Trying Pearl Millet

[skyhightree1]

I spoke to a lot of you last year on pearl millet and I decided to give a couple acres a whirl. I am planting it in my problematic portions of my pastures where sand burn normally grows and very little grass so I decided to take the tractor out I bought last month and test her good with the chisel plow she did well didn't know it was back there. I will be discing up the area too and realize I cant plant it till soil temp is 70 degrees so maybe by july at the current rate.

 

[frieghttrain]

Good luck!! We don't have to deal with sandy soil all hard dirt here. Joe

 

[skyhightree1]

Thanks, I hope it turns out well

 

[cowboy43]

When I chisel plow it does not look smooth like yours, it makes clods In the clay soil and pulls up flint rocks, it takes several discings pulling a took harrow to smooth.

 

[wbvs58]

I planted some Red Millet into one of my poor performing sandy paddocks last summer. I put out a load of chicken litter and added a bit more black urea when it was about 9" tall and it went well, about 8 acres and I cut some for hay first off and got over 400 small square bales then some more urea and periodically grazed it the rest of summer. At the end of Feb I grazed hard then sprayed it out and direct drilled oats into it a month later. The oats are coming up very nicely and even, I was very impressed with this as we have had very dry conditions at the moment and without the grass sucking out the moisture and the dead mat of grass reducing evaporation I found good moisture when I drilled the oats in and I saved a bit of soil structure there.
I will put millet in again this summer and then sow a temperate pasture next autumn if I am sure I have exhausted all weed and grass seed though I am getting a bit fond of having this bit of cultivation and have put in a lot of work clearing rocks etc. My plan is to then move to the next paddock and repeat the process.
I think you will do well with the millet Sky.

Ken

 

[ez14]

Is millet very common around you? Your a little north of millet country right? (Or do i not know what im talking about)

Let us know how it goes

 

[JMJ Farms]

When I chisel plow it does not look smooth like yours, it makes clods In the clay soil and pulls up flint rocks, it takes several discings pulling a took harrow to smooth.

Mine doesn't look that good either. I must be doing something wrong.

 

[skyhightree1]

When I disc generally is like a fine powder... Ez no it's not uncommon just not many cattle farmers here. It grows fine a neighbor planted some I posted some pics of it it seems the only kind sold around here is hybrid dwarf though

 

[SJB]

What are you gonna do with it after? Bale it and feed it? Till/disc it back in to improve soil?

 

[greybeard]

Those chisels would stay tripped 90% of the time here. Ground right now is harder than a hooker's heart.

 

[skyhightree1]

I'm going to rotational graze soome heifers I'm keeping. Once fall comes and its time to plant oats I'll disc it in.

 

[tdc_cattle]

When I chisel plow it does not look smooth like yours, it makes clods In the clay soil and pulls up flint rocks, it takes several discings pulling a took harrow to smooth.

Mine doesn't look that good either. I must be doing something wrong.

I'm guessing he's either not running it very deep or doesn't really have compaction so it looks like that. Maybe just that much sand.

I just bought a mounted chisel to use as a root rake but I ran it through the garden when I brought it home. It looked pretty smooth also. Nothing like what it looks like after chiseling our fields.

 

[skyhightree1]

You see in the pic where the tires at its over a foot down... We have sandy loam soil

 

[skyhightree1]

Here is the soil after its been worked up

 

[ez14]

Here is the soil after its been worked up

Id hate to go through a dry spell with that kind of soil

 

[skyhightree1]

Its not pretty at all.

 

[tdc_cattle]

You see in the pic where the tires at its over a foot down... We have sandy loam soil

So why the need to chisel?

 

[skyhightree1]

Just wanted to break it up

 

[gizmom]

Skyhigh

We are planting pearl millet as well we love the results we get with it. It is also a little insurance if things dry up or at least it held up quite well during our last drought.

Hope you have a good stand

Gizmom

 

[skyhightree1]

Yes I wish you the best as well. I will be planting hybrid dwarf pearl millet.