I bought a moultrie spreader year's ago. It is still going good. Also got a 25 gallon moultrie sprayer. Still working good. For big seed I use the bag type that holds 20 lbs. For small seeds like clover I use a 4 lb hand spreader.

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I bought this one last year. Used it 3 times. Seems to work very well

Agri-Fab 45-0463 130-Pound Tow Behind Broadcast Spreader

https://www.amazon.com/Agri-Fab-45-...935281&sr=1-1&keywords=Agri-Fab+45-0463+130-Pound+Tow+Behind+Broadcast+Spreader

 

This is the same one I bought last month from Tractor Supply. It was easy to assemble and so far seems to be very stable. I used it to spread 260 lbs of lime and 34-0-0 and 0-0-60 fertilizers on my two 1/2 acre food plots, and it worked great. I seeded both food plots by hand with my 3 yr old daughter.

 

I have the Moultrie one as well. I have had it for years and never a problem.

 

i have a spreader, but i only use it for seeding. for fertilizer and lime we just get the supplier to drive in and do it with a truck. there is not much difference in price by having them do it, especially when you factor in the time it would take you to do it. they get it cheaper plus those 2 are very corrosive and i don't want to run it thru my spreader.
i have a herd spreader and had a larger hopper made for it, it is awesome, i got more than $150 in it though.

 

My suggestion would be to get one that mounts on your wheeler.. Pull behind ones work well for seeding your lawn, but if your food plot is the least bit rough or loose soil, the pull-type ones typically don't do that well.

Not sure whats out there in the sub-$150 range though.. I have a worksaver and my dad has a Fimco..both work very well, but both were quite a bit more expensive than that.

 

I was concerned that the pull behind wouldn't work well in loose uneven soil, but had no issue with it. I use a rototiller and harrow on my plots which generally leaves a pretty good level and even seed bed, my plots are also small (only 3 and all together probably doesn't make an acre). Also didn't want something that I have to bolt on and take off of my ATV whenever I wanted to use it and wanted something that would hold 100 lbs.

I'm new to the food plot game. I didn't grow up using food plots so I'm still learning. Keep that in mind......

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Moul...=BingPLA&WT.z_mc_id1=02975497&rid=20&gclid=CIjxo8PvrtQCFURLgQodeM8Dsw&gclsrc=ds


$110

 

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/swisher-commercial-pro-atv-spreader?cm_vc=-10005 I bought this one when it was on sale for $250.It works good.I also have a bigger pull behind that also works good.

 

Unless you have good soil you may need way too much lime to spread with small spreader. Here in KY outer dirt is poor, based upon soil test we had to put down 15,000 lbs of lime over 3 acres. Would cost a fortune by the bag, had a lime truck deliver bulk and spread for $300. We also put down 900 lbs of fertilizer which we did using pull behind ATV spreader.

Since then I have purchased Moultree spreader that mounts on ATV rack which I like better as you can take it anywhere but only holds 50 lbs. I also have a 25 gallon tank sprayer $200 from Northern Tool that covers a 10' path. If you buy a sprayer don't buy one with small pump, I did and returned it, my 25 gallon is 2.5 gpm I think and it's ok.

 

I was planning on testing my soil this weekend. How do I know how lime will be needed? Are there calculations?

 

I have the Agri-Fab one in the previous link as well. It works fine for tilled up ground. If you have tilled the ground and it is broken down for proper seeding (basically not huge clods) then it does just fine riding over the ground. I pull it behind my 4 wheeler.

Regarding lime ... pelleted lime works much much better than powdered lime. I made the mistake of trying powdered lime once. What a bear that was to spread.

 

We have a company about 30 miles from me that does soil tests. I just drop the test samples off and they generate a report and tell me lime and fertilizer rates based on my intended plot crops. I think it is like $20 for the report and I have never had them tell me that I took them too many samples. I generally take 3 to 4 samples from each of my 3 plot areas. I only do the samples and reporting every couple years.

 

Most seed companies do soli test and give you exact amounts of lime and fertilizer to use based upon what your planting. I use Whitetail Institute seed myself and they test the soil.

Lime, if you spread yourself use pellets but if you need a lot and have bulk as an option it will be powder and they spread using lime truck. Note lime can take months to neutralize soil so it should be done well in advance of planting.

 

thanks for the info. My father-in-law is ordering his tractor today. We wont be tilling the fields for likely another 2-3 weeks putting us into July which means no planting until September which feels too late. what are your thoughts?

 

A lime truck/buggy can not get to remote plots, hence people needing other means.

 

I get my kit free. I send it to LSU ag center for testing. Shipping to them is free. It cost 10 bucks per sample. You may be able to go to your state agriculture center and they may have the same setup.

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Spend a couple extra bucks and send the sample to your state university's agriculture department. Here in Missouri, UM has several extensions throughout the state and one just happens to be 2 miles from my home. For $20 some agriculture grad student does it and you get a complete analysis with amendments to be made for ph and what fertilizer to use based on what you're planting.

Get it right, have a successful food plot. Let someone that knows what they're doing help.

 

Stick with oats and cereal rye this year. Oats are easy, and grow nearly anywhere. Brassicas can be quite particular about soil quality. Hold off on the clover and do a "frost seeding" after the season. Cereal rye is very cold tolerant and also helps add nitrogen to the soil.

Again, having a soil analysis done by a professional will help the success of your food plot more than any other work you do. Throwing a bunch of seed down and having the plot fail will cost a lot more than the sample, and you will learn a lot in the process.

Last, get a membership to QDMA. I've learned more reading their magazine and website than anywhere else.

 

if we do as you suggest and stick with oats and cereal rye...should we mix these or keep them separate...for example I have one area which is about 2 acres. Should I do one acre of each or literally mix the seeds together and spread them together? thanks!

 

I always plant my plots the first week of September. This is a little early for down here. The earlier you get the clover in the better the root structure will be. Just don't plant to early when it's to hot. Again local ag agent should be a good source for date's.

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If you're going to hunt over the plot, shape can be very important. Just clearing a 2 acre field leaves a ton of open space for feeding deer to either bust you, or not come out during shooting hours. If they do, you may be looking at having no shot because of distance. Hourglass shapes are good for a number of reasons. First, the pinch is a good for the deer because they feel more secure. This also helps you because your entry will be harder to detect. It also may give you more shots because the field won't be as wide.

Don't skip it, just do your homework. Oats are great because they grow almost anywhere, and are cheap. Rye will give your herd a food source after a couple frosts as its more hearty.

My thought for holding off on clover would be to get a sample, and start amending your soil. Clover is a bit more sensitive to pH being out of range and it costs a lot more.

 

The Moultrie spreader works well for me