This versatile mix is a made up diverse variety of stress tolerant, high quality summer annuals. The high digestibility of this mix is a great for grazing lactating animals or grass finished beef.
It is also excellent as a short term cover crop, a soil building transition crop, a smother crop, a grazing mix and for wildlife plots. This mix is beneficial for both no-til/conventional till management.
Grazing:
Because of extreme quality and the complexity of this mix, graze this crop after it reaches around 4ft and or before the grasses heads out. If planning for additional grazing, leave 6 inches of stubble to ensure regrowth. Successive strips can be planted for long season grazing. The more mature the plants are the lower the quality, but the better the soil building effect. If allowed to grow beyond peak quality, use for beef or dry cattle.
Cover Crop Only:
For quick rotation turnaround during the summer, grown between spring harvested and late summer planted crops, use 40-50lbs seeding rate. Use lower seeding rate if the crop will be left to grow as a longer-maturing cover crop.
Break/Smother Crop:
Terminate existing perennial stand, then seed heavily, grow and graze or terminate the mix in late summer and seed following crop.
Soil Benefits by Component:
- Cowpeas-Improve Soil Nitrogen
- Sorghum sudan/Sudangrass/Millet– Build Soil Organic Matter, Scavenge Nitrogen, Loosen Compacted Subsoil, Suppress Weeds
- Brassicas– Scavenge Nitrogen, Sulfur and Calcium
- Sunflower-Strong Taproot, Weed Suppression, Attract Pollinators.
Rays Crazy Summer Mix Tech Sheet
Great for wildlife food plots!
