Planting for Waterfowl

[jtdumallard]

I have a slight problem this year due to the river flooding us and staying on us so long. I have our biggest and most productive hole that we just took the water off of this past weekend. It will not be dry enough to access with heavy equipment for several weeks so my question is can I top seed anything right now and get any growth? We typically plant this hole in millet. What are my options on top sowing seeds? This is delta gumbo so when it drys out over the next few weeks its going to crack up which makes me want to believe i could possibly get a decent stand of crop.

[JaMak84]

Sling some jap millet out on that mud. It'll make. And have some 2-4D ready. With these temps you're probably gonna get some coffee bean and cocklebur too.

[jtdumallard]

Will the 2-4D hurt the millet?

[JaMak84]

Will the 2-4D hurt the millet?

No, 24d is a broadleaf control. Just make sure you don't have any broadleaf crops nearby.

[novacaine]

or just watch it..............it may be covered up in sprouting good stuff once the water goes down.
But like JaMak said......................coffeeweed is on its way with late season slow drawdown.

Get a plant id book and look for barnyardgrass, toothcup, sprangletop...........its all good.

[SB]

If you can hold water on it until early August, then release it, broadcast Jap millet on it before it crusts over, you should be set.

[jtdumallard]

Scott i can hold the water as long as needed and can drain it within a few hours. Thats not a bad idea at all to wait and drain it the first of August and overseed the Jap Millet.

[SB]

If I am planting Jap millet that is my favorite method. If you have a big enough area to plant with a crop duster, that is the way to do it. The trick with getting a crop duster to do it is timing it to when he has been putting out fertilizer. The same spreader he attaches to put out fertilizer with is the same tool he will use for putting out the seed.

Note: do not drain it until you know you can get it planted before the mud crusts over, about 3 days after draining. The seed needs to peg into the mud. If it crusts over it can be like planting on concrete.

[jtdumallard]

Not big enough for crop duster. Its 3-5 acres and I will broadcast it either by hand or UTV spreader if we can get it in there.