I have been on numerous properties the past few weeks and am seeing a trend this year, a lot of weeds. The thing I have also been noticing is how many weeds are already heading out. So many people do not realize that once any weed begins to produce seed heads, that they are harder to kill. You want to spray most weeds before they reach 6" tall. Early season scouting might show you not just the quantity of weeds you have but also the type. So many people just think about using Glyphosate (Roundup) but you might need to add some residual weed control to your roundup or even change your herbicide product so as to reduce roundup resistance. Here is one strategy for a new or current plot that con
So many people overlook the importance of Bees for pollination. We need bees and we have seen a large drop in bee populations in recent years. The past year I have seen more people getting into bee keeping and being aware of planting forages to help the cause. Grandpa Ray Outdoors has a bee clover mix. The formula is: Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover 20% Alsike Clover 20% Ladino Clover 20% Berseem Clover 20% White Dutch Clover 20% This mix contains a blend of annual, biannual and perennial clover that are ideal for bees and all species of wildlife for food and cover. Planting Dates: April 1- June 15 August 1- Sept 15th. Seeding Rate 8-10 lbs. per acre What is pollination? It is the transfer of
So many people think all you have to do is buy a few bags of deer minerals and the end result will be a large buck shot in the fall. It's not that simple. Many also believe that genetics is the sole factor in large antlered bucks. Here is the cycle of life. This is how it starts and factors that will tilt the table in your favor. The 30 days before a doe drops her fawn is where the cycle starts. The does are rebuilding their reserves from the previous season. They also are feeding the fawns that they carry. There is a ramping up on the nutrient needs of the doe. This is where high quality forages in the spring are important. We need good protein and mineral levels of the forages. This is nee
What should I plant? So many people on social media ask that simple question and as many people respond with a simple answer, buy from xyz company. An equal amount of people respond with “plant mix abc. Here is what drives me wild as a consultant. Simple answers usually result in 50-50 odds of success. I never want my clients to experience anything less than as close to perfect success as possible. Here is an example. Corn farmers have multiple choices of varieties. When a seed salesman or agronomist sits down with the farmer they discuss where the corn will be planted. They will discuss the soil type and perhaps even look at a soil sample. They weigh out when they are going to plant the co
