stays in the ground for up to 60 days.

I'm a really going to spray Gly and seed at the same time right now this very minute 😉

Thanks for the help and quick reply

It will build organic mater. And hold the nitrogen. The plot with have trouble using that nitrogen until PH level goes up

william lasure thank you!

The only bad thing? Ragweed does nothing for the deer herd in the Fall...creating, building, advancing, protecting a herd thru the Fall. Just a Summer food source. Deer have 5 times more food than they need in the Summer...ragweeed does nothing for the local deer herd in terms of a hunt, a herd, a quality food source...it lays down and dies for the Fall. I hope that makes sense? Ragweed is a decent summer forage, but then is not available for the Fall and Winter when deer need for she the most. Do not count on ragweed Or clover. Or alfalfa. Or golden rod. Or soybeans. Sounds good on paper but if it isn't providing forage during the Fall and Winter, then it is useless...

Whitetail Habitat Solutions so maybe in August knock down the ragweed and plant fall mix with tubers, etc

@@michaelneely4185 I would actually knock it down much...it doesn't do much for whitetail right now. Try following the Ultimate No Till plan...

Whitetail Habitat Solutions I’m going to let it get a little taller and bush hog it before develops mature seeds. This ragweed seems very resistant to herbicide. I think it feeds on glyphosate. It came up where I used roundup to kill fescue.

@@michaelneely4185 ragweed is just one weed they like, especially when young. Golden rod too...briars and many more. Been killing it for years tho...may have been a timing issue? Dies fairly easily. Killed about 9 acres that had it mixed in last year. Not a smother crop...mixed mid value food source. Bad thing is that you have to use heavier equipment to mage it St the end of summer...disc or tiller, or drill. Are should be sprayed before disc and tiller...and certainly a no till, or you plots will be full of weeds. Some of those weeds deer like for sire but they do not like those weeds in late Sept, October, November, December, etc. So they take from the important cool season food plot varieties to diminish the overall value of of your food plots as they relate to building a quality herd and hunt. What the Ultimate No Till system is all a out, is using minimal equipment, 1-2 sprayings and very high quality plantings to build a quality Fall herd and hunt. To mold and shape the deer herd and to have high quality diverse food on small properties. I hope that makes sense? Ragweed is something you have to manage...low cost, yes...very low impact to helping you build a herd and hunt too 😉 Hope that makes sense...

Thanks guys I will do that!

The buckwheat is critical for a Summer smother crop and then gives you the incredible option of being able to seed into and then cultipack over any seed that you want during the late Summer. No tilling, discing, etc. Also buckwheat is an outstanding soil builder all by itself. Don't have to mow or use any expensive planting equipment outside of a cultipacker, ATV, ATV sprayer and hand held broadcaster. Perfected this process back in the early 2000s...works very well and you never have to even own a tractor. I stopped using my tractor for food plotting the last few years that I owned it.

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Yup, the soil builder part is probably the best reason. Buckwheat is a forb so it breaks up the nitrogen sucking cycle of the grains and brassicas. By my calculation, the cereal side would have heavy nitrogen users continuously for 21 months. August, year 1 - beans and peas (legume) and oats (nitrogen user); September, year 1 - overseed with rye (nitrogen user); August, year 2 - kill rye and plant brassica (nitrogen user); May, year 2 - plant buckwhear.

Oh for sure Griz...typically at the same time I seed, and prior to cultipacking the Buckwheat.

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 ok I tagged you on Instagram. Got my Egyptian Wheat in today and got to get it sowed in the rain. Thanks for secret weapon.

@@Grizzlife you are very welcome Grizz...that's awesome I will check it out. Just finished with my first MI client...6 clients in 7 days. Now answering KZfaq comments and cramming in a dinner 🙂 I do love what I do...

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I'm sure you do!😁😁😂I've applied your methods and my years of experience to 200 acres. I'm in West Tennessee so it will be work. But we have good genetics. Thanks again

@@Grizzlife it is so much work Grizz...but amazing how much luck you can create with a lot of work, lol

This year (for my personal plots which may be different than yours) I will be planting 100#s of peas, 30-40#s of oats and at least 25#s of beans per acre on one half of the plots late July and then on the other 1/2 I will add a brassica blend. On the pea, oat and bean 1/2 I will broadcast 200#s per acre of rye grain around Labor day....I leave the brassica side alone. I hope that makes sense?

So when spring comes and I want to add buckwheat to the standing rye what do I do with the brassica side?

@@brandonclashofclans1565 you can just throw the seed on the open soil around 6/2 with moisture in the forecast...works extremely well.

Not sure why it sent 3 times sorry about that. Sounds great thank you very much!

@@brandonclashofclans1565 ha, no problem at all Brandon, and you are very welcome!

Thank you Anna 🙂

Yes John, definitely. You really don't even have to cultipack the buckwheat right now...I didn't. However, inlet the timing of the buckwheat determine when I plant. Meaning, I don't want to allow the buckwheat to grow for more than 2 months. That means I plant buckwheat 7-8 weeks prior to my intended cool season annual blend. If there has been an early Spring, the rye may be a foot taller...even 15" taller than this Spring. That means I would seed buckwheat, then cultipack to crush the rye down and then spray gly. This year the rye was only a foot high...so I just seeded and sprayed. If it was 18"+ I would seed, spray and cultipack. Hope that makes sense! I like 7-8 weeks of growth on the buckwheat so that it doesn't get 4-5' tall with a lot of debris and tough to walk thru...

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 hey jeff thx for vid, but i was confused too....must be a john thing lol. So does this ever transition to another type of plot like a clover or hickory? and if so is it done by seeding on top of the rye or would it be the buckwheat,spray and cultpk? And if so what dates for southern mi....btw i have bought your first book book....

Not even close...I had this published in my food plot book in 2014 (chapter 12), and articles back to the 2000s. Check out my no till soybean planting from 2014...sound familiar? Been doing this since the early 2000s...way before Growing Deer 😉 Also well published well before. www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/no-till-bean-plot-for-whitetails In fact if you just type in "No Till Soybeans For Deer", that 2014 article comes right up on top...

Whitetail Habitat Solutions. When I look it up that's is not the case. m.kzfaq.info?search_query=no+till+soybeans+for+deer

Google search ..

Whitetail Habitat Solutions. It is there yes but growing Deer has been studying it for longer and has done it for longer. And they are perfecting it every year

@@johndeerefan3873 since 2002? And using it with clients? Don't think so bud...