Hay

Fred,
It's all alfalfa. BTW Banvel will work on those weeds. It's still expensive but not as bad. You can get the generic brand which is cheaper yet.

[RichZ]

Richard, WOW!!!! Fifth cutting!!![img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

I'm hopping for TWO cuttings next year!!![img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]

Oh, well, I'm just starting out!!![img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

[Phred]

Doc,

Thanks for the tip.

Its funny if you look at some links from OK and AR people still plant this stuff and some call it poor mans alfalfa since it grows in poor soil and the annual variety makes good hay.
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publ...L/FSA-3050.asp
http://www.penningtonseed.com/forage/sericea.htm
Then in other states the perennial variety is called a noxious weed and the county will help you kill it off!
http://www.hpj.com/wsdocs/html/0531n...enoMRpmHTM.HTM
http://www.news-star.com/stories/102099/new_plant.shtml
The perennial appears to be the key problem because once you get it started its hard to control without the high end chemicals.

Although goats love it and the nutrional value of it is quite high. Also if you cut it for hay it works well since the tannins in it breakdown and the hay is more appealing to cows.

Fred

[IndianaPaul]

Section of southwest Indiana I am in will be lucky to get a 2nd cutting of hay this year due to dry weather (though some parts of region seem better than others).

As for lespedeza, I have one small pasture (10 acres) planted with a mixture of it and turkeys love it. This time of year the turkeys have broken up into smaller groups, so we only see 6-10 birds at a time. Late fall and in the spring, the group grows to about 40 birds.

Though quail are not in high numbers in this part of state, I do have a nice covey of about 15 birds that seem to enjoy it as well.

P.S. For the first time in about 8 weeks, we have gotten 3 nice showers in past 72 hours!

IndianaPaul

[Hayseed]

My uncle was really bugging me last year to plant some lespedeza on his property in south Arkansas... seems he had read or was told that turkeys liked it and he wanted to see for himself if it made any difference in the turkey population on his property. There is a decent turkey populaton around his place but he says they always mysteriously disappear around turkey season. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

I have only in the past couple of years started seeing coveys of quail again after not seeing them in his area for most of my life. He said quail and doves were prolific in the area back in the first half of the 20th century, back when most of the area was still farmed. There is very little farming there now and I guess all those woods don't make as good a habitat for them as the fields and crops used to in the old days. I saw my first covey of quail on one of my deer stands three years ago on a chilly November morning and could not have been more excited if I had seen a nice eight point. I don't hunt quail or doves but I really love to see them making a rebound there. I just like to watch and listen to them.

[IndianaPaul]

Chris:

Same thing with quail statewide and pheasant northern third of state. Once prolific, but on decline for many years. Quail are making a comeback in some areas, but modern road edge to road edge farming practices have really hurt the population as they took out most of the fencerows. Area I live in have been heavily surface mined, so once reclaimed, it has made good cover for the quail. I also plant strips of milo, wheat, sunflower, and clover around the place to keep turkey, dove, deer and other critters happy.

Dove population has been down at most of the Fish/Wildlife areas around here for past 5-6 years....largely due to combination of wet springs making it tough to get food plots out. Around my place, with exception of the this fall, doves have been plentiful.

IndianaPaul

[Hayseed]

Paul,

I've never seen a real live pheasant but I imagine they are something to behold.

BTW, glad you are getting some rain. I am sure you need it.

[Phred]

Paul,

Sorry to here it has been so dry. Hopefully this is just a one year deal and next year will be better.

Glad to hear that the wildlife likes the lespedeza. Do you have the annual or the perennial?

Hayseed:
I am thinking about planting more of the annual in some areas that are in bad shape. From what I have read its very easy to get started. Some of the links talk about broadcasting it in mid winter and then letting the forst heave do the rest. The claim is that this is effective. Also the seed is relatively cheap. Looks like the annual Kobe is the most common and easy to find.

Fred

[DUMBDOG]

We have lots of pheasant in North Dakota. The problem is finding a place to hunt them that does not charge.

[Hayseed]

Phred,

I'd really like to grow some lespedeza but my uncle's property is mostly wooded except around his house. I would have to plant on the highline right of way that runs through the middle of his property. When I say highline I mean the kind with the tall metal towers and the 40-50 yd. wide right of way. The highline maint. crew only passes once every few years to mow everything down but apparently mowing would't hurt it. If I recollect correctly late winter or early spring is the time to plant... maybe I will sew some seeds this winter and see how it goes.