[Fearnot4ME]

First Food Plot

I am a total beginner when it come to food plots. I have always just used mineral and corn in the past on my land. However, I would like to plant a small plot or 2 in a few openings w/in my mt. land. They are about 30-40 feet by 20 30 feet or so. What is the best type of seed to plant, and what is the best time to plant it. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[steelheadpie]

Re: First Food Plot

for that size of plot anything would be tough deer would eat it before it becomes mature unless you have a late season plot like winter greens, or some kind of rape seed

 

[bucky130]

Re: First Food Plot

Start clearing off the edges to make them a little bigger a few feet each way will give you a lot more square footage.

 

[RB]

Re: First Food Plot

ALl my plots are small, not that small but nothing like a farm field.

Tips off the top of my head.

Clear away the trees to the south first (if you can) it will improve sunlight the most, which is improtant to any seed.

Stay way from things like throw and grow and Shot plot or anything with ryegrass, the deer will love it in year 1 when it is establishing and tender, but it becomes a problem in future years.

WIth small plots there is a tendency to over seed cause if you buy pre-packaged you wonlt to use it all. Althought it makes for aquick green carpet, as the plants mature they kind of stunt out and quit growing.

We have a new sponsor coming on here...Hilltop Seeds...Chris will mix up a blend for you if you tell him your particulars for even a small plot.

I am becoming a big chicory fan as you can plant it early, and mow it and it still comes back. Deer and turks like it..maybe mix it with forage oats in June and get a summer plot developed so it gets on the deer's radar, then August mow it down and overseed with Brassicas. The new brassica and exisiting chicory should pop back up and take you into winter.

ALthough depending on deer density, you do have a good chance on it getting eaten quickly.

Lots of lime, and a general fertilzer will help, I would not go the soil test route just for that size. Sunlight is key to a Mountain plot...i know that first hand.

Chris mixed me up a winter wheat and brassice mix last year I put on a flat log trail, the deer paid alot of attention to it, even in deer season . Got pics buried somewhere.

 

[pheasants]

Re: First Food Plot

For small plot's.
I would use. Two differnt kind's of seed.
For your two plot's i would plant Clover,Chicory Plot
And i would plant a Brassice,winter wheat.

why them two plots.
The Clover plot. should be planted early spring. And thats for a spring-summer an early fall plot.

The Brassice and winter wheat is a Fall, winter and early spring plot. should be planted early fall. anytime in Aug.

 

[tanner]

Re: First Food Plot

Good info.

 

[wildernessjournies]

Re: First Food Plot

If it were me i would lime fertilize to soil tests.Then go with winter rye grain and clover in august.The rye will be good for a kill plot and the clover will feed em come spring.Dont worry about the rye getting tall it wont hurt anything and the turkeys will love it.Also daylighting the edges and the south are great ideas.Over seed the following year with rye again to provide fall winter hunting and use up nitrogen to help keep your clover from burning out.I'm making some new plots in the woods with a rake this year.I'm gonna start out with buckwheat in july nuke it with roundup in aug.then overseed with clover and rye,hopefully this will help with moisture retention as well as provide P and K for the clover.hope this helps have a good one!

 

[4c_game_chaser]

Re: First Food Plot

Fearnot4ME, talk to my wife, she can give you the soil sample collection tools and do the test for you right in her classroom. I figure that can be my contribution, you can handle the rest

I can come up with the clover and winter wheat as well out of our farm supplies for the year, we just need to get up there with some chainsaws before spring!

 

[plotplant'ndude]

Re: First Food Plot

my #1 recommendation is pick up a plotsaver kit by messina wildlife, and YES they do work, i use them all the time, in SW PA the deer herd is very unhealthy, in that, there are to many for the habitat, i have planted small food plots in high deer areas and have had excellent success using the plotsaver products.

wooded areas almost always have a low PH so LLLLLLLIME! BUT the nice thing about areas like that is the high level of organic matter, which translates into great fertilizer, any plant that deer will forage that will take a lower ph is good if you don't want to lime it enough, (alsike clover, rye grass, rape....) but you can plant almost anything if you apply enough lime and good fertizer AND protect those plots to get them established as well as heeding the advise above for ample sunlight,

 

[Fearnot4ME]

Re: First Food Plot

Thanks guys fro the info...4C fire up your saw....i'll bring the kabota