# Planting Crops?



## billybass23 (Sep 11, 2007)

If there's any one out there who is familiar with farming, I'm interested to know how you go about planting wheat or barley? Especially if you were to do it in the fall. Just wondering about how to prepare the soil and the works like that. I'm also wondering about clover and alfalfa if anyone knows anything about that, any information on the matter would be great! I'm looking at these crops as well as any others that would help out with the deer, ducks, geese and pheasants on a piece of property. I might also say it will only be dry farming with no irigation water. Thanks again


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## Petersen (Sep 7, 2007)

I grew up on a farm. We grew plenty of alfalfa, barley and oats.

Exactly what you have in mind, I don't know, but these are domesticated plants that don't do all that well on their own without some pampering. In other words, it's just like planting a vegetable garden, only on a larger scale. A farmer would use a tractor to plow, disc, harrow and level the field before planting anything.

Whatever it takes, though, you'll pretty much have to till the soil before you plant anything since the seeds need loose soil for the roots to sink into. You'll also need a way to get the seeds a half inch or so beneath the soil.

As for dry farming, it's tricky because it all depends on the weather. Let's say you plant several acres of barely on a late fall day. A successful crop would depend on getting just the right amount of rain and warm weather in the late fall or early spring to germinate the seeds. Then the spring has to alternate between warmth and rain. Too cool and rainy and the seeds rot. Too warm and dry, and the ground dries out before the plants mature. Dry farm crops pretty much play themselves out by early June when the hot weather hits and the spring rains stop.

Then you'd need to do it all again the next year. Alfalfa will last from year to year, but considering the amount of precipitation we get here, it doesn't do well hardly anywhere in the state without summer irrigation.

Without irrigation and serious effort, none of these domesticated crops are really self-sustaining. To tell you the truth, they're probably inappropriate for what you have in mind and are willing and able to put into it. Instead, you might look into native and drought-tolerant perennial grasses, forbs and brush that will thrive in whatever conditions exist on your piece of property. Here's a little reading to get you started: http://www.uacd.org/pdf/grazinglandsxxx.pdf and http://extension.usu.edu/htm/publications.


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## SingleShot man (Dec 24, 2007)

Simple solution-

Try Barley, Foriage Kochia, and salt blocks. It's the idiots guide to racks. SHAME! :shock: Cheating. -)O(- :evil:


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## SingleShot man (Dec 24, 2007)

Oh,...
anyone have a spread open for Barley, Foriage Kochia, and salt blocks? I'll help you bail hay and move stock! 8) 
PM me. Where's the 'laughing smiley'? I'm a hypocrite.
My Grandma always said- 'alcohol in= sense out'.
Sounds 'bout right.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I grew up farming, but we didn't do barley or wheat. We done lots of alfalfa and clover mix. Alfalfa is tough but takes alot of water like Pete said. We had 40 inches of moisture a year and cut hay 3 times. Alfalfa, a legume, puts tons of nitrogen in the soil. In many parts of the country it is typical to plow alfalfa up after 2 to 4 years and plant some nitrogen-loving crop like corn in it's place. 

This Foriage Kochia is supposed to be the cat's meow for dry climates. I hear deer love it. 

It takes a lot of equipment and work to plow, disc, rake and drill alfalfa. Good luck.


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## The Naturalist (Oct 13, 2007)

Good advice from all. If you're dry farming you definitely need to plant your barley/wheat in the fall, usually around the middle of Sept. That way the seed can take advantage of the fall rainfall and begin to grow. The next spring it should take off. The only problem with fall planting is if we have a heavy snow that stays on the ground all winter it can sometimes kill the young plants.
Legumes (alfalfa and clover) are out of the question for a dry farm.
Another thing you might consider are sunflowers for a dry farm, not the giant ones, but the smaller black oil sunflowers.
Do you have a drill? A drill is what farmers use to plant the seed. It has different settings for the type/size of seed you want to plant. How many acres? If it is a large area you definitely don't want to be planting by hand!


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## billybass23 (Sep 11, 2007)

thanks all for the advice. I have a way to plow the ground, so that won't be a problem. I'm just looking for something the ducks and geese can feed on as well as the pheasants. If I have wheat or barley that's not flooded, would I have to knock it down or something to make it accessable for the waterfowl? I was also looking at some type of millet. I will look into this kochia though, does anyone know what time of year you plant it and if it takes much soil preperations? Anyway thanks for the input and I'll let you know how it all works out with the different plants I end up trying out.


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