Lets Talk Food Plots

[rbljack]

Its late season, and only a youth hunt remains. Next DIY project: a food plot. I have 2 areas cleared of mesquite and weeds already.....and Im looking too plant a couple perennial plots that will thrive year round here (the lease is in Dickens County, TX). Im wanting a product that will improve my deer AND turkey hunting. The plots will be small ones, and I do not have access to heavy equipment BUT an escavator has already removed areas of mesquite and the soil is loosened up already.

So.....the question is; What commercial products are yall having good luck with? I can get the planting directions off the websites....my main concerns here is the best selection for year round nutritution, and dealing with the hot and dry temperatures in the summer. The only watering available will be from natural rainfall hopefully. I do have a 35 gallon tank to transport water if necessary, BUT I only want to do that maybe once or twice if absolutely necessary during the heat of summer.

My inital thought it to use the WHITETAIL INSTITUTES ALFA RACK PLUS product....here is the link to that companies website:

http://www.whitetailinstitute.com/index.php

Any suggestions would be appreciated. In fact.....lets make this post a great source for ALL DIY foodplot issues, because I didnt find any info about them on here yet....LOL> if i missed it, point me in the right direction.

[todda]

I'm in the same boat youre in.... im looking to plant something that doesnt require a lot of machinery, cause where im looking at putting it you cant even get a 4wheeler accross. I talked to a rep. from whitetail inst. and he suggested powerplant for the spring. This stuff is supposed to be really good for small plots because it is said to be able to withstand heavy grazing. He told me to go with the no-plow in the winter..... I'm located in wharton county, between houston and victoria.... I'm not sure how far that is from you, but they told me the alfalfa wouldnt grow good here as a spring plot. Just my .02

[txtimetravler]

might want to do a soil test while you are researching seed.

Also think about how many deer you will be pulling in and what they can do to a food plot in a couple nights. My 2 acre plot got whacked before the lab lab had a chance.

[holepuncher]

Pickup a cheap soil test at your local feedstrore and buy a bottle of distilled water. Your PH has to be right if you want to be successful. or you can just put out lime, I think they suggest about 400 lbs. per acre.

[the kidd]

hey im having the same problem i got a mantis tiller and i cleared off an area but i just dont know what to plant..there are so many products out there i just dont know which one is best suited for my land

[HooKed4Life93]

im in the same situation u r in. i was thinkin oats or alfalpha but is till nee to do a soil test.

[SwampBuck]

Clover is always a good bet for years of productivity. Ummm.....ive heard chicory is pretty solid aswell.

[Tejas Wildlife]

Soil Test is first job

If you don't know what the pH is of your soil then quite honestly you are wasting your time & $$$$. The higher your pH the more minerals are tied up in the soil & unavailable to the plant.

One easy and CHEAP annual forage to plant is Buckwheat. Will grow almost anywhere but 40 degrees or less will kill it dead as a hammer. So wait until you are sure there isn't a killing frost still on the way. Alfalfa requires lots of soil preparation if you want good results. If you lightly till up the buckwheat patch after it seeds out in the summer and there is sufficient moisture, you usually get a second crop of it......at least until the first dip in temperature in the fall.

Chicory is a good perennial and pretty tolerant regarding pH. Sometimes it takes deer a long time to start coming into it though. If the land isn't your check with the owner first. Some farmers consider it a pest, kind of like yellow nutsedge.

As for hauling water to bring up your crop.......it takes around 35,000 gallons of water to equal a 1 inch rain per acre.

Most of the claims of "withstanding heavy grazing" by commercial seed providers is based on keeping everything OFF it until it gets around 4 - 6 inches tall & an adequate root system is established. LabLab is a good example. Great source of nutrition but you need to keep the plot fenced until it gets around 12 inches tall or the deer will pull each plant up by the roots.

Take your soil sample, list up to 3 different crops you want to grow, & the Extension Service report will tell you exactly how much lime & fertilizer will be required. Most feed stores have the sample packets or you check with your local Extension Service office. Good luck.