Food Plots Food Plot Budget?

[xatxay]

Gentlemen, I've got $250 budgeted for plots. Bush hogging has been done & I have plenty of Gly 4 to spray.
I have three places I'd like to plant ( #1-.5 acre, #2- 1 acre & #3 is very large. I'll only plant about an acre of #3. All are rough pasture. No soil test done yet but will pull samples this weekend.
How would you allocate your $ ? Seed, Fert, lime ?
Would you try to hire tractor help for tilling or would you throw and go?

 

[fins&fur]

brother...you'll have more than that in lime and fert on 2.5 acres..if that's your budget..do the .5 acre plot this year..do it right..and save for the others this spring..jmo

 

[KubotaM4900]

Throw an go isn't an option period

 

[DaveB]

Throw & Grow is a lot of annual rye grass and IMO a waste of money and time.

You need clover and radishes and a few others.

I don't see how you can do even the smallest plot without some mechanical help-a tractor, yeah, sounds good. Take a stroll through the (thread) sunflower plot prep ChaneyLake does, and there are a lot of other examples. There is a general set of steps to follow based on your soil and area conditions.

I'd lime the place then turn the soil and plant a really thick overseeded clover variety to try and choke the weeds out. You have very very little time left for this year its almost fall

 

[Hunter 257W]

I've always liked Whitetail Institutes "No Plow" and since you are on a tight budget and would have to borrow a tractor to work your ground, their "No Plow" makes sense. You just have to have exposure to bare dirt and it can tolerate a fairly low Ph too.

I think the mix consists of ryegrass, oats, wheat(?), annual clover, brassica, radishes and lettuce. They recommend 300-400lbs of 13-13-13 per acre. Honestly, you can get by with 200 and have good results.

 

[348Winchester]

Put at least 1000 lbs of lime on the smallest plot. Disc the hell out of it. Broadcast 75 lbs of grain rye just before a rain. Put down about 50 lbs of 19-19-19 at planting. After a couple of weeks put another 25 lbs of rye on the thin/bald areas and another 50 lbs of 19-19-19.

That small plot done right will be better than half-assing any of the others.