Jim Neal Posted June 24, 2022 Report Share Posted June 24, 2022 (edited) Our covers haven't been drilled yet. They're just maize, nothing else fancy. They've been drilled no later than the 1st week of June in the last few years but still have struggled to produce any ripe cobs in time. Last year they rotted before most ripened and the year before it didn't cob up at all. We start shooting 2nd Saturday in October. I'm getting a bit twitchy that it's been left too late. Opinions? Edited June 24, 2022 by Jim Neal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted June 24, 2022 Report Share Posted June 24, 2022 Think you`ve answered your own question already tbh,maize timing is area specific and you have past experience ! Is a different crop possible ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted June 24, 2022 Report Share Posted June 24, 2022 In my experience maize needs a good tonnage of muck to get any height and good crop on it, that was the case on our old ground, even if it was put in with good time and was not 'well mucked', in the most, it resulted in a short height and poor cobs. Remeber one year beating through a maize block that must ahve been no taller than a metre in height overall, the partridge could see you coming from a mile away. As matone suggests, what about a different crop. What is the name of that grass used as a game crop that puts on a good height in a shortish time?. Have read a few threads on here about it in the past few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 Get a wild bird mix in You will get just as much joy watching the butterflies bees and then the little birds utilising it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 Here in SW Scotland maize is in during May. We plant a game mix in June though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 8 hours ago, 7daysinaweek said: In my experience maize needs a good tonnage of muck to get any height and good crop on it, that was the case on our old ground, even if it was put in with good time and was not 'well mucked', in the most, it resulted in a short height and poor cobs. Remeber one year beating through a maize block that must ahve been no taller than a metre in height overall, the partridge could see you coming from a mile away. As matone suggests, what about a different crop. What is the name of that grass used as a game crop that puts on a good height in a shortish time?. Have read a few threads on here about it in the past few years. Yep, it likes muck and more muck. The dairy farm I shoot on grows a huge acreage and they lather the ground before ploughing it in. Artificial will not do the same job. THEN initially you need rain and this last few weeks have been a worry because we did not have any quantity up here and the maize looked a bit drab. We had about 6 hrs nice steadt solid rain and the result was amazing. If your just wanting cover then you can still plant it but you will have to then feed it hard to compensate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 maize needs 120 units of nitrogen to grow right and high...........with the price of fertilizer going thro the roof ...an alternative needs to be found....have you access to slurry ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 You are right, amazing what a bit of rain can do for it if it has been well fed, puts on growth quick with that vibrant green. 6 minutes ago, ditchman said: maize needs 120 units of nitrogen to grow right and high...........with the price of fertilizer going thro the roof ...an alternative needs to be found....have you access to slurry ? Would growing a crop of clover in the previous season increase the nitrogen soil content? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 12 minutes ago, 7daysinaweek said: You are right, amazing what a bit of rain can do for it if it has been well fed, puts on growth quick with that vibrant green. Would growing a crop of clover in the previous season increase the nitrogen soil content? it would supply some nitrogen.....what about an alternate crop like sorgum...or millet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 Any of the Legume family will fix good amounts of nitrogen in to the soil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 (edited) 👍 Nothing like good slurry and a dryer muck to make a crop thrive. Has anyone noticed that slurry spreading is not carried out as much as it once was?, that seems to be the case around here. The distinct aroma does not appear to permeate the air in the village as it once did. Edited June 25, 2022 by 7daysinaweek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 2 hours ago, 7daysinaweek said: 👍 Nothing like good slurry and a dryer muck to make a crop thrive. Has anyone noticed that slurry spreading is not carried out as much as it once was?, that seems to be the case around here. The distinct aroma does not appear to permeate the air in the village as it once did. no **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 2 minutes ago, ditchman said: no **** Quite literally! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 3 minutes ago, ditchman said: no **** 🤣 1 minute ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Quite literally! 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 The dairy farm I shoot over use every drop. They zero graze so grow a large acreage of grass as well as maize and one really special additive is when the sand from the beding is taken from the separator and spread you can see the response from whatver crop the next year when that is ploughed in. Farmyard manure takes a great deal of beating and I have just harvested a big double handful of new potatoes(Rocket) grown in a 50/50 mix farmyard manure and Jacks Magic to go with some lamb chops and Sweiss Chard this evening. Awesome !