machine free food plot ?'s

[arrow nocker]

Ok well here is my question.I have an area that is about 25 yards by 50 yds.It is low land.Not quite swamp but only a little above swamp elevation.It never has been flooded but is low.Alott of ash and poplar trees around the area.The area is cleared with plenty of sunlight.It grows some kind of ferns that get to about 3 feet tall in the summer.

I could get a tiller down to this area but thats about it.All i can afford to get there too.

I want to plant something that will have them feeding in the fall during archery and possibly gun season.I can plant any time in the spring and can get a lawn mower to the area,as i have read that if you mow your plot it will thicken and stand tall in the fall.

I have apple trees on my land and cherry also.No corn feilds for miles away.Want something they will like just to help me with their traveling routs while grazing.Kinda like a popsicle stand on their way home to bed.hahaha.BTW.My 7 acres is nothing but a prime bedding area any how.this is just on the edge of my property on my neighbors.And there is a pond 100 yds from the spot i am planting.So a lazy buck wont move much but the normal wandering and grazing.

So what seed should i sow?

And how should i go about growing it.

Thanks.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Soil test first thing!!! You have ferns so there might be some soil work im sure...Lime,fertilizer...Get in a spray roundup and kill everything in there before you work up the soil...Cant beat corn for a late season candy for the deer..When i do my plots its alfalfa,corn,soybeans..If you have no corn for miles that would really bring them in for the late season but its best to give them different choices if you have the room to split the plot..

[arrow nocker]

thanks.Ya guess i have to look into how to check the soil.Have plenty of time to plan this and research and i have been telling myself for a couple of yrs to do it so i think its time to take advantage of the spot and do it.

Should i round up it in spring a couple of times and till it, then spread the lime and fertilizer just before planting around july?

My green thumb is a grease thumb.turns nuts not soil.LOL.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Thats ok i turn wrenches for a living also.You can go to any farm store or even wamart and get a kit to check yur soil.You have to use distilled water,do not use tap or well water.As sone as spring green up go in and spray then wait a week or two then till.I like to go in and till it again after a couple more weeks.You can google food plots and get all kinds of info and trust me when you start seeing the deer in your plot you will have a great feeling not that you can just shoot one but you are helping out the whole herd.I had 9 deer in my corn field xmas morning and they were lovin it..

[G-Man]

Well i'll put in my 2 cents.. While corn my work for the 1st year your plot is pretty small and a few racoons will take care of it fast before it gets a chance to dry down(or dent) which is what you want for deer, second its clost to a pond..geese love to pull young emerging corn plants and eat them. I suggest a good white clover, it will be used all year, is easy to maintain and plant (no tilling nessary) just use the roundup to kill the  ferns (very tough to kill you will need a few applications) do your soil test. Use a stiff lawn rake or wide lawnscaping rake to remove the surface trash,you can use lawn pellitized lime as it will break down just like in your lawn.(remember lime takes time to be incorperated into the soil. Sow your seed (its very small and you only need a little bit for the  area you wish to plant) over seeding will only hurt your growth rate,follow the planting directions on amount to use what ever seed you buy!! I've use genaric seed ,biologic, and whitetail institute seed(i've seen the best results with the whitetail institute, drawing deer past my other clover plots) This planting will last you 3-5 years with proper mowing(helps keep the weeds out) or if you use herbacides to kill off the unwanted weeds. I do like corn but my own experiance tells me your plot is to small i plant minimum of 2-3 acre plots for corn and soybeans if i plan on hunting over them. 5 acres or more if i want to provide supplemental nutrition thru the winter.....well best of luck to you!!!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I've use genaric seed ,biologic, and whitetail institute seed(i've seen the best results with the whitetail institute, drawing deer past my other clover plots) This planting will last you 3-5 years with proper mowing(helps keep the weeds out) or if you use herbacides to kill off the unwanted weeds.

what herbacides do you use on clover plots. I didn't know there was one specific enough to use on clover without taking the clover too

