Planning the Field - Phase II

That quail hunt was fun, but back to getting ready to plant the dove field.  There was still a lot to think about.  Others I know may have the experience or innate knowledge of what to plant, when to plant, how much to fertilize.  I am not one of those people.  Perhaps the biggest part of the planning process was when.  I could read or get advice on when to plant, but the problem of when I am available to work on the field became apparent.

The seed catalogs tell me to prepare the field in spring and start planting in May, or maybe June depending on the crop.  With just a few weeks to get the field ready to plant, I looked at my calendar.  Easter Weekend and Mother’s Day are definitely out, there are Cub Scout events two of the weekends in May, and then there’s the camping trip with my brothers and their families over Memorial Day.  “So many social engagements, so little time.”

Merlin inspecting the tractor while
my daughter takes a test drive

When I did get the chance in April to start plowing, Johnny brought a part to his tractor that needed replacement.  The tractor would not hold the plow without it.  So we spent the time to replace the part, loaded on the disc harrow and turned the engine off to take a break.  When we tried to crank the tractor, the battery was dead.  With no way to charge it, we were not plowing that weekend.

Fortunately, Johnny found some time to start plowing, and started preparing the field as well as a few quail food plots in the past few weeks.  So we’re getting closer to being able to plant.  Still, time is running short and a loaded workday lies ahead of us for this weekend.

But the excitement continues and I got a boost when the soil test came back from UGA.  With a pH of 7.3 no lime is needed.  I thought we lucked out, but Johnny’s been dumping lime on the food plots over the past six or seven years, so his efforts have paid off.

The test recommended 60 lbs. of nitrogen, 20 lbs of Phosphate, and 40 lbs. of Potash per acre.  In other words, we will have ½ a ton of 12-4-8 spread on the field.  I called the local supplier and they said they would sale 12-4-8 at $10 for 40 lbs or they would spread the same at $10 per 40 lbs. with a 1 ton minimum.  I’m opting for the supplier to spread with enough in the 2,000 lbs. to cover the field and the quail plots.  We’re looking forward to some health plots and plenty of wing shooting in the fall.

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