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 5 hours ago, 7daysinaweek said: 👍 Nothing like good slurry and a dryer muck to make a crop thrive. Has anyone noticed that slurry spreading is not carried out as much as it once was?, that seems to be the case around here. The distinct aroma does not appear to permeate the air in the village as it once did. Not the case in our village. I have grass to the side and grass behind the house and every year the fields receive dry muck spreading and slurry spreading. This year’s dosage has been particularly pungent. My ex-townie neighbours, who normally sit in the garden a lot, have not been seen outside the house for three weeks. Nice story: A few years back, talking to farmer Bob shortly after muckspreading, I mentioned that his son, Richard, had managed to chuck some over the hedge onto my lawn whilst manoeuvring in the field corner. Bob said, “ooh, I didn’t know about that.” Two days later I received a bill for the muck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B725 Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 6 hours ago, 7daysinaweek said: 👍 Nothing like good slurry and a dryer muck to make a crop thrive. Has anyone noticed that slurry spreading is not carried out as much as it once was?, that seems to be the case around here. The distinct aroma does not appear to permeate the air in the village as it once did. It may be because they are applying it using a dribble bar or direct injection both way's reduce the smell, using the splash plate on a slurry tanker is to be banned in the next couple of year's or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 Glad to hear that traditional farming practice is still alive and well in your area, albeit a 'smelly one', muck can certainly can be pungent old stuff! Read a quote somewhere once from a individual from the city, it read, " there is only one problem with the countryside: It is full of people from the country." I hope your friends get a spell outside soon, it sounds like they are under 'olfactory house arrest'. I do feel for them to an extent. That farmer has a dry sense of humor. I take it he was not being serious! P.S L,B Did it burn the lawn? 1 minute ago, B725 said: It may be because they are applying it using a dribble bar or direct injection both way's reduce the smell, using the splash plate on a slurry tanker is to be banned in the next couple of year's or so. Ahh Cheers for that, that may explain the reduction of smell in my area, I will miss that aroma in some ways. Why is it being banned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B725 Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 Apparently it cuts down on amonia being released. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 45 minutes ago, B725 said: Apparently it cuts down on amonia being released. 👍 Ahh As run off and gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 To be honest the smell just reminds me how lucky we are to live out here away from the stinking city I once used to police. I have a friend from California who when working in London arranged a wildfowling trip up on the wash and on the drive out to the shore they passed by a freshly deposited heap of good old Norfolk muck. UGHHH!! from my friend was responded by "Aye, breath twice and your greedy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted June 25, 2022 Report Share Posted June 25, 2022 Adjoining us is a dairy farm and slurry is applied to the grass two or three times a year. The management just doesn’t put the washing out to dry for a week after! It’s just part of living in a beautiful area and not having neighbours…well not human anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 26, 2022 Report Share Posted June 26, 2022 On 25/06/2022 at 18:07, B725 said: Apparently it cuts down on amonia being released. ammoina being NH4 being made up of 1 nitroger and 4 hydrogen...if injected into the soil it will break down and its constituant parts absorbed into the soil/plants rather than evaporating off...............saw an experiment of nitrogen being injected directly into a grassland............wooooowww...it was like rocket fuel to the grass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Neal Posted July 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2022 Gents, I do apologise - I posted this up and forgot to check back. I haven't really been on the forum much in the last couple of months because I've been too busy with other stuff. The maize was eventually drilled about 4 weeks ago. We've barely had a drop of rain here since the beginning of June. It has struggled its way up to about 6" now with several leaves on each stem, but the deer have found it now unfortunately We've had a couple of tiny smatterings of wet in the last week but not enough to soak in or change the soil moisture content. As always when making choices, out limitation is funding. Maize is pretty much the cheapest thing we can do. I've already politely suggested that if we can't get a consistently worthwhile crop of maize then why not plant miscanthus in wide rows which should just need topping every year. It's cover without feed value - the same as a naff maize crop - but will save a lot of money we can spend elsewhere. I have previously suggested we broadcast mustard over the plots as early as possible in the year so it can then be ploughed in before the plots are drilled with maize, but was told there isn't enough time to do that. Our birds, which were promised "at the end of June" have just been delivered today! Put my back out lifting a crate, now sitting here in agony 😣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted July 26, 2022 Report Share Posted July 26, 2022 Oh Jim, you really must prioritise better! Hope your back settles down Mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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