[G-Man]

Well brand names: arrest, and post. one takes care of grasses (rye,orchard,ect) and the other broadleaf(pigweed,dandalion,ect) they can be bought with out a poision permit and can be found in just about any catalog that sells footplot seed(they are not cheap and be sure to follow proper mixing insturction for the size plot your treating). there are others but you need to take a certification class(most farmers have one if they spray)

[growalot]

Everyone's different on their approach not necessarily better..that being said...I tend to look at things at another angle.....You need a soil test by all means...but ..in the mean time what you describe... I'd say you need to lime no matter what...read up on lime....it needs to have soil to particle contact to work and doesn't move through soil readily... so tilling in is important...but it also takes TIME to work....so I'd personally go in when the ground is still frozen this spring..in that freeze thaw time...just a little snow and lay down some Granular lime...the act of frost heaving and snow/rain in spring will get it in the ground...then as the soil tests advise lay down your quick acting lime and till in....2 weeks after you've done your FIRST spray down for weeds...because once you do that till it up... and wait a couple of weeks...the weed seed that has laid dormant will grow well...spray again

Here's my feelings on annual verses perennial in new plots....

1.) $$$..annual seed usually cost less per pound of seed

2.) The first year...or even 2 will be weed..labor intensive

3.)with an annual plot you can grow a spring/ summer... come back mid growth and just run a weed whacker over the top to get weeds before seed heads develope

4.) in the fall...you can go in and till in that summer plot and lay down a fall planting....add a bit more lime and a little fertilizer...

Your improving your soil...not getting discouraged that the expensive seed you bought didn't grow as well as you expected...letting the deer know there is a new food source in town...

perennial plots...

1.) more expensive

2.) less tolerant of weeds...You still need to mow or spray($$) to control

3.) much more intolerant of poor soil conditions

4.) much more common...clover grows every where...now yes some are tastier than others ...but deer don't always know that right away and will tend to go where they are use to eating

5.) once well established need less work...but if your using quick lime...you still need to add some lime every year as maintenance and a good low nitrogen fertilizer on clovers

I personally take 3 years to get a new plot in shape to plant a perennial plot...but I have ROCKY soil...buckwheat has always been my go to as far as a new plot...but see..that works for me...not always the case for others...like a first planting of braccs...they aren't always hit at first...spring trictacal is good also

 

[Fantail]

i can already see 2011 is going to cost me  :-\

[growalot]

Fantail...... I have 12plots right now and I'm adding more...honestly I don't think they cost me more than a couple of hundred to work now...but over the years I've bought a disc for our big JD and we have a bush hog...front end loader and backhoe....all that helps me out now...but I still do a major part of my plots by hand tilling and all of them I hand rake...I figure it's good exercise...besides I'm too cheap to get the york rake Mr B wanted to buy me...I figure if a middle age woman can do it with a hand tiller hand broad caster and a rake ...most any one can....heres some pics of differant plots.....These I did with just a tiller...rake...1 1/2 gal sprayer and a # push spreader

[Fantail]

12 Plots! Wow more power to ya. Nice pics that 2nd one reminds me of an old logging trail I worked into a plot-strip. Of course mine didn't turn out as well but I think I know what I did wrong. I got one of those hand turn broadcasters from C/T, works good. And hopefully budget a decent rear tine instead of renting one again. That would give me more time to work in two more spots similar to the 4th pic (w/ deer in it). There are no open fields or flat open areas larger then 1/8 acre maybe, it is what it is but I like it. 

[growalot]

Ya I have a logging road trail that gave me a hard time with shade but after 4 years I finally fixed it...here are a few more pics...Good luck this year...

[SplitG2]

Very nice!  what kind of shrubs are in the one picture?  The ones with the white flowers?

