rookie food plot questions

[froghunter]

first off when do i plant?

next is what do i plant?

i have clay with rocks in it. i also have access to a endless supply of goat and cow poo. i plan to bring some in and till it into the clay. i have access to water as well but wont have much pressure. proably wont be able to use spary heads but can figure out some kind of drip/soaker system.

what else do i need to do???

[froghunter]

i live in central texas with tons of oak trees. have about a 1/4 acre opening to work with

[Jaspro]

get ground tilled up real good. Put out about 500# of 13-13-13 fertilizer.
either broadcast or drill a mix of oats, clover, greens and winter peas. if you have a acker, pack it and then water it in and wait.

[froghunter]

when do i plant?

[Jaspro]

Between sept. 15 and Oct 15

[CWKATTNER]

Early September planting for me. I use a oat/wheat mix that Tractor Supply offers. I also scatter some turnip seeds around. Deer love turnip greens, and when they are all gone, they paw up the turnips.

[bassmatt72]

If you really want to get into it have some soil samples tested and that will tell you what is needed. Also, you might talk with your local ag. extension office they might be able to give you some advise, I said might be able to help????

[NelsonV]

Soil test is the most important thing you can do first. That alone can save you hundreds of dollars on fertilizer you might not need. The Ph of the soil needs to be as close to right for the type of plant your planting. If not it doesn't provide the right amount if nutrients and it will be bitter to the deer. Start there

[unclefish]

Yep check the pH first. All the fertilizer in the world won't do any good if the pH aint right. Plants simply can't utilize the NPK unless its within a tolerable range.

1/4 acre is not much so keep in mind a decent size herd of deer can wipe it out pretty easily. Clover is your best bet on a small plot because of its fast growth....it might be able to tolerate the browse pressure a little longer than something else.

[Stuck]

If you are going to harvest to turn a profit or are planting large plots to increase the health of your deer herd then I would recommend a soil test. If you are planting small plots to draw deer in wait until it rains and comes up before you spend any money on fertilizer. I plant Oats on Labor day weekend and will wait until Oct. for rye, I will plant about a 4 acre plot every year and fertilize about every 3 years. Every year it comes up and is green, the animals hit it hard in hard winters and nibble in mild winters. Biggest mistake most people make is after working the land they will disc the seeds in and bury most of them way too deep. If you are using a tractor I would recommend renting a grain drill so your seed does not get buried.

[huntmaster]

I plant the 1st wk of Sept in N Tx. I would think you could do the same in Cent. Tx. In the mix jaspro suggested use Buckforage Oats