Power Plant success ?

[Dugan]

First year planting food plots and am trying to figure out what to plant. I have 46 acres of land of which I can plant around 3 acres pretty easily to start. I was going to do an acre of clover, friend gave a acre of corn seed to use up even thought they will destroy it I'm sure. For the 3rd acre i was thinking of planting Whitetail Institutes Power Plant for the spring and letting them eat what they can  till I can mow and plant some type of fall/winter crop. Anyone have any luck with Power Plant? Any ideas on what to plant for fall crop or a better spring crop to get most use out of land?

[TACC]

Haven't heard of the power plant will have to do some research on it. Looking forward to hearing from others though.

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[sailinghudson25]

What's the 3 acres?

Trying to make wild land into fertile crop spit takes time.   Lime takes time to adjust ph.  Here might be too much clay.  It also takes a few mowing and plowing to kill pernenial.  

Cereal grains, clover, and fast growers like buckwheat are good go break in land.

Professional farmers don't plant corn right off.  They usually do soybeans, then alfalfa,  then corn.  And they winter seed with rye.

Go simple and hearty, then go for fancier items.

Till a bit, then see what you got.  Some places only have 3 inches until you get hard clay or shale.  If this is the case, disc lightly and put something in with shallower roots.

It may take awhile to get good loose soil.  Or it may take too much lime to get a healthy deep soil system.

[sailinghudson25]

Also, don't go nuts with mowing.  Wild brushy spots are good.  I advise on making 1/2 acre plots more than a few big ones.

Also, look up fallow.  Just mow a spot, disc it lightly, and let mother nature reseed herself.

[sailinghudson25]

I do alot of need little plots for friends.  Clover cereal grain blend in the fall.  August 15th to Sept 15th range for planting.

Disc it up, then wait a week, then disc even lighter again to kill fresh weed seeds and not bring up deeper ones.  Then plant

80lbs of oats or wheat with maybe 4 or 5 bags of fertilizer per acre,  scratch it in an inch or so with the discs or a drag. Then put 6lbs of clover.  Ladino if you plan on keeping clover a few years or red clover if you're rotating in a year or two.  I do a blend of both red grows quicker, ladino lasts longer.  This is per acre.  General advice is 2 tons per acre of lime.  But, a soil test is better advice.

Buckwheat is great on new ground if you're planting again in the fall.

Avoid monocrops buy blends until the area is established well.

Corn can have clover or soybeans in it too.

 

[growalot]

Yes I have. I do not like the amount of weeds that come up planting it... That said they changed their seed structure last year and switched out the sorghum for Sunn hemp...this allows you to use their grass killer on it, Arrest.  Now that won't help you with broad leaf weeds. I personally think it's too expensive and make my own. Last year I planted lablab, ebony cow peas(these are a tall growing bean, frost king peas, sunn hemp...also some corn and sorghum with it...I later over seeded the whole thing in turnips ...If you do a big area...instead of mowing all of it and then redoing the entire thing mow strips that will act as shooting lanes and over seed with turnips ,winter grains, red clovers...ect,ect.. or a combination of these. the hemp,corn, sorghum, Oh and or sunflowers in whats not mowed will die ,but leave bedding and cover. Just remember You will need to work on a rotation or spray down to get what ever you decide you want in that spot to grow semi weed free ....It is great though for soil building and PS Sunn Hemp is a fiber hemp...so if they let it get to blossom stage...count on having to clean up mower decks because it will separate and become stringy...thus wrapping around shafts... BTW seeds found on sale , low prices , sunflowers and corn are animal feeds from tractor supply,lab lab was a sale and the rest from Hancock seed...not bad pricing and free shipping...

Edited April 25, 2017 by growalot

[G-Man]

Not.impressed.with power plant..stick with clover.and buy some winter wheat or turnip seed...give you late season draw..

[kpkot]

power plant was dookie for me. sure it comes in thick but looked like huge weeds and deer barley touched it. 

[Dugan]

Thanks, thats exactly what I was looking for. I will save my money and try something else.