[growalot]

I plant most my plots in the wooded area of my land and make sure they are surrounded by natural browse...dog wood brush...I had the DEC walk through to check the wood lot...that area I call the red oak flats..I have a bit over 200red oak..any ways...the Forester asked me how I kept it under such good control....Simple ..I mow...I have a harder time keeping my bramble patches under control

[SplitG2]

amazing work!

[Geno C]

There are actually quite a few brands that have blends that use minimal preparation including soil tests and tilling. They have seeds that can adapt fairly well in MOST soil conditions. i have used a few different ones when i first started food plots years ago. scratched the ground up by hand, used the biologic PH fertilizer and broad casted the seed and scraped it in. the plot actually did very well for a first time plot with really no preparation.

i mean obviously if you tested the soil and made the correct adjustments you can optimize what you put into it. but trust me, ive seen blends that can adapt, assuming there is plenty of light can reach the plot and you can get some waterfall.

[SplitG2]

Geno, what did you plant?  Most of those throw and grow mixes contain rye grass.  Although, comes up fast and green, it has little nutritional value to them.  However, im sure there are some that are good.

[arrow nocker]

I plant most my plots in the wooded area of my land and make sure they are surrounded by natural browse...dog wood brush...I had the DEC walk through to check the wood lot...that area I call the red oak flats..I have a bit over 200red oak..any ways...the Forester asked me how I kept it under such good control....Simple ..I mow...I have a harder time keeping my bramble patches under control

wow i bet you get to pass on quite a few nice bucks on your land.Some nice work there.Goes to show you don't need heavy equipment to build a nice plot.Just time and the joy of doing it.

[Geno C]

Geno, what did you plant?  Most of those throw and grow mixes contain rye grass.  Although, comes up fast and green, it has little nutritional value to them.  However, im sure there are some that are good.

the first one i had tried was from whitetail Inst. it was "No Plow"

i was impressed how nice it came up and it did have some nice attravtivness.

the other 2 were from biologic, the one was Throphy Oats all though not a no plow situation i did experiment with it with minimal preperation and much to my suprise it grew like wild fire.

the other from biologic was "Hot Spot", this one i did with hardly any prep and it came up pretty nice i wasnt to crazy on howmuch fourage it produced but i can chalk that up to my error and lack of prep.

those are just a few i have used as far as minimal prep blends. The blend i have used and really liked were Lab-Lab and Maximum. but those i took all the right steps and those 2 blends blew into beautiful food plots.

[Geno C]

let me just add some info to the extent of the little prep work.

i would cut some small trees down and any little growth on the ground i would cut down to the ground as well and try to clear the ground up as much as i can, if there is stuff growing in that spot to begin with it tells me there is enough light to support the growth of a plot. i also would try and open the canapy up to let in some more light during the summer months. i would rake or blow off all the leaves and i would hand till the grounf with a hard rake, PH Fert and then seed. usually try and plan it a day or 2 before some rain. i mean i dont do my plots like that anymore i put alot more into them but for the guy looking for a lil hidy hole plots with minimal work those blends worked for me. And dont hesitate to try it on ground that is not easy to till and seems kind of hard. i tried it wih a hard rake, the ground was really hard but when those seeds pop the root system can find its way through hard soil better then your hard rake.... im not saying you will have the best food plot around but if you looking to get in there quietly or its a hard spot get some equipment there or eve n just making those little destination food plots closer to a bedding are perhaps, it works great...

[bowhuntersully]

reading this stuff gets me chomping at the bit to work on our property. We dropped a bunch of trees to make 2 small clearings probably 2-3 years ago and have yet to make use of them. My father is sort of a "my way or no way" kind of person and he wants to get a dozer to clear all the stumps out before we do anything else. I'm more inclined to get a backpack sprayer and a handheld rake/tiller tool and have at it. I'm going to do it this spring if nothing happens to those stumps. I'm thinking I'll just spray... wait a week or 2 and get as much of the brush and dead stuff out of there then rake/till by hand and spread some of the low maintanence type of seed like was mentioned by Geno.

It'll be better than doing nothing.... right.

Hope everyone is seeing deer