New Plot

[erussell]

Well here's the new plot Ive been working on. Going to lime and fertilize and till in the next couple of weeks. Then let it set for a while and then come back and roundup anything that comes up, then plant some chicory, clover, rye. Hope to show off some nice green pics in the future. Now all we need is some rain. I set up a trail cam on this trail a few weeks ago and when I went there today to weed wack the grass and brush off it I had 75 pics so cant wait to see whats on it but will leave it there a few more weeks. One potential problem I do see is the amount of turkey sign around this area. I may have to find where they are roosting before I plant and scare them off. I planted a plot about 8 yrs ago and came back a few weeks later expecting to find a nice green plot and there was nothing but dirt and turkey crap and scratchings. I was a little annoyed at 45 dollars worth of lost seed.

foodplot.doc

Edited April 20, 2012 by erussell

[dave6x6]

erussell, Not sure if your looking for advice or not but as i looked at the attached pic, the thought of clover and chicory in that spot seemed a bit of a risk. Both those plantings really like sunlight and they both do best in heavier soils. Given the small size, the slope and the tree canopy, i would seriously think of changing to a fall planted annual. There are a number of good ones out there and they are much easier to grow and the deer seem to really pound them. Just my thoughts

[erussell]

erussell, Not sure if your looking for advice or not but as i looked at the attached pic, the thought of clover and chicory in that spot seemed a bit of a risk. Both those plantings really like sunlight and they both do best in heavier soils. Given the small size, the slope and the tree canopy, i would seriously think of changing to a fall planted annual. There are a number of good ones out there and they are much easier to grow and the deer seem to really pound them. Just my thoughts

Rape, turnips, and winter rye it is then Will be cheaper anyhow.

[dave6x6]

Tried and true, deadly combo there..

[erussell]

Though If you look at the picture, the trail on the right tword the top there is a green spot there that gets a good amount of light and is relatively flat. My stand is going back in the woods about 18 yrds to the right of that and I might throw a bag of chic magnet or buck forage chicory there just to see what happens.

[erussell]

Was thinking of growing some buckwheat in my new plot till August then tilling it under and planting brassicas and winter rye. Any thoughts on the buckwheat?

Edited May 7, 2012 by erussell

[growalot]

I love the stuff and so do the deer and turkey here...good luck

[erussell]

Anyone know what the light requirement is for buckwheat. This plot is in the woods but will get 4 hours of direct sunlight and 2 hours of filtered light before the sun gets to low to shine on the plot.

[Fantail]

erussell I don't know about buckwheat but I'm starting a small new plot as well that gets about the same amount of light, it's about 8' x 30' and I thought might be good to try an annual/mix there. And so my thoughts were advance the planting time into July.

Got the time to prep it, round up, work a bag or two of 8-8-8 into it with the tiller, the ground is stiff as a board & the ph is only 5.5-6. Was looking at secret spot, maybe something without rye.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Fantail

[SplitG2]

I think secret spot has rye grass in it? Plant oats sept 1st.

[erussell]

Would have to agree with splits, Im not much for the baged mixes. And throw and grow it is not. You still need to prep, lime and fertilize the seed bed pretty good to get good germination. And with the crazy mix they have with secret spot you have small seed and big seed that need to be buried at different depths for best results. I would use some brassicas but do not depend on them to hunt over. On a plot that small they will wipe rape out in a few days and turnips they wont touch till the snow flys. I have always had really good luck with winter rye and oats planted fairly heavy on small plots or logging trails. I know everyone here hates rye but the results speak for themselves imo. If you are in a highly agriculteral area rye probably wont work but in the hardwoods I dont think you can beat it. The deer usually keep it pretty low and it comes back up quickly in the spring to giving the deer something to eat and dies off when it gets hot. Oats will freeze and die also. I would like to try some chicory to see if it would grow.

[Pav2704]

Had a good weekend. I got about a quarter acre of clover planted by my pond and no plow in another small food plot. I got two other plots just about ready for corn which I will be planting around the 25th when I get a chance to go back up.

I was thinking about planting whitetail institutes bowstands seed mix throughout the trails. Anybody plant it before with any success?

[G-Man]

if you plant buckwheat now it would be mature and gone well before august. its usually planted in july around the 4th and is ripe for harvest by end of september. does not like hot dry areas, as it will boll.. Oats are good but i would mix with winter wheat vs. rye grass. gives a good stand in spring as well.

