i was wondering if it was to late to start my own food plot in one of my new stand areas. It is between two bedding areas and it has a main trail going through it and i was thinking of planting a small food plot off the side of the trail in the clearing about 15 yards out from my stand... do u have any ideas as to what would grow the best. The area gets plenty of water and i think it would have enough sunlight, not alot though. Also this would be my first food plot so what all would i have to do to make it??
food plot question
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several questions
where are you located ? You may have enough time ,but not enough rain.
where are you located ? You may have enough time ,but not enough rain.
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Brandon,i would suggest either
Biologic Full Draw or Shot Plot by evolved Habitat.They both are brassicas and will do well without alot of soil prep and low Ph.do as much soil prep as possible then broadcast the seeds on top just before a rain.If you cover they it may be too deep.A 50 lb bag of 13-13-13 should be all you need to get them thru the season.The seeds should cost $10 or less and the fertilizer is going for $10 a bag in this area.The seeds should be in your local Walmart.
You need to get this done very soon !Warning thge deer may not hit the brassicas until the first frost (which is a good thing).So don't get discouraged.
I have a place I plant every year that can not be disc.I roundup,bush hog and spread the seeds.They do fine,not as good as the ground were disc,but still grow to be a ft tall.
Biologic Full Draw or Shot Plot by evolved Habitat.They both are brassicas and will do well without alot of soil prep and low Ph.do as much soil prep as possible then broadcast the seeds on top just before a rain.If you cover they it may be too deep.A 50 lb bag of 13-13-13 should be all you need to get them thru the season.The seeds should cost $10 or less and the fertilizer is going for $10 a bag in this area.The seeds should be in your local Walmart.
You need to get this done very soon !Warning thge deer may not hit the brassicas until the first frost (which is a good thing).So don't get discouraged.
I have a place I plant every year that can not be disc.I roundup,bush hog and spread the seeds.They do fine,not as good as the ground were disc,but still grow to be a ft tall.
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We just planted Dwarf Essex rape in central VA. last week in 3 plots of about 1/2 acre each. The farmer that planted for us said it is not to late and we are lucky we did not plant earlier as there was no rain. It has rained 3 times since last week so we should be OK. I would plant asap.
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Plant soon and you will be ok. I would spray the area now with roundup, and plant a week after. This will pay off with less competition from weeds/grasses.
This will not hurt the area too much, and having the plot will improve hunting
eventually. Fertilize and seed same day, if you like. I have had good luck with
biologic ph fertilizer. ( This is the only biologic product i really like). Mix in some Imperial whitetail clover with a good No-till annual product and this will
give you some clover growth for seasons to come.
Good Luck
This will not hurt the area too much, and having the plot will improve hunting
eventually. Fertilize and seed same day, if you like. I have had good luck with
biologic ph fertilizer. ( This is the only biologic product i really like). Mix in some Imperial whitetail clover with a good No-till annual product and this will
give you some clover growth for seasons to come.
Good Luck
i wont be able to go back to the spot till next saturday, and all i could get in to the area is probably just a rake. What would i need to do just go in and rake up all the grass and weeds and such till its just soil and then just throw the fertilizer and seeds down? Also would i still have enough time to plant next saturday or would it be to late?
and will the brassicas last till next season and keep coming back or will i need to replant them?? Also their is another area i might try to plant a plot in too. It is an open field so what would be a good suggestion for that?? This one im not going to worry about being full grown this year, i just want it to be up next season..but something that will grow for this season would be awesome...any suggestions??
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I still recommend you roundup first.Then plant the next week.If you don't the existing grass and weeds will compete for the fertilizer.
Most brassicas mixes are annual(plant ea year)
Most brassicas mixes are annual(plant ea year)
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There is no majic mix or quick plot.You either do it right or the results will be a dissappointment.
you would be better off planting a winter wheat/rye/oat blend rather than one of those expensive marketed blends. You get more bang for the buck, a much better food source than Brassicas(which is what you will get in the expensives blends) and it's much better suited to grow this late. I.E. you can buy a half acre of seed of that marketed stuff, or buy a dog food sized bag or farm grade stuff for the same price, and have something the deer would be more attracted too. Brassicas are not that good IMO, at least here in michigan ther arn't. It's just a marketing ploy to sell you expensive seed. I've been doing plots for years and the stuff you get from your local mill made for your climate is just as good as the flashy advertised stuff at a fraction of the cost. Also... get yourself some selenium fortified mineral licks with apple flavor. They sell them for horses and the deer love them, if your state allows you to hunt with salt licks around. One more thing. the soil PH has to be in the zone and you gotta do a rain dance. You better plan on planting yesterday.
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Since you are planting such a small area,maximum
effort is required to produce enough forage to make it worth your while.If only a small amount of seeds come up the deer will over forage the plot and
kill it.Heres the way things should be done.
#1 Spray Roundup (WAIT ONE WEEK or you'll kill your seeds)
#2 bushhog
#3 disc plot
#4 spread seed and ferilizer
I planted 9 acres in 14 plots two weekends ago.This is what I do every year.
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effort is required to produce enough forage to make it worth your while.If only a small amount of seeds come up the deer will over forage the plot and
kill it.Heres the way things should be done.
#1 Spray Roundup (WAIT ONE WEEK or you'll kill your seeds)
#2 bushhog
#3 disc plot
#4 spread seed and ferilizer
I planted 9 acres in 14 plots two weekends ago.This is what I do every year.
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Moe,I think you speak from a lack of experience.Brassicas reprouce the leaves very quickly,much faster than wheat ,oats or rye.It takes very little browsing for a cerial plot to look like a putting green.Cerial grains are sold in 50 pound bags around $8-10.A 1/4 acre Shotplot or Biologic is around the same price.If you doubt what I've said you should go to the QDMA.com forums and chat with the food plot experts.
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