School me on food plots!!

[jason.dickens]

Looking into setting up 2 .5 acre plots for next fall. Any and all info is welcome

[SharpStix]

Interested as well, the more research I do, the more I feel like one must be a master gardener to be successful.

[Fishndude]

Well I certainly can't school anyone but I can tell you what worked for us. We planted a fall wildlife mix. It was peas, oats, wheat and I believe rye grass. Anyway, our deer loved it. We planted 3 small plots at the end of September. Also planted clover but it didn't involve any dirt work. Rains helped a bunch, of course.

[jason.dickens]

Well I certainly can't school anyone but I can tell you what worked for us. We planted a fall wildlife mix. It was peas, oats, wheat and I believe rye grass. Anyway, our deer loved it. We planted 3 small plots at the end of September. Also planted clover but it didn't involve any dirt work. Rains helped a bunch, of course.

Did it require any type of irrigation??

[Drycreek3189]

Join QDMA. Lots of resources. Lots to be learned other places on the net also. It's not rocket science, but you can get arm-pit deep in it if you want to !

There are lots of things one needs to know about your situation in order to give you credible info.

[hopedale]

No expert, but I'd start with a soil test. Then use this guide on getting the soil right and what to plant.

http://krirm.tamuk.edu/text/Resources/FoodPlots_WhitetailedDeer.pdf

[dbaio1]

Test soil
We always spray with round up ultra to kill all native vegetation and wait about 3-5 weeks pending rain fall amounts before we disk under and then plant a few weeks after that.
When your ready to plant:
Lime and fertilize per test results
Spread lime and fertilizer and chop
Broadcast or drill your seed
Drag your seed bed lightly to cover, we use a custom roller
Spring we plant a variety of vining beans, forage peas, sorghum and lablab
Winter we plant buck oats, winter wheat, several clovers (all perennial), rape, purple top turnips, chufa and chicory.
We plant winter and spring plots in separate locations
We usually dress our plots after they are established with a good dressing fertilizer, I forget the exact type we use but have just used 13-13-13 before same as our initial base.


Good luck

[Fishndude]

Did it require any type of irrigation??

We tilled and planted. That's all we did. You can make it as difficult or as easy as you want. We chose easy.

[Big pig]

We tilled and planted. That's all we did. You can make it as difficult or as easy as you want. We chose easy.

I do basically the same for my leon co property. I have tested the soil and lime every couple of years early in the summer, but we probably have pretty good soil. I have tried different areas and have settled on 4 areas that have done well in the past. I till my soil in October and broadcast whest, oats elbon rye and various other seeds i pick up. I then drag the fields to cover and then top dress with fertilize recommended by my local fertilizer dealer. Then pray for rain.
This year my plots were the best ever and game is hammering them.
I do over plant with extra seed but the extra seed is worth it after my time and labor is spent.
The plots last all winter and then the hogs eat all the headed out plants in late spring. Good luck

[El General]

Looking into setting up 2 .5 acre plots for next fall. Any and all info is welcome

Food plots will be tough around SA because of the lack of rain. If you can't irrigate, you will need to be lucky.

[BURTONboy]

We always just disc, broadcast oats and fertilize. We never really have that good of food plots in my opinion though. Definitely do soil test and go from there. I hope to do soil test this year and try to have healthier food plots all around.