Too much rain for my food plot?

[panhandlehunter]

What did you plant? This late in the game im thinking Rye or oats because they are the best hope of popping up before opening weekend if thats possible. These deer rut way too early in Brazoria county. If you dont bow hunt, you miss the main rut.

Wheat, oats, a little clover and Austrian winter peas. I don't hunt too much at my property, mainly just like keeping some wildlife around. But I will shoot pigs and it would have to be a really nice buck for me to shoot.

[Backwoods101]

I made it too the back yesterday and most of my plot has sprouts 3-4 inces tall. 10% of my plot does have some standing water and about half as much sprouts growing out of the water as the rest. Im not sure what was in the Trophy Magnet Fall Wildlife Mix that I used. The bag nor their website says whats in it. Hopefully I can figure out how to download my pictures and get some feedback from the veterans on here on what is sprouting up.

[Backwoods101]

[TimH]

I'm guessing that is Oats or Millet probably. It's common in fall food plots and that's what it looks like to me from the picture. Do you have an exclusion cage in the plot anywhere so you can gauge it's growth compared to how hard it's being hit?

Might be good to add some fertilizer to it now also.

[Backwoods101]

[Backwoods101]

I have the cage built just not installed. I put out a 50lb bag of 13-13-13 before I tilled it the second time. Should I have waited till now?

[TimH]

It actually doesn't look too bad considering.... how much did that 50lb bag cover compared to the total size of your plot?

[Backwoods101]

The guy at the feed store said it would cover a acre. I have several other spots planted down my shooting lanes so total I might have 1/2 an acre.

[TimH]

IMO, that isn't enough nitrogen per acre. put your exclusion cage out and keep an eye on it and add another bag or more if you think it should be growing better than it is. you also have to worry about the plot being vibrant enough to handle the usage and that's really where you will benefit from more fertilizer.

if i can afford the added cost of more fertilizer, i prefer to push it to the brink of burning up. that's just me though.

[Backwoods101]

What kind do you recommend and would you have put any down when you planted or wait till now when it starts poping up?

[TimH]

what you added was fine, just have to add enough of it. when i plant, i usually come back and broadcast over top after planting and then again a month or so later as needed. if there has been a ton of rain, i may add it sooner.

[Backwoods101]

I will grab another bag next chance I get. Do you think it will thicken up later? Its throwing my off how all the sprouts are 3-4". I hoping the other seeds will show up soon. Ill take a close up this weekend. I should be out there from time to time lol.

[TimH]

Depends on how well it grows and holds up to the pressure. As the plants mature, they will thicken up some. If it was a mix of various kinds of seeds then you should see others germinate at some point soon.

[Big pig]

Depends on how well it grows and holds up to the pressure. As the plants mature, they will thicken up some. If it was a mix of various kinds of seeds then you should see others germinate at some point soon.

I like to fertilize again after the sprouts get up good. I think it won't hurt and should help later in the winter.
I am planting next weekend and hope it is dry enough to plant looking at the forecast .



Big pig