Food Plot Prep

[Codie]

We have a fenced 5 acre foodplot that has grown up a pretty good amount of weeds etc. as it has not had anything planted in it in several years. We don't own any equipment and are going to have to rent all of the equipment to complete the plowing/planting of the plot come September/October. Is allowing the weeds.etc. to grow up in it until we plant in Sep/Oct OK as long as we make sure to plow it really good before we plant?

We are just trying to avoid paying the HIGH cost of renting equipment now to plow and then renting it again in a month

[Fightin' Farmer]

Spray all weeds now. Come back and prep the soil (plow) in about 2 or 3 weeks. Then, whenever the weather is conducive (Sept or Oct) go ahead and plant. Make sure and drag something behind your drill to get a nice seedbed.

[unclefish]

I would wait to plow if you are going to plant a month or more from now. All it does is lose moisture.

Spraying now would be a good idea but plow right before you plant to let the seeds/plants utilize the moisture.

[Javelin]

i would wait to plow if you are going to plant a month or more from now. All it does is lose moisture.

Spraying now would be a good idea but plow right before you plant to let the seeds/plants utilize the moisture.

this

[GLM]

Depends on what you plan to plant and how tall are the weeds are. If they are over a few feet tall you may need to mow, let it sit for a few weeks and then spray with Roundup. If they are not too tall then spray now.
Either way I would not plow or till the ground. Let the weed mat act as a vapor barrier (keeps the soil from losing moisture) and help hide the seeds. Just broadcast the seeds or better yet use a no-till grain drill.

[unclefish]

Depends on what you plan to plant and how tall are the weeds are. If they are over a few feet tall you may need to mow, let it sit for a few weeks and then spray with Roundup. If they are not too tall then spray now.
Either way I would not plow or till the ground. Let the weed mat act as a vapor barrier (keeps the soil from losing moisture) and help hide the seeds. Just broadcast the seeds or better yet use a no-till grain drill.

That's a real good thought! If you are renting you might as well rent a no-till planter. The object is to never have the soil uncovered...if it is you are losing moisture.

[texashunter56]

I would wait to plow if you are going to plant a month or more from now. All it does is lose moisture.

Spraying now would be a good idea but plow right before you plant to let the seeds/plants utilize the moisture.

Unwanted weeds and grasses are sucking the moisture out of the ground also. I would shred it down if I could then plow it. With the fall months coming up you will get some wet cold fronts to help you decide when to plant, after or before a rain. I always pre-plowed as deep as I could in May or June then kept the weeds sprayed. Then waited on a shower that would meet moisture to plant.

[texashunter56]

One option if I had the help would be to burn it off if it is dead now. It would take some prep work and help to do but is an option. Really good fertilizer will be put back into the ground from the ash and burned residue.

[unclefish]

Sure live plants use moisture. Spraying takes care of that. I just don't know what plowing a month before planting gets you...other than drying out the ground. You've already killed the weeds by spraying....that acts as a moisture saving mulch. Its going to rain what its going to rain....banking that moisture by having kept the soil covered makes sense vs having soil exposed for weeks before planting.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWXCLVCJWTU"]Under Cover Farmers - Feature Length - YouTube[/ame]

[texashunter56]

I agree with ground cover that is dead to protect the moisture but you have to have great tillage equipment to plow under that much residue. It also takes a few weeks for the soil to break down that residue you till under. That is what I want put back into soil is the green residue to help build the soils.

[texashunter56]

A few pics of some Lab Lab and Cowpeas plots for spring food plots. I used oats, winter peas and clovers in the fall. I used netwire fencing and electric fencing to allow plots to get established before grazing them. Net wire had gates or opens at "H" braces and/or electric fencing opens that were taken down.

[unclefish]

No till equipment can go right through the thatch. Exposing the soil to the atmosphere is actually the worst thing for it....it destroys microbes, arthropods, nemotodes, etc...that help break down the residue. Leaving cover on top is the absolute best thing to build healthy soils and increase organic matter. Here is a good quick video.

http://vimeo.com/channels/raythesoilguy/60317049

Good looking plots by the way!

[texashunter56]

I agree with what you are saying but it is not in everyones budget to buy a no-till drill. Some areas you can rent one but not everywhere.

[unclefish]

I agree with what you are saying but it is not in everyones budget to buy a no-till drill. Some areas you rent one but not everywhere.

I hear you. I wish I had one. In the fall you can no till alot of crops (clover, oats, radishes, turnips...small seed stuff) without any equipment. Just spray and broadcast....wait for a rain. I've been doing it for a few years and small seeds work well...big seeds (peas, corn, beans)....do not work well at all.

[texashunter56]

I hear you. I wish I had one. In the fall you can no till alot of crops (clover, oats, radishes, turnips...small seed stuff) without any equipment. Just spray and broadcast....wait for a rain. I've been doing it for a few years and small seeds work well...big seeds (peas, corn, beans)....do not work well at all.

If you live in Katy you can rent one not to far from you I have been doing food plots since 1991. Winter and spring. I have used lots of different plants. In the early 90s my fall plots were oats, madrid clover and turnips. Madrid Clover would last till July/August. Plow it up and plant the same mix again.