Food Plots how do you plant your plots?

[TNlandowner]

I finally planted twelve plots. I think this is the best planting I've ever done, but would love an easier (faster) method next year. How do you plant your plots?

My method took a lot of time. I sprayed glyphosate and waited 15 days before burning the fields. I then disked the ground to break up the roots and remove small trees trying to invade the fields. I spread lime and fertilizer and used my tiller to break up the soil better. I spread oats and wheat and used a cultipacker to pack the soil and seeds. Hopefully we get rain soon to get the plants growing before our first frost.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Not sure how large your plots are but maybe think about a drill...even an older one as long as it's in good working condition. Doesn't have to be no-till if you're able to continue tillage, but if your plots are small may not be worth the investment.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

No need to wait that 15 days. We spray and drill or drill and spray (either way) the same day. Gly is not soil active and doesn't hurt the seed. It only kills green, living plants. Not everyone has access to a drill, but it is well worth the time and money.

No need to spray if you are tilling. Also, probably no need in disking if you till. When we have tilled in the past, there was a smooth seed bed. If that's the case with yours, just till, sow, then cultipack.

 

[Shooter77]

I've been doing the throw and mow process last few years. It's been decent success, but this year, we've had so much rain (16.18" since July 19th) that the mowed stuff and shot up and over taken all my seed. I wish I would have sprayed all my plots then lightly disked the ground. Next year I will spray all my plots before planting. I have to many weeds not in all my plots.

 

[Spurhunter]

This year we bushhogged and sprayed Gly in the August heat, waited a couple weeks and disked in pelletized lime, waited a couple weeks and Sept 17th disked in Triple 15, planted Whitetail Institute Imperial Winter Greens, and sprayed Plot Start. This is the first year we've limed and used Plot Start.

 

[BSK]

No need to spray if you are tilling.

Actually, night and day difference tilling living grasses and dead grasses. Dead grasses till into the soil with ease. Living ones don't.

Also, probably no need in disking if you till.

That is true.

When we have tilled in the past, there was a smooth seed bed. If that's the case with yours, just till, sow, then cultipack.

I would still spray first, wait a week, then till, sow and cultipack (although I don't cultipack because that would undo everything I'm trying to accomplish by tilling).

 

[DoubleRidge]

If I had a no-till drill there is no doubt my method would be spray & drill...I'd try my best to never open the weed seed bank and with thatch left on top of the soil we have a better chance of maintaining moisture, building soil and have less issues with erosion....but.... buying a no-till drill is a significant investment....so there is an option of renting one. Our local Co-op drill is $300 per day...catch there is you must have a tractor large and heavy enough to safely operate... especially if you are on hilly terrain....so if you don't want to plow, disk or till and cultipack....and you don't have a drill....that leaves the method of spray, sow and mow....and our experience with spray and sow has been ok...some plots better than others....none of the plots would make it in a magazine...none of them are "glamor plots"....but all of them are capable of generating tons of food for wildlife....and timing is everything with spray, sow and mow....for starters don't let the vegetation your spraying get too tall....if it's only a foot or so tall you can literally sow your seed (heavy) then spray same day and once brown the thatch, with a heavy rain, will naturally lay down over the seed....but if the material your spraying is too tall then I'll spray....wait a week....sow seed...then mow.

 

[Shooter77]

If I had a no-till drill there is no doubt my method would be spray & drill...I'd try my best to never open the weed seed bank and with thatch left on top of the soil we have a better chance of maintaining moisture, building soil and have less issues with erosion....but.... buying a no-till drill is a significant investment....so there is an option of renting one. Our local Co-op drill is $300 per day...catch there is you must have a tractor large and heavy enough to safely operate... especially if you are on hilly terrain....so if you don't want to plow, disk or till and cultipack....and you don't have a drill....that leaves the method of spray, sow and mow....and our experience with spray and sow has been ok...some plots better than others....none of the plots would make it in a magazine...none of them are "glamor plots"....but all of them are capable of generating tons of food for wildlife....and timing is everything with spray, sow and mow....for starters don't let the vegetation your spraying get too tall....if it's only a foot or so tall you can literally sow your seed (heavy) then spray same day and once brown the thatch, with a heavy rain, will naturally lay down over the seed....but if the material your spraying is too tall then I'll spray....wait a week....sow seed...then mow.

