Food Plots for next year.

[cbx46]

Next year I will planting 4 small 1/2 acre plots in moist bottom land on my property. My property has a stream and sparatic pools created by flooding plus swamp grass as cover.  I also have pine and hardwood forest plus over grown power-lines.  The 4 food plots will "service" 2 treestands. I will be planting a spring mix in front of each and a fall mix in front of each. I will also be planting through the years apples and I will try figs because I have them readily available to me.  The 2- 1/2 acre spring mix I am considering is :

20 lbs. Buckwheat

7 lbs. Alyceclover

7 lbs. American jointvetch

2 lbs. Rape dwarf essex

2 lbs. Forage turnips

 

And the fall mix I am considering is:

 

4 lbs. Alsike clover

5 lbs. Ladino clover

2 lbs. Rape (dwarf essex or typhon)

5 lbs. Ryegrass

 

I was also thinking of adding Purple Top Turnips to the fall mix.

 

So basically each stand will have an early bow season plot.  And then maybe August I will plant the fall/November- gun season plot.

 

On the back of my property which is an edge to a giant swamp (not mine) I was considering a 1/4-1/2 acre of red cedar seedlings for future bedding/cover.

My game plan (many years in the making) is

-Early march to clear land with brush machine. 1/2 spring area only

-Then round up

-Then if needed round up again.

-Then a few weeks after Till land and work in lime and fertilizer.

-Mid April plant spring mix on seed bed.

 

Then pretty much repeat process in late august-mid Sept. for fall mix.

 

Attached are pics of one of the areas I will be planting.  I am starting this thread in hope some of the more experienced members will throw in their 2-cents.

 

 

[landtracdeerhunter]

2014 spring plan:

Frost seed 5 acres of red clover, hairy vetch, trefoil; timothy- bluegrass already planted.

A new 4 acre piece of alfalfa grass mix.

About 4 acres of open pollinated  85 day field corn at 24000 seed count per acre, 400 lb of 10-20-20 fert. plow down hay.

Sugar beets.

 

 

 

Fall

3-4 acres of Daikon Radish 35 lb of seed , 100 lb of 46-0-0 fert

 wheat and oats with a grass mixture to be red clover mix above in 2015

Like to try some new alternatives tbd..

 

 

 

 

[SplitG2]

spring:  10 acres field corn, 2 acres of sweet corn, 8 acres of soybeans and 3 acres of pumpkins.

 

Fall:  1 acre oats, 1 acre wr, 2 acres brassica/rape/radish

[cbx46]

Where has everyone sent their soil samples or do you not send soils samples? Maybe biologic ph meter?

[SplitG2]

Where has everyone sent their soil samples or do you not send soils samples? Maybe biologic ph meter?

 

I use biologic.  they send me my results via email and quick.

[cbx46]

Cool thanks Split.  I was also thinking of trying with some seedling oaks also I have tried before but I didn't prep the site at all first.

[Berniez]

Figs in Otsego county need to be wrapped in the winter and even then survival is shaky.  Figs taste too good to waste them.

You may wish to reconsider red cedars. Deer certainly eat Red  Cedar but is known as a "stuffing food". Meaning the deer eat it but has the browse has zero value as a winter food.    White cedar is a great winter food source for deer but getting the trees large enough before the deer demolish them is the hard part.  I once planted 200 white cedar in the spring....NONE survived till the following spring.

Red cedar and apple trees are a bad combination because of  "Cedar Apple Rust" (The disease is spread to apple trees after the fungus has spent approximately 18 months on the cedar tree. This fungus causes apple trees to have spotted leaves and the leaves drop off early. In wet seasons this can really hurt the apple trees)  So if there are old apple trees around you risk their health as you probably have no idea of their resistance to this fungus. Deer get value from apple trees, red cedars are of dubious value in this area. There is other vegetation that offers deer cover  without endangering your apple trees.  

 

[cbx46]

Awesome post! Thank you maybe I will go with some sort of maybe of the Xmas tree variety for cover. See that is why I posted this so early to get all this valuable info before spring.

[cbx46]

Awesome post! Thank you maybe I will go with some sort of maybe of the Xmas tree variety for cover. See that is why I posted this so early to get all this valuable info before spring.

[cbx46]

I'm now considering some dunston chestnuts after reading all about them. Also in anyone's opinion the photos I posted does it look like that land will be hard to work down to manageable soil and does anyone have suggestions for how to do it. It was thinking of a dr brush mower (I've used one before and they are badass), the a raking of some sorts, then a rear tine walk behind tiller follow by a lawn roller.

[WhitetailAddict11]

I unfortunately do not have property of my own to play around with as far as planting goes (lucky you!!) so I don't have experience with food plots, but I come from a family of many farmers both past and present and my initial thought was "oooo that looks awfully wet" but I could be wrong. Kudos to you for wanting to better your hunting and provide bed and food for your deer, good luck man!!

[WesternNY]

I have to dig out some stumps in the upper plot with a rented mini excavator, plant a few more apple trees, maintain the existing clover chicory plots and likely put in 4 acres of corn and 1/4 acre of brassicas.

[growalot]

I have another1/4 acre to open up...the deer tore up the pumpkins so I think those with and over seeding of WR and turnips...and lots of rock raking to do...then FIX the Oh so bad mistake of WHT  Tail institutes power plant....(de-weeding) so it will be a RR ag soybean followed by a Oats /WW planting then the following late spring RR ag soybean again My corn view blocker will be weed sprayed in spring...which does nothing for the fall weeds...and then heavy urea and  10-20-20 put down to plant sunflowers and maybe hemp again...