[dave6x6]

Erussell. Thanks for opening up some discussion about the rye's.. Have to admit that i have been a hater but your posts have caused me to dig in and learn up on this food plot option. Seems to have some very good benifits under many different growing conditions and your certainly right about their attractiveness to deer. Thanks again

[erussell]

Erussell. Thanks for opening up some discussion about the rye's.. Have to admit that i have been a hater but your posts have caused me to dig in and learn up on this food plot option. Seems to have some very good benifits under many different growing conditions and your certainly right about their attractiveness to deer. Thanks again

Not the most nutritious stuff in the world but for a small less than an acre kill plot how much nutrition are you going to give them anyhow. And anything that tastes good in a small plot will be eaten quickly. The winter rye or annual rye will grow back as long as they dont pull it up by the roots which I have had happen. And from some articles ive read get the hybrid ( tetraploid) versions to. It will get the does and fawns in front of you and hopefully a buck will be following. Just dont use a perenial rye, fesc, orchard, or bluegrass unless you want problems. Oats and wheat are much better but I have had problems getting it going good in small low light plots on logging trails because of the ph requirements. Winter rye is nice because its cheap and it would grow on a rock, though it grows better with proper PH and fertilizer.

Plus I beleive Oats and wheat need to be planted 1 1/2 deep as rye can just be spread on top and soil lightly raked over the top of it.

http://www.whitetail...nt/ryegrass.htm

http://www.whitetail...erealgrains.htm

Edited May 9, 2012 by erussell

[erussell]

if you plant buckwheat now it would be mature and gone well before august. its usually planted in july around the 4th and is ripe for harvest by end of september. does not like hot dry areas, as it will boll.. Oats are good but i would mix with winter wheat vs. rye grass. gives a good stand in spring as well.

Good info thanx.

[SplitG2]

Errusel, I've broadcasted oats and wheat and had great results. Just an fyi

[erussell]

Errusel, I've broadcasted oats and wheat and had great results. Just an fyi

Im considering trying oats again. I got ahold of a tiller so I might actually be able to plant it at the right depth this time.

[agross]

E, i was in the same boat as you a few years back, started with a small woodland plot (actually where 2 logging roads met) and kept expanding until my plot is now about 1/4 acre plus...

I planted buckwheat and it grew great (partial sun shade spot) and when it was eventually turned over it became what others termed "green mannure" to increase your soil value.

The only issue i could see with buckwheat in such a small area is that i could only get it in a 50 lb bag...

But you could also try "green patch plus" from mossy oak biologic, i think it is maybe a $20 bag will plant a 1/4 acre and it has rye, wheat clover...mine came up good last fall and the clover was left around this spring and is starting to grow well.

Regardless of what you plant you need to consider taking away at least some of the trees that will block the sunlight, which in effect will increase the sizeof your plot.

In my experience (im in Chenango County) regardless of what you plant they will eat it (unless something really foreign to them like rape brassicas during the first year or two) ...then the issue becomes that in the late summer a doe with twins could wipe out that plot in a week... i have a trail cam over my 1/4 acre plot and have had as many 5 deer in it during the late summer plus turkeys...i am now in the process or making a new plot 100 yeards away (by my brother stand) to help increase food plot yeild which will hopefully give the plants time to grow bigger.

Good luck and keep posting photos as we love to see the before and after.

also lime lime lime.

[erussell]

Thanks for the info Agross, My local agway has what I call a foodplot center in it. They have just about all the food plot seeds you could think of in bulk priced per pound so I think I might add a couple pounds of buck wheat or chicory to whatever concoction I come up with. I think I am going to push my food plot back to august, and just stick with kill plots. There is plenty of forage around for them to eat in the local fields. I will spend the time till then working on the soil and weed killing in my two plots. As far as cutting down trees gos thats a no go. Though I have been trying to get my uncle to log all the trees of the hill he is not going to. My rape plot I planted 2 yrs ago did great its 1st yr. As soon as it frosted it they ate the whole thing down to the dirt in a week. Pic below. I have 6 deer that regularly walk this trail on my trail cams all the time so whatever I plant needs to be able to regenerate itself or it will be a waste of time because it will be gone before deer season gets here.

[SplitG2]

erussell, if it was my place and that's the size of the kill plot, I would plant winter rye/oat mix. I would plant september 1st and come October you will have a good kill plot! JMO

[dave6x6]

E and splitg2. You've convinced me to try the rye/oats mix in the fall. Got some new turf to hunt and been laying out the future plot sites so this will be going in 1st of sept. Thanks for the good info.

[erussell]

erussell, if it was my place and that's the size of the kill plot, I would plant winter rye/oat mix. I would plant september 1st and come October you will have a good kill plot! JMO

Thats what im thinking to, just keep it simple. Just plant something to make the does stick around and the bucks will follow come Nov. Hopefully the Acorn crop does well this fall to, there are a ton of Oaks on the property. In yrs of acorn failure the buck sightings drops off to almost nothing as they go over to the neighbors farm fields to eat.

[Fantail]

So I'm up at Gander today looking around, Secret Spot has plenty of annual ryegrass, no oats. So much for that. After spending way to much time combing over mix labels I've concluded I don't know what winter rye realy is. So, how about a peas & oats combo?

Edited May 12, 2012 by Fantail

[SplitG2]

Faintail, winter rye is also called cereal rye. Its a grain not a grass. Welters seed sells it online.