Planting food plots?

[pig out]

This year were gonna try our luck at some food plots. Our deer lease is in robertson county, ive hunted a buddies ranch 20 or so minutes from our lease and he planted oats with good sucess from growing and the deer eating it. So i think thats what were leaning towards planting. We dont really have the equipment so we were gonna rent a big walk behind tiller one of the first weekends of septemeber and get to work. We were gonna til and fertilize(not sure on fertilizer) and then before a rain plant the oats. We are looking at probably 4-5 half acre plots. How does this plan sound? I know theres some people on here with a lot of knowledge and were new to this so any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you

[texashunter56]

Rent you a tractor and disc it at all possible from a rental or tractor dealer. Get you a soil test done ASAP and let them know what you are wanting to plant so they can advise you on how to amend your soils. Call Turner Seed Company in Breckenridge at get their input on what to plant. They can make you a blend/mix for your area. Then post some pics of the before, the after and the kill shot over it!

[unclefish]

If you don't have the equipment that's okay. You don't really need a tiller for fall plots. Kill the area with Round-Up and get a good kill. Wait a week or so and see what kind of kill you got. You may to respray areas you missed. Then broadcast clover and oats into the plot. Do it right before a rain and it will work itself into the ground and germinate.

It doesn't work well with large seeds like soybeans, peas, corn, etc....but smaller seeds like clover, radishes, turnips, oats will work great. A good rain is the key.

[pig out]

Thanks for the help guys! Any other input?

[Mark jackson]

I have a place in robertson county and we plant every year a soil test is a must we had to add several bags of lime to our soil to get the ph up and a bunch of fertalizer also but it was well worth the work. we plant a clover mix with turnips and the deer eat it up oats do grow really good up there but the deer eat the tops off and then its pretty much worthless. DEf need to rent ya a tractor and disc it up. Usually we do a control burn every year to burn all the leaves off the ground..good luck this season

[Rwc]

Do your best to get a decent weed / obtrusive vegetation kill on your plots before you start. As unclefish has stated above, you do not need a tractor and disc, but it sure makes it easier. I have had much better luck in getting greater seed germinated and up by prepping the soil with a disc.

Oats, certain clover blends, wheat are all good and reliable seed blends to use. As I have learned the hard way, do not bury the seed any deeper than the seed is tall.
And play the rain, plant right before a front / rain is forecasted to come through.

Good luck with your plots, I have had great success in wild game plots and believe in there usefulness towards wildlife.

Rwc

[EastTexasMan]

Should we drag the oats/clover after we disc and broadcast? OR just broadcast before the rain?

[Rwc]

Should we drag the oats/clover after we disc and broadcast? OR just broadcast before the rain?

I am a broadcast planter, so once I prep my soil, I broadcast my seed over the prepped soil, I then run over it with a homemade roller to compress the seeds into the soil. My roller / compactor is made from an old water heater core that I can drag around behind my Ranger.

Rwc

[Kdog]

If you don't have the equipment that's okay. You don't really need a tiller for fall plots. Kill the area with Round-Up and get a good kill. Wait a week or so and see what kind of kill you got. You may to respray areas you missed. Then broadcast clover and oats into the plot. Do it right before a rain and it will work itself into the ground and germinate.

It doesn't work well with large seeds like soybeans, peas, corn, etc....but smaller seeds like clover, radishes, turnips, oats will work great. A good rain is the key.

Good info, may watch the weather and try to plant a little something if there is any rain in the forecast next couple times I go to the ranch.

[BirdRanger]

Yep I just got soil test done, a but correcting with some 10-10-10.

will be turning dirt this weekend, round up spray and then just wait for a rain day and then plant 2 days ahead of time.

[texashunter56]

Should we drag the oats/clover after we disc and broadcast? OR just broadcast before the rain?

I would get the land ready with fertlizer and discing now. Then if it is sandy or looser type soils I would broadcast the seed and lightly disc it. In sand oats can come up from pretty deep. Just do not want to cover it 4-5" though. You can predisc, seed and drag it in also with a cattle panel or old panel gate.

[unclefish]

Should we drag the oats/clover after we disc and broadcast? OR just broadcast before the rain?

You can drag the oats but I would not drag the clover after discing. Clover just can be broadcast on top and let rain do the rest.

If I disc at all....I usually disc then broadcast the oats and cultipack, then broadcast the clover and cultipack again. Clover needs a good firm seedbed so it doesn't get planted too deep.

[pig out]

Thanks for all your help yall. I stopped by thomas moore yesterday and talked to them and they reccomended a fertilizer and seed mix so i have my plan for this year. Thanks for all the help still open for more advice.