[Berniez]

BTW Buckwheat is totally unforgiving when it comes to frost.  Any light frost will kill 90-100% the young buckwheat plants.  Buckwheat is usually sown AFTER June 15. Its cheap enough and the deer like it but don;'t expect to seed it in early May like the others can be and have any reach maturity.  Also buckwheat can tolerate "wet feet" as long as the land does not dry off and crust before the buckwheat emerges.  Its a great crop, easy to grow,grows on really crappy soil, smothers weeds and both deer honeybees love it.    If you are going to be able to mow the land plant lots of clovers. That stays green all year long, deer love it  and it lives for a few years before you have to spend money to replace it.  After 20 years of working on habitat you will learn to love those plantings that stick around for a few years saving you both time and money.

This year I had my worst year farming I ever had.  I picked the wrong days to plant my food plots. With all the spring rain, .....I basically lost  10 acres of corn, 5 acres of beans and a complete loss of a new seeding of switchgrass (now that's cover once established) Whats worse is I replanted the corn and managed to get it in the ground just before 8 days of rain and lost the second planting.  What did come up the weeds got.  Fortunately the other 60 acres of corn came up fine.but if we get a bad winter the deer are going to be sucking wind because those fields that failed are the ones I leave for them. They do have a 2 acre bean field I left standing and a clearcut that is loaded with young poplar, maples and brambles.  THat makes digging in 3 ft of snow to get to the groceries a lot easier. 

[cbx46]

What would you suggest to replace buckwheat or it that mix (I found on the Internet) total garbage and just replace it.

[Berniez]

If you want it green in early spring you can plant it just do not expect the buckwheat to last too long.  If you  plan to spray mow and futz with the ground  then take your time and do it. Plan on planting the first or second week of June.  All the field prep you plan to do is great and waiting to plant will give you time without rushing.  This year I planted the switchgrass in the field at the exact time (May 17) to have it flood and stay underwater for over  2weeks. (result was a great field of weeds and no switchgrass) I once planted a 6 acres switchgrass field in early June (3 weeks later than recommended.) and it turned out great. You never know.  All you can do is give it a shot and see what happens.

I know everybody promotes THEIR seed.  I usually mix my own.  At the local seed store (Stamford) 50lbs of Buckwheat for $18 at the feed mill I get straight run oats at $7/ 50lbs I got the radishes at 3.30/LB. If you go on the net you can get  essex rape is $1.30/lb. and White New Zealand st $3.60/lb. Some clovers  are as little as $2/lb.. If you like the commercial food plot stuff go ahead and use it. I say plant whatever you want to try and see how it works.  Each area is different and deer seem to take their time seeing what they like. (Deer took almost 3 years before they decided to eat soybeans from June to April. . Where I am rape and turnips are a waste of time and others claim it's narcotic type lure.  I say take all the advice read it and then do what you want.  This is all supposed to be fun. LOL Enjoy watching the field turn green.

 

One thing I would say to everybody is do not plant any mixture with a grass in it. (Deer do not eat grass except by accident!!!!)  These commercial mixes give you grass to keep that green color making you think your plot is wonderful. If it has any kind of fescue seed in it do not use. Wildlife, including deer, rabbits, quail, and some small mammals and songbirds are also known to be adversely affected by the fungus and exhibit many of the same symptoms. Past studies have shown that rabbits, feeding solely on infected fescue and its seed, exhibit high mortality rates within two weeks.  I like to hunt rabbits too.  Fescue spreads like cancer and adversely affects deer and other wildlife.  Don't help it along.

Don't pay for grass it just looks green.

[cbx46]

Thanks a lot your replies are always very informative I was planning on mixing my own that was the blend I found surfing the web for wet/moist soils I have looking at welther seed I believe it is. Prices seem good.

[cbx46]

Does anyone think I am trying to much to fast for my first food plot and I should just plant say a clover(white) and a cereal(oats) instead of the mix I opened this topic with?

[growalot]

I wouldn't plant any brassica in the spring....now chicory is a good planting.(perennial)...Yes buck wheat is very tender...but a late May planting depends on area you live in...most of mine are then till mid June...as far as grass..agree with what he said up to a point...I have planted Sucraseed...beef bank...and have had many many pics..some posted of deer walking past my clover to eat the grass planting..I've had it in for several years now both deer and turkey love it...here's what I learned over several years....when starting out experiment...not everyone is right ...things differ area to area..no not always do you have to have more than a half acre(beans...corn) to have success......read...research...and don't always go with the latest hype...go to Welters seed..they have good info whether you buy or not...here is the Sucraseed link...

http://sucraseed.com/

[DanceswithSkunks]

Those pictures look awfully wet. That stream looks like it leaves it's banks after a light rainfall. Better find something that can tolerate being flooded on occasion.

[thphm]

Big Buck Clover Mix. They have been hitting it all year and have trail camera pictures of them still hitting it today,pawing threw the snow.

[growalot]

if that is a stream that holds aquatic life...I'd think very hard on spraying and even lime and fertilizer ....read labels carefully.....to be honest...from the pics...I'd let it be....it looks like our camp in spots...and deer gravitate to the area to bed....also you mentioned planting near a swamp...not yours.....why attract deer toward someone else's land?

[G-Man]

well knowing that the mast will be way down from this year, beech,red oak ,hickory ar cyclical. i will concentrate on late season , field corn and purple top turnips. clover fields were planted last fall so just mowing maintance for them this year.

[growalot]

I'm real curious as to what the farmers will plant this coming spring...They never cut the clover after they cut the oats with it...so I'm assuming it was a plow down mix? for the field is loaded with weeds...Same farmer planted grains after he chopped another close by corn field...then a corn field bordering our south has been in for two years now after having been a fallow field for years.....I do know I will have a tad more standing corn along field edges

[Arrow Flinger]

I'm thinking of planting some turnips in my back yard along the woods in a 20 yard X 50 yard strip so the deer will stay out of my wifes bird feeder!