Im no farmer

[Meat First]

I like to plant my first hunting plot this year but have absolutely no experience growing anything. I have about a 3 acre field with a nice inside corner and i figure i could plant a strip about 10 or so yds the length of the field edge. its southwest facing and gets plenty of sun. I already hit it with roundup back in may and will be hitting it again after the 4th of july. What should my next steps be? Do i have to disc? Lime? Fertilize? Seed? All of the above? Any help/advice would be great.

[growalot]

Soil test first thing...that will answer half your Questions...then you can go from there

[dave6x6]

Soil test is correct and as soon as possible. The results will tell you what your next steps will be and also may narrow down your best planting choices for this spot. Curious, 10yrds x how long? Whats total Sq. footage of area you sprayed? Do you have access to any equipment to help with the soil prep or will you be using muscle power? Let us know if you need advice with soil sample thing.

[Meat First]

Thanks Dave, right now i have about 10yds by maybe 30yds and plan on doubling this next weekend. I have an ATV but thats all as of now. I am willing to purchase/rent some equipment to do this right. But if can be done by hand thats fine too. And yes I do not know where/how to test the soil.

[dave6x6]

Meat. You can have samples done by Cornell, Agway, your local farm co-op and other places but for me, Whitetail Inst. labs are the easiest and most informative service to use. Order the kit for $12.45 and while your waiting for that to arrive, collect your dirt from the plot. 10-15 samples from all over the plot and about 6 inches under the surface. Make sure the dirt is dry and debris free and fill the form out and ship it off. They will e-mail you the results in a few days. With that info, you will be able to put a plan in place.

[dave6x6]

Forgt to mention. They will ask on the form for two potential planting choices and then they will formulate the nutrients needed based on your soil results. SO your going to have to take a bit of a guess on what your leaning towards. Clover is almost always one of my choices. The other I guess depends on your hunting style and what you want the plot to do. Are you a bow hunter or a gun guy? Do you want this plot to be a early attractant or one that shines in the cold? Maybe you hunt all seasons and want it to attract from oct-jan? Any of these can be a possibility so whats your vision for this spot?

[G-Man]

what are you looking to plant would be my next question, some seeds require a lot of prep work, others do not, not to mention are you hunting over the plot or planting it for cover/ nesting habitat. soil test is a good idea, but you can also get pretty close by learning what kind of plants are growing there, yes those pesky "weeds" have soil preferences as well. A good field guide is a valuable tool. not only to help you identify wht you have growing already but what is taking over your plot after its planted!

[Meat First]

Ok im going to order soil test from Whitetail Inst and in the meantime collect my samples. What i am trying to do is start out with a hunting plot running the length of my field edge. The deer are already crossing the field in the morning going from neighbors hayfield back to their bedding area so i dont want to cut down all the high grass just a long strip on edge of the field. I have about 3 to 4 acres of field so if im successful i ca always expand. I hunt mostly with bow but as im getting older im leaning more towards the gun. I guess i should start with plants that are not too hard to grow?