Help with my Food Plot

[Aviator]

I have seven acrea area that we are going to be planting our food plot on. Last year I just had winter wheat and oats and a little rape. This year we want to plant winter wheat, oats, rape, arrowleaf clover and australian winter peas. My question is how much of each should I put out for the seven acres? And is this a good combination?

 

[tnbassman]

sounds good to me. you might try some Lab Lab as well if you plant in the next week or so. $47.00 for 20 pounds for an acre is what I paid but it has not been out a month and is getting slammed and handles browsing good also.

 

[deerchaser007]

25 lbs wheat
25 lbs oats
20 lbs winter peas
5 lb arrowleaf
5 lb rape

PER ACRE

if you have seven acres,.. take each and say times 7 ,... this of course if you want to mix it all together!!

Is it 1 solid 7 acre field??
if so,.. i would seriously look into splitting it 3 ways. So much in perrenial plot, so much in left standing anuals, and so much in rotating seasonal annuals.

 

[Aviator]

Thanks guys for the info!! I will have this planted next weekend. We are finally getting some rain down here in Georgia, so I can finally plant!
It is a solid seven acres. We have three other plots on the farm. One of the plots is an annual plot and that plot is 4 acres. I am trying to make my plot the honey hole!

 

[deerchaser007]

Good luck aviator,.. and post us some pics of those plots!!!

 

[Aviator]

Deerchaser007. What is the mix that you and BSK use?
Does this sound like a good mix to everyone? I will take any recommendations that are out there to better my plot and knowledge. Another reminder is that I will be planting this in Georiga about 45 minutes west of Augusta, GA. Thanks for all the help everyone has provided. I am planting this Sunday and Monday and will post pictures once I get back!! And what how much and what type of fertilizer should I put on the plot?
Man the prices of seed down here in Florida where I live is outrageous. For winter peas it is $37.99 per 50, oat are $37.99 per 50, winter wheat is $32.99 per 50! I can't believe the difference in prices between Florida and TN. The prices in Georgia where my farm is are comparable to TN, but still a little more expensive by a couple of bucks.

 

[hambone]

The mix they use is

 

[hambone]

The mix they use is 50lb Oats or wheat, 15lb crimson clover, 5 lb arrowleaf clover, 5 lb dwarf essex rape. This is the annual plot. For perennial use 3 lb white clover, 5 lb red clover, 50 lb oats/wheat, 2-3 lb chicory per acre. If you use the annual bushhog it down in may and overseed in buckwheat.

 

[JohnnyDollar]

Is it 1 solid 7 acre field??
if so,.. i would seriously look into splitting it 3 ways. So much in perrenial plot, so much in left standing anuals, and so much in rotating seasonal annuals.


I agree DC that way he will have traffic year-round.

 

[Aviator]

It is a solid 7 acres. I think we might try splitting three ways. Any suggestions on what to plant if we do it three ways. Which stuff in each section and how much? Also which type of fertilizer is best to use?

 

[TeamMainStreet]

Need a soil test to know what kinda fertilizer and ph level. Also, if you are going to mix any of it remember not to mix the clover in it. It needs to be planted last because it dont need to be covered as deep as the other stuff or it wont come up. I do mine last and just go over it with a cultipacker.

 

[treehanger27]

Is it too late to plant turnips? if so what should you plant right now?

 

[deerchaser007]

Is it too late to plant turnips? if so what should you plant right now?

Its planting time now for everything that is a cool season annual or for establishing petennial plots.

 

[treehanger27]

Thanks

 

[deerchaser007]

It is a solid 7 acres. I think we might try splitting three ways. Any suggestions on what to plant if we do it three ways. Which stuff in each section and how much? Also which type of fertilizer is best to use?

Splitting it up is the best thing you could do for a serious food plot for attraction and nutrition. Its really hard for us to tell you how to split it without seeing it!! BUT........... like i said earlier,.. you need perennial, annual, and rotating annual.

If i had that much acreage in 1 single plot ,.. i would want a warm season annual plot totaling about 2 acres. Such as imperial powerplant. I would use nothing but oats and wheat in it this year,.. then in may i would break ground and plant the imperial powerplant and never touch it til the following may ,then replant it again in powerplant. THEN,... i would want 2 acres in perennial clover and chicory. This will provide the food source year round at all times,.. and will provide a food source while the other annuals are being sowed in. THEN,.. i would want my rotating annual. This would be like the mix you are currently using. Except,.. i would mow it all down in july and plant in buckwheat til september planting came again.

The mix i really recommend is
50 lbs oats or wheat
15 lb crimson clover
5 lb arrowleaf
5 lb DER
then in july,.. bush-hog and overseed in buckwheat.

BUT,.. since you have 2 acres or more,... you cannot beat winter peas. In places with 2 acres or less and it has a average or above average deer herd ,.. winter peas can be wiped out before they serve their purpose of attracting and providing nutrition. Winter peas will not tolerate early grazing,.. thats why i don't recommend them in spots 2 acres or less.

Hope this helped you somewhat.........
By the way,..... soil test is the only way this will be successful. Its the most critical part of any food plot program. Its the only way to know the exact lime and fertilizer needed for each spot and each planting.

 

[Boone 58]

Aviator, may be the area you are in ???
I purchased certified wheat in Al grown in tn....for 9.00 per 50 pounds...
Do you have Co-ops in the area or a seed company in your area?
Clemmons and Hammner seed in greenhill is where i buy all of my seed and they are more competitive than the co-ops since they are a seed company....
you should be able to find something better than those outrageous prices but i am no authority on the area you live in.
good luck!

 

[deerchaser007]

That reminds me,...... thanks camoman270,..... aviator ,you should check with cooperseeds.com . Thats a ridiculous price on seed. You could buy from coopers (which is in GA) ,.. and pay shipping freight and get the seed cheaper!!

 

[Aviator]

Thanks DC007! I checked them out. I was able to hook up with the pennington seed company which is about 45 minutes from my farm. They are giving me a great deal. Is a co-op the same as our feed and seed store? Our farm is five hundred acres. We have been having our pines select cut to thin it out. I will be up there this coming week and take pictures of the plots and size of each. We just ordered a PH test kit, so I will know the PH this coming week. We have a total four food plots. In the past we have not been doing different foods in each plot. We have been making a mixture and spreading the same on all plots. In the past we have only used wheat, oats, crimson clover, aussie winter peas and rape. We haven't been planting anything during the spring or summer and in the fall we have the forestry department come and disc the fields. Also this spring we had another controlled burn to burn off all the debris from the field clearing and select cut that has been going on. I want to do what ever it takes to establish a great source of year round nutrition for the deer herd and turkey. I have been amazed the difference in the quality deer that I have seen in the past few years just from planting food plots and by doing a little land clearing.

 

[deerchaser007]

Aviator,.. sounds like you have one heck of a plan estblished. The main thing to always remember is,.. we can sit and talk plots all day,.. but habitat is first and foremost in a successful deer management plan.

I do have bad news though,.... that PH test kit is just gonna give you a number of acidic in the ground. It will not tell you how to correct it and for sure ain't gonna tell you fertilizer recommendations for a planting. Your better off spending 6 to 8 dollars on a sent off soil test.

 

[Aviator]

DC007, how long does it take to get the soil sample back? This is the only weekend I have to plant. Do you recommend to wait for the soil test to come back before applying any type fertilizer? If you are ever down in Georgia DC007, we would enjoy for you to stop by and check out the farm. I have contacted a couple of recommended biologist last year, but they were to busy to come do a study. If you know anyone in Georgia, please pass along their info.