Last Plot Planted

 It's been a wet week. 3" in the rain gauge.  I'm still trying to get fields fertilized and every time we schedule it, it rains.

 I prepared the main field last week.  I'm running out of time to plant and I'm not sure when I'll be back.  I would have like to get the fertilizer down.  But, I went ahead and spread the seed,

 I broadcast wintergreens which is a brassica mixture from WINA.  I also did some turnips on one end of the field.

 The field was pretty wet - good thing that I wore my muck boots.

 The pumpkins that are growing look pretty good.

 It seems like the large carving pumpkins didn't germinate too well but the small specialty pumpkins did,

There are some big bare spots in the plot.

 And, after all the rain, the weeds are sprouting again.

This is the prairie plot.  There's lots growing - I'm just not sure how much of it is what I planted.

 There are some bare spots.

And some sprouts of something that may be corn, or sorghum or Johnson grass. I'm not smart enough to tell.

 Seed head - sorghum?

I can't see a lot of the warm season grasses that are supposed to be part of this plot.  But maybe this is sideoats grama?

 There are all kinds of flowering weeds - I'm not sure what's what.

 Butterfly weed I think.

The old fescue pasture has a ton of this pink flower in it this year.

I don't know what it is either.

The new clover plot by the orchard seems to be holding its own against the warm season weeds.

Many of the old established clover plots could stand to be mowed for weed control.

 Twin fawns showing on camera.

And some singles too.

 A couple bucks - nothing too special.

But lots of Tom turkeys.

Almost August.  Hunting season will be here soon.

Prairie Consult and Other Stuff

 My advisor on the prairie plot has been Lee from the National Wild Turkey Federation.  He stopped by this week and took a look at the plot.  He identified some of the main plants that are growing. This grass that is quite thick in the center of the plot is foxtail.

 And this plant is marestail.  Lee suggested mowing the dense part of the plot in these plants at a foot high if possible.

 So I gave it a go.

 Other parts of the plot are less dense - even bare.

 There's a collection of stuff out there - some of it is even what I planted.

 Lee identified a fair amount of partridge pea.

And some Illinois bundle flower. His advice was to frost seed the bare areas in some of the warm season grasses.  He says he saw some evidence of the grasses - he has a better eye than me.

The plants that have survived in the pumpkin patch look good.

 Some are starting to flower.

I worked on the main field to be prepared to plant.  I'm still waiting for the fertilizer spreader.  This week I hope.

 I got the field sprayed with weed suppressor just before the lightening and rain started.

 It rained for about an hour.

 More than 0.25 inch.

 During the rain I got the 30-06 cleaned up.  I have to start practicing for the elk hunt.

 My inside/out weather station has died.  New batteries didn't bring it back.  Trash.

 The new clover plot may actually win the battle with the weeds.

 The summer annual mix plot is doing ok.

 Some photos of John from last weekend.

Soybeans in the field just outside the driveway gate.  The deer will enjoy them.

Only 5 days on the cameras but there was some good action.  This camera has been fuzzy - I cleaned the lens.  Hope that fixes it.

 Mutant 2.

 Twins

Lee noticed that hens and poults haven't been showing on my cameras - where are they?