Getting Started

[titleist_03]

I'm planning on starting some food plots this spring. I have three plots on one piece of land that are around a 1/3 of an acre a piece. The other plot on a diff. piece of land is a little over an acre. All 4 spots are tall weeds and briers right now. We're planning on chopping it all down, burning it (weather permitting), give it a good dose of roundup. Spread the suggest lime from the soil test and till it in. I would like to plant a little bit of corn on the three plot piece of property. I don't want to plant it all in it though. Just something to get the deer coming there. With the remaining land we are planning on keeping the weeds off of it over the summer than in early fall we're planning on planting a couple different types of clover, some brassicas, and rape. Does this sound like a good plan? If someone can offer me some tips or advice I would greatly appreciate it since this is my first time planting food plots. Thanks

[mikeolivertx]

Titleist, where are you located to start with ?

I am willing to bet that someone say's corn is not a good choice smileys/smiley16.gif just a good guess.

[titleist_03]

Central Illinois. Everywhere you look there is corn and beans.

[dogdoc]

I am willing to bet that someone say's corn is not a good choice smileys/smiley16.gif just a good guess.

Corn is a great attractant---but I think you would be better off planting a high protein spring annual to provide much needed protein during the months of antler growth, fawn development, and lactation. You just don't get anything from the corn until it starts developing cobs. Planting some cowpeas or lablab will start getting you some protein very quickly!

todd

[titleist_03]

I was planning on going with lab lab next spring but this spring I'm not sure that I will plant anything. Don't you think it would be best to get most of the weeds killed and give the lime time to start working before I plant anything? I'm thinking of planting clover, chickory, and rape in the early fall. I've also thought of planting a little bit of corn in the spring. But there is so much of that around I doubt that it would do much good besides some cover through the summer and then in the fall they will have the corn there to eat and still have the standing stalks for cover.

[jfwalker]

Are you saying you are not going to put any seed on it his spring?

[titleist_03]

No I hadn't planned on it.

[dogdoc]

why don't you think of planting roundup ready soybeans---can still control your weeds and get a plot at the same time! In the smaller plots they may get overgrazed but still beats nothing.

todd

[jfwalker]

Even cheaper, broadcast a legume. It will add nitrogen to the soil and give you additional green manure to turn into the soil when you disc and plant.

[titleist_03]

What legume do you suggest? How well would it do even though the soil would not be in the best of shape? I'm talking PH under 5.

[cmax]

Titleist,
From my experience attempting to plant any thing this spring is a recipe for disaster. I live in central Indiana and have cleared a couple of similar areas on my farm. My biggest disappointment have been those areas I didnt get adequate weed control prior to planting, the plots started to come on then got completely engulfed in weeds. That includes plots i have sprayed twice in the spring. The round up ready beans are appealing but in only 1/3 acres plots will probably will be overgrazed. The ideal situation would be to get it cleared and burned. I would spray at least in the spring and late summer prior to planting. Its hard to wait but it would have saved me a lot of time, money and replanting if I would have just done it right in the first place. This would also give you time to get your ph up now prior to planting
On such a small plot you either need to plant something that will be tolerant to grazing or something that produces a large amount of forage. Clover and chicory could still be put in late this year after your last round up spraying. The clover would be my choice for legume. I think you would have trouble with alfalfa on your soil. Then you could experiment in the spring with lab lab, etc..
Corn on 1/3 acre wont off much cover, so if you want to plant corn I would at least plant your acre plot with it. I have a half acre plot i put in last year but it wasnt large enough to actually give much cover.
I keep trying brassica, but my deer walk right through it on there way to the picked bean and corn fields, just my experience.
cmax
p.s. listen to walker, he has given me a lot of good info so far!

[titleist_03]

If I do decide to go with the clover and such this fall should I just till it under in the spring and plant the lab lab or how would I go about it?

[mobucks]

Since lime usually takes awhile to work, why not seed a cover crop when you do your lime and till work? You could put in an annual like wheat or milo, then come in and overseed legumes in the fall after the lime has done its thing.

[titleist_03]

I would post a pic of the proposed sights but I don't have a web address to upload them to. I'm still unsure on what to plant for the first fall plot.

[titleist_03]

Heres a link to a picture of the spots I'm wanting to plant.
http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/tm.asp?m=533647

[Bob S]

Link to titleist_03 picture:

LINK (http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/upfiles/10524/Ro418196088.jpg)

[Thayer.qdma]

You need something to draw the deer to your area in the fall according to what your area has. I would suggest mineral licks, and doing a fall planting that would be an attractant over the full grown beans. The deer would go crazy for newly grown wheat or oat field, or a new clover and chicory plot. With all the nutrition around there I don't think you need to worry about feeding, just drawing. I would try to concentrate my efforts on getting the soil where it needs to be, heck the deer might move in before you get your plots planted if they really like the new growth of grass in those areas.

[jfwalker]

My overall favorite for building soil fertility is Korean lespedeza for several reasons. It tolerates low pH. Being an annual it comes up strong the first year and at the end of the year it is a big seeder, which the wildlife really appreciate. It puts down a tap root which I like because it puts organic material into the soil. And equally important, at 70 cents/lb it is cheap. I overseed at a rate of 10lbs/acre (at a cost of $7/acre) Consider a 50lb bag of 13-13-13 costs $8 and contains only 6.5lbs of N at about $1.20/lb. If the legume only puts 60lb/yr of N in the soil, I have made my $7 back by a factor of about 10, and that doesn't count the green manure the legume adds to the soil. (A good stand will put several times 60lb of N/yr into the soil)

Overseeding in the winter, the freezing and thawing of the soil makes small cracks in the soil that works the seeds to the proper depth for growth. The spring rains make a muddy soup for good seed to soil contact. It is nature's way of seeding. It works and it's cheap. Korean lespedeza does well down to a pH of about 5.5. If your pH is lower than 5.5 the growth of the lespedeza will suffer.From the charts I have seen, a pH of 5.0 will have a 10% reduction in growth. Since you are only going to have $7/acre cost in the overseeding, I wouldn't worry about it. Go ahead and overseed.Your soil fertility will be increasing as you are planning your more permanant food plot crop.

Also, you may want to talk to your local NRCS office about your plan to keep the weeds off all summer with Roundup prior to planting. Some of the weeds (forbs) are favorite foods of the deer and contain 35% protein. Your NRCS agent can identify your forbs, and help with an easier and cheaper plan.