Frost Seeding

[dbHunterNY]

35 minutes ago, LET EM GROW said:

@Otto the rule of thumb for this area is prep plot youth season of turkey season, and plant it opening day/weekend. But you can seed clovers at anytime really, its the nurse crop your planting with it that needs to survive. Frost seeding perennials now is zero concern, planting and plot prepping, you need to wait for sure. LAte April Early MAy is the best time to plant them for that growing season. You'll have a decent establishment by fall. But Fall planted perennial plots are the best. Just include a nurse crop for best results. 

it's pretty slick how more and more you probably see cereal rye get planted and then roll crimped without being cut. dumps nitrogen, helps with soil erosion (we have a lot of hills here), keeps moisture on the surface, and cuts down on weeds without spraying. plant a little heavier right over it laying there. our problem is that the cover crop needs protecting! it'll get mowed right down to dirt in spring.

[Otto]

2 hours ago, dbHunterNY said:

@Otto seems like we've gotten a good snow storm in the beginning to middle of March in recent years here between the capital region and adirondack foothills. extended forecast has it dropping just under 30 but not looking too bad as we getting into late March. I think last year I planted some as soon snow burned off the last week in March. topography does matter. similar to apple trees it's not the best to be in a hole that gets less sun but more so collects colder air and holds it longer.

 

1 hour ago, LET EM GROW said:

@Otto the rule of thumb for this area is prep plot youth season of turkey season, and plant it opening day/weekend. But you can seed clovers at anytime really, its the nurse crop your planting with it that needs to survive. Frost seeding perennials now is zero concern, planting and plot prepping, you need to wait for sure. LAte April Early MAy is the best time to plant them for that growing season. You'll have a decent establishment by fall. But Fall planted perennial plots are the best. Just include a nurse crop for best results. 

I agree a nurse crop is beneficial.  Where I plant clover it is over winter rye planted last early fall.  Once it gets bigger in late spring, I will mow the rye and the clover is already growing well underneath.  Another reason I will wait is because my clover seed won't be in until early April, so I am sort of forced into it. 

Edited March 12 by Otto

[Stubborn1vt]

Frost seeded a couple strips this past week with red clover, a mix of white clover, a little alsike and some leftover WI Fusion.  I have a tiny woods plot to do, but I have to get the oak leaves off it.  Still looks like a fair bit of freeze and thaw over the next week.

I also pruned a couple small apple trees.  Everything  is pretty wet.  I need to add a bunch of woodchips to the wet spots in my log road.  I made my second attempt at propagating red osier dogwood.  I put 80 or so cuttings in last year, but we had a very dry April/May and they almost all failed.  I put in another 80-100 yesterday.  If these fail, I won't bother with it again.  The only upside is that the cuttings were free from the neighbor's property, so all I have invested is my time. 

I did discover that my good Felco hand pruners are missing.  I had done a good job keeping track of them over the past 5 years, but now I can't place them.  I can't remember the last thing I used them on either.  Guess I'm slipping.  I had to use a pair of pink handled ones that my wife had.  I managed to get through the day without misplacing those, so I guess that's a win.

[Otto]

5 hours ago, Stubborn1vt said:

 

I did discover that my good Felco hand pruners are missing.  

The Harbor Frieght ones at $10 are nearly identical knockoffs of them.

[Belo]

On 3/17/2024 at 9:10 AM, Stubborn1vt said:

Frost seeded a couple strips this past week with red clover, a mix of white clover, a little alsike and some leftover WI Fusion.  I have a tiny woods plot to do, but I have to get the oak leaves off it.  Still looks like a fair bit of freeze and thaw over the next week.

I also pruned a couple small apple trees.  Everything  is pretty wet.  I need to add a bunch of woodchips to the wet spots in my log road.  I made my second attempt at propagating red osier dogwood.  I put 80 or so cuttings in last year, but we had a very dry April/May and they almost all failed.  I put in another 80-100 yesterday.  If these fail, I won't bother with it again.  The only upside is that the cuttings were free from the neighbor's property, so all I have invested is my time. 

I did discover that my good Felco hand pruners are missing.  I had done a good job keeping track of them over the past 5 years, but now I can't place them.  I can't remember the last thing I used them on either.  Guess I'm slipping.  I had to use a pair of pink handled ones that my wife had.  I managed to get through the day without misplacing those, so I guess that's a win.

don't know much about planting red osier, but is it too early? I wouldn't plant any other tree quite yet. 

[Stubborn1vt]

7 hours ago, Belo said:

don't know much about planting red osier, but is it too early? I wouldn't plant any other tree quite yet. 

These are dormant cuttings.  I doubt very much that we'll get any severe weather in the near future.  I will probably transplant a couple wild apples in a week or two.  Trees/shrubs are pretty forgiving when they are dormant.

[LET EM GROW]

On 3/17/2024 at 9:10 AM, Stubborn1vt said:

Frost seeded a couple strips this past week with red clover, a mix of white clover, a little alsike and some leftover WI Fusion.  I have a tiny woods plot to do, but I have to get the oak leaves off it.  Still looks like a fair bit of freeze and thaw over the next week.

I also pruned a couple small apple trees.  Everything  is pretty wet.  I need to add a bunch of woodchips to the wet spots in my log road.  I made my second attempt at propagating red osier dogwood.  I put 80 or so cuttings in last year, but we had a very dry April/May and they almost all failed.  I put in another 80-100 yesterday.  If these fail, I won't bother with it again.  The only upside is that the cuttings were free from the neighbor's property, so all I have invested is my time. 

I did discover that my good Felco hand pruners are missing.  I had done a good job keeping track of them over the past 5 years, but now I can't place them.  I can't remember the last thing I used them on either.  Guess I'm slipping.  I had to use a pair of pink handled ones that my wife had.  I managed to get through the day without misplacing those, so I guess that's a win.

 

On 3/18/2024 at 9:14 AM, Belo said:

don't know much about planting red osier, but is it too early? I wouldn't plant any other tree quite yet. 

You can plant anything at anytime as long as planted properly. And if not budded yet in fears of frost. Red oiser dogwood you just sink cuttings into the groun6-8" and they do the rest and best in more damp areas.. 

[Robhuntandfish]

1 hour ago, LET EM GROW said:

 

You can plant anything at anytime as long as planted properly. And if not budded yet in fears of frost. Red oiser dogwood you just sink cuttings into the groun6-8" and they do the rest and best in more damp areas.. 

we have a lot of red osier dogwood on our hunting spot and its really wet there.  i didnt realize it was that good of a deer food source.  Good to know. 

Edited March 20 by Robhuntandfish

[LET EM GROW]

1 hour ago, Robhuntandfish said:

we have a lot of red osier dogwood on our hunting spot and its really wet there.  i didnt realize it was that good of a deer food source.  Good to know. 

Yep deer love it! They'll devour it before it gets a chance.  Man id love to find some cuttings to stick in the ground

[Belo]

certainly getting that freeze now. wow. 

[Robhuntandfish]

5 hours ago, LET EM GROW said:

Yep deer love it! They'll devour it before it gets a chance.  Man id love to find some cuttings to stick in the ground

sent a message with a link to my buddy that I split the lease with this morn that its good deer browse, as he likes to refer to it as "that red shit that grew up so high and thick I cant see over it anymore"  lol   

Edited March 20 by Robhuntandfish

[broomeguy]

Frost seeded my favorite kill plot. Found 2 "new" wild apple trees which I released. Did some edge feathering. Saw interesting circular pattern in the snow. Too big to be deer IMO. No shed antlers found but pleasant weather. 

[Robhuntandfish]

last years frost seeding is popping