Woodland food plots

[Firediver]

Hey all,

I am trying to add some plots to my property. I have 65 acres near Dansville NY that is all forest. It's mainly maple, oak, beech and hemlock. It's under a timber management plan, so I can't bulldoze big openings. My thought is to enhance natural openings in narrow strips..... Most of these strips run east- west The property is on a north facing slope too and I have equipment to do what ever we need to do

So my question is, does anyone else have similar plots and what seed have you had success with?

[G-Man]

i have done logging roads and log landings. clover/turnips they are effective if you can get enought light to them.. cuttin limbs and trees on southern edge to allow maximum light is big help. roads are usually devoid of topsoil , i was fortunate enough to have piles of it along the road and i put 2 in back in areas i wanted to plant.

[Catskill Hunter]

Join Qdma.com they have lots of guy's there that can direct you

[G-Man]

i have done logging roads and log landings. clover/turnips they are effective if you can get enought light to them.. cuttin limbs and trees on southern edge to allow maximum light is big help. roads are usually devoid of topsoil , i was fortunate enough to have piles of it along the road and i put 2 in back in areas i wanted to plant. this is a log landing in turnip and clover, fert with 10-10-10 2x

[Fantail]

Pick up a soil ph meter similar to this example. The tips a kind of delicate so use a small shovel for test samples. Breaking up woodland plot areas - old logging trails is rough on equipment. 1st year with tilling be prepared to stop every 10 yards or so & clear the tines of roots & vines, tossing rocks etc. Oh yeah good times. Start applying lime with all the leafs your soil will probably tend to be acidic. Work up to an avg of 6 or so while clearing for sufficient light, it takes time. Clover / chicory mix seems to be a good bet for perennial. Maybe sandwich a small winter rye plot in there for annual. Got a harbor freight or something near by stop in and get a pack of cheap work gloves your going to need them. 

Good luck & good hunting.

 

 

[agross]

Have done the exact same thing when I started.  Our property was logged 10 years ago and in the areas where a couple  of logging roads came together we just started to make wider.  Even if you cannot cut tress get a soil sample, I am positive the PH will be very low and then start liming. 

 

The easiest thing to get to grow is Rye, oats and or wheat, and probably planted around labor day so they plants are still young and not too stalky.  If you don't have access to any tractor even a quad doing some donuts on the trail will dig up enough soil to get stuff started. 

 

Each year after that, adding lime and fertilizer and with the dead plant matter from the year before your plot will get better and better.