How is everyone's spring habitat projects going?

70796195416__5DB821B7-0BF3-40D5-B1C3-FFB3868D5727.jpeg

Here is part of the ~10 acres I sprayed gly this spring to kill the reeds canary grass. Drilled Cave In Rock SG Memorial Day weekend.

Here is one of our corn plots. Needs some rain but coming relatively well.
70795498484__97821CC0-4E9A-4C76-BCCC-B5FD404B39DD.jpeg
This is just a random picture of where we burned this spring. Few Forbes starting to bloom, although this mix is primarily NWSG due to it being in the flood plain.
IMG_2026.jpeg
And here is our ~2 acre sorghum plot just starting to come up. Definitely needs some rain.
IMG_2024.jpeg
Finally, I found this interesting. In areas that are primarily reeds canary grass that I sprayed a few times this spring, there is now several patches of milkweed and other desirable (and non desirable) forbs coming in. Amazing what can happen when you set back the cool season grasses
IMG_2027.jpeg
 
Pretty good. 3rd year of spraying cool seasons out of our 20 acres of switch. Tons of milkweed coming in per usual. Having some canada thistle that we're going to spot spray. Want to leave as much milkweed as possible. Corn food plots are in, but they germinated and sat for 2 weeks with no rain. Just got over 2 inches within the last couple days. Might end up replanting with sorghum/sunflowers. Trying our hand in this whole regenerative ag deal. Buying a 6 foot grass (and grain) drill this week. Got approved to do some strip spraying of our cp1. When we sprayed out the brome, fescue and timothy for the switch planting it exploded with foxtail. Birds love it. doing some timber land improvements as well for the grouse. Shaping up to be a great summer, and then it's back off to college.
 
Pretty good. 3rd year of spraying cool seasons out of our 20 acres of switch. Tons of milkweed coming in per usual. Having some canada thistle that we're going to spot spray. Want to leave as much milkweed as possible. Corn food plots are in, but they germinated and sat for 2 weeks with no rain. Just got over 2 inches within the last couple days. Might end up replanting with sorghum/sunflowers. Trying our hand in this whole regenerative ag deal. Buying a 6 foot grass (and grain) drill this week. Got approved to do some strip spraying of our cp1. When we sprayed out the brome, fescue and timothy for the switch planting it exploded with foxtail. Birds love it. doing some timber land improvements as well for the grouse. Shaping up to be a great summer, and then it's back off to college.
How are you going about spraying cool seasons out of Switch? Hitting it with Glyphosate early before the NWSG are actively growing?
 
Made it out after the rain and was happy to see some of the new crp seeding (Leopold mix) coming in. IMG_2153.jpeg

Also, hard to see here but finally getting some switch grass sprouting where I killed the RCG this spring in old low laying pasture ground. 70952279857__2D370383-B573-4A61-97C8-6AB0660A2B85.jpeg

Plan is to get out and mow it all here around the 4th and hope for the best. I was mowing my clover and kicked up two small pheasant chicks, so that was encouraging.
 
Well, spent the day cleaning up weed patches and planting some fall covercrops a little early. If they don't make it I will replant. Just didn't want the weeds to go to seed and hate seeing black soil remain bare. First picture is a grassland waterway I'm working on trying to get junipers established on each side and the west side an assortment of bushes in the second row. Elderberries seem to be doing the best so far. Second photo is the seed mix I am using for my field edges. I had bad stripe gopher, pheasant and deer issues this spring and the edges of my corn field got eaten pretty bad so they are now planted to this stuff. If it doesn't work I will replant to turnips in August. The remaining pictures are just a couple of the field edges that were weeds and hopefully soon will be cover crops. Chance of rain tonight, so if we get some moisture crops should pop up quickly.

1690338008738.png
1690337889947.png
1690337758934.png
1690337729435.png
1690337693191.png
 
I was out at about 6:30 this morning and cleared-out the giant foxtail and everything else that was grow in my latest attempt to create a bit more habitat. It took about an hour, temp was only 70ish (100% humidity) to start and I was wringing sweat from my tee shirt when I finished. Have to add a bit more fencing to some yet...maybe in the morning. The survival and establishment for either species from direct planting of seeds must require a wet spring, that last 2 years with was almost a complete failure. All but 2 of the ones remaining were starting indoors before spring and moved out late spring. Decent success doing that, but too much work. Next year I have decided to try cutting off and digging-up "suckers" from the plum row that can be seen in the distance. Those plums are migrating into the adjacent food plot, there should be plenty to try this on.
Forgot to add the pic!

plum & peach.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top