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Post by greenecohayse on Jan 10, 2006 13:24:01 GMT -5
I am planning on putting in a food plot on my land in a little 2 acre field and I was wondering for those of you who already have food plots, when is the right time to start planting, why kind of "food" is the best to use, and what is the proper way to manage a food plot. Thanks for your replies!
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Post by drs on Jan 10, 2006 14:03:42 GMT -5
I am planning on putting in a food plot on my land in a little 2 acre field and I was wondering for those of you who already have food plots, when is the right time to start planting, why kind of "food" is the best to use, and what is the proper way to manage a food plot. Thanks for your replies! The very first thing you need to do is determine the soil type of that area. Then you need to check the pH to see if it is compatable with what you intend to plant. I am too planning to plant a small area, on my property, and I am going to plant White Clover and Lespedeza. These, I've found to be the most economical and they come up every year. You might want to throw some Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulphate) on the area, which you can do after you sew the seed. Our midwest soils are very low on magnesium, which is necessary for the (any) plant to be able to use other minerals, in the soil, needed for healthy growth
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Post by hunter7x on Jan 10, 2006 14:16:31 GMT -5
I had an enjoyable time with a small food plot last spring. I made mine right in the middle of my 30 acres of woods. I also made the mistake of not trimming enough trees to let sunlight get to the ground. My plot grew like crazy until it got about 6" tall and then it withered and died. I contacted a local place to do the soil test. I took the samples to them and they gave me the report. Then I called a seed coop and told them what I was doing and they hooked me up with seed. My little plot is about a 1/4 acre right now, but as soon as I get the hang of it I'm going to expand it. With the spring like weather we've had I've been working on it the last 2 weekends.
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Post by hunter7x on Jan 10, 2006 14:31:47 GMT -5
What I started with...
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Post by hunter7x on Jan 10, 2006 14:33:28 GMT -5
After the clearing....this isn't the whole plot, just a section.
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Post by hunter7x on Jan 10, 2006 14:34:12 GMT -5
This was April 17th
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Post by parrothead on Jan 10, 2006 14:34:57 GMT -5
I have had them for years and tried everything out there. I have had my best luck with 1) clover 2) alfalfa. I had to cut my clover last year 5 times. It is really growing well.
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Post by hunter7x on Jan 10, 2006 14:35:35 GMT -5
And about the best it got on May 14th. After this it pretty much didn't have any day light and withered pretty quickly.
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Post by greenecohayse on Jan 10, 2006 14:37:02 GMT -5
Well my problem is I don't farm myself nor can I ever really remember planting anything besides landscaping around the house when I was little. The field that I plan on putting this food plot has not been bushhogged/mowed in about 3 years. Now it is more like a sumak field. After I bushhog the area should I try to borrow a field box to till up the land?? Thanks for the input.
DRS- What part of southwestern In are you from?
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Post by parrothead on Jan 10, 2006 15:13:51 GMT -5
YOu can rent about everything now. I would think you would need a plow to turn over the soil. A disk at the least. They do have round up ready alfalfa now, too.
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Post by Woody Williams on Jan 10, 2006 16:14:11 GMT -5
YOu can rent about everything now. I would think you would need a plow to turn over the soil. A disk at the least. They do have round up ready alfalfa now, too. A lot of seeds just take scratching the surface and a lawn dethatcher will do that.
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Post by buckeater on Jan 10, 2006 19:10:04 GMT -5
biologic came out with a roundup ready corn and soybean mix. lot cheaper than going to a seed company and getting it to. i doubt it will yeild as good though
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Post by drs on Jan 11, 2006 7:12:57 GMT -5
DRS- What part of southwestern In are you from? I live in Northern Vanderburgh County, north of Evansville.
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Post by bigballer on Jan 11, 2006 7:28:36 GMT -5
I picked up a few bags of stuff at Wal Mart last night. Always like the after season sales. I thought I might try putting out a few little plots to see what its like and to see if it works. Got three different kinds. Thought I would just try it. Figure it can't hurt and I need to learn about this stuff.
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Post by hornharvester on Jan 11, 2006 9:30:45 GMT -5
This is my fourth year for planting food plots. I live in NE Ind and found for my situation that annuals work best. I use Shot Plot which is mostly turnip and rape seeds. Since my property is surrounded by corn and bean fields i needed something different to attract deer and the Shot Plot did the trick. The deer feed heavy on it starting just before bow season and they are still eating now. Frost and freezes just make it sweeter. Always make sure you use plenty of fertilizer. I use 19-19-19 @ 300 lbs to the acre.
Heres my thoughts, if you want to feed the deer all year then plant some kind of perennial, like alfalfa or clovers but if you want it mainly for attracting deer in the hunting seasons then use annuals. h.h.
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Post by drs on Jan 11, 2006 10:46:41 GMT -5
This is my fourth year for planting food plots. I live in NE Ind and found for my situation that annuals work best. I use Shot Plot which is mostly turnip and rape seeds. Since my property is surrounded by corn and bean fields i needed something different to attract deer and the Shot Plot did the trick. The deer feed heavy on it starting just before bow season and they are still eating now. Frost and freezes just make it sweeter. Always make sure you use plenty of fertilizer. I use 19-19-19 @ 300 lbs to the acre. Heres my thoughts, if you want to feed the deer all year then plant some kind of perennial, like alfalfa or clovers but if you want it mainly for attracting deer in the hunting seasons then use annuals. h.h. Very interesting! You might want to try planting a few Sweet Potatoes also. I know from my experience trying to grow them in the garden, that deer LOVE them! Also please becareful, you said you like to attract them during hunting season with food stuff. This might be misconstrude as baiting them, by a C.O.
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Post by greenecohayse on Jan 11, 2006 11:03:24 GMT -5
Thanks to everyone for their input. I hope it keeps pouring in.
Those of you who plant food plots, will these plants help bring in turkey as well?
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Post by hunter7x on Jan 11, 2006 11:42:54 GMT -5
All mine did was make a good strutting zone ! So I guess in a way yes.
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Post by hornharvester on Jan 11, 2006 13:27:31 GMT -5
With this warm weather the turnips in my plot are greening back up and growing again. We had a lot of snow just before the cold weather and the snow covered up the plants, kind of protecting them from freezing. The leaves that were uncovered have all died off but the ones covered are nice and green. There are fresh deer tracks in the mud all over the plot.
I plant Shot Plot about the second week of August. You guys down in Southern Indiana might wait and plant the third week of August.
The deer really start eating Shot Plot a few days after the first good frost. The frost makes the sugars go up in the leaves and the deer love it. h.h.
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Post by drs on Jan 11, 2006 15:11:22 GMT -5
My Grandmother always planted her turnips "25th of July Wet or Dry". ;D
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