Very true on the spray, so and mow.

 

[DoubleRidge]

So...not to continue rambling on about the spray, sow and mow method....but I do want to share a challenge we face with the method on some of our older plots.
On our older plots where we have used the spray and sow method for years.....we have layers or years worth of thatch or duff which is a good thing for numerous reasons, such as moisture retention, etc.....but.....over time we are noticing it's more difficult to get good seed to soil contact because the thatch is so thick.
So... considered experimenting with spraying and burning off a few plots...not to defeat the purpose but to return the nutrients in the thatch back to soil quickly and to improve seed to soil contact....would not want to do it every year....but maybe in a rotation....I like the thatch and the benefits it provides....but at a certain point it becomes challenging to get seed to soil contact without drilling.....so curious if anyone has any experience or input on spray, burn and sow? Cleaning the table so to speak.... thinking spray in late spring, burn, then sow buckwheat heavy on bare ground...then sow fall blend into standing buckwheat and cultipack it down over fall blend just before a rain....(buckwheat also provides great weed suppression)....just looking at ways to improve the no-till method.....and I always enjoy experimenting with different methods or ideas.

 

[348Winchester]

So...not to continue rambling on about the spray, sow and mow method....but I do want to share a challenge we face with the method on some of our older plots.
On our older plots where we have used the spray and sow method for years.....we have layers or years worth of thatch or duff which is a good thing for numerous reasons, such as moisture retention, etc.....but.....over time we are noticing it's more difficult to get good seed to soil contact because the thatch is so thick.
So... considered experimenting with spraying and burning off a few plots...not to defeat the purpose but to return the nutrients in the thatch back to soil quickly and to improve seed to soil contact....would not want to do it every year....but maybe in a rotation....I like the thatch and the benefits it provides....but at a certain point it becomes challenging to get seed to soil contact without drilling.....so curious if anyone has any experience or input on spray, burn and sow? Cleaning the table so to speak.... thinking spray in late spring, burn, then sow buckwheat heavy on bare ground...then sow fall blend into standing buckwheat and cultipack it down over fall blend just before a rain....(buckwheat also provides great weed suppression)....just looking at ways to improve the no-till method.....and I always enjoy experimenting with different methods or ideas.

That sounds like an excellent idea.

 

[BSK]

On our older plots where we have used the spray and sow method for years.....we have layers or years worth of thatch or duff which is a good thing for numerous reasons, such as moisture retention, etc.....but.....over time we are noticing it's more difficult to get good seed to soil contact because the thatch is so thick.

We ran into the exact same problem. Although the spray/seed/mow technique helped us produce a thin veneer of good quality soil on plots that started in brutally poor condition (log-loading decks), eventually the thatch built up so deep we were no longer seeing good germination/growth.

Burning off the plots is a good idea.

 

[BSK]

In my opinion, Popcorn is the master of planting plots in his soil conditions. Mega is a master of planting/growing plots in his soil condition. One of these days, I would like to be the master of growing plots on rocky ridge-top plots. But I'm not there yet. I'm still experimenting and trying to work out the best system. I certainly know what doesn't work, and what sort of works, but not what really works well. Some day...

 

[Shooter77]

So...not to continue rambling on about the spray, sow and mow method....but I do want to share a challenge we face with the method on some of our older plots.
On our older plots where we have used the spray and sow method for years.....we have layers or years worth of thatch or duff which is a good thing for numerous reasons, such as moisture retention, etc.....but.....over time we are noticing it's more difficult to get good seed to soil contact because the thatch is so thick.
So... considered experimenting with spraying and burning off a few plots...not to defeat the purpose but to return the nutrients in the thatch back to soil quickly and to improve seed to soil contact....would not want to do it every year....but maybe in a rotation....I like the thatch and the benefits it provides....but at a certain point it becomes challenging to get seed to soil contact without drilling.....so curious if anyone has any experience or input on spray, burn and sow? Cleaning the table so to speak.... thinking spray in late spring, burn, then sow buckwheat heavy on bare ground...then sow fall blend into standing buckwheat and cultipack it down over fall blend just before a rain....(buckwheat also provides great weed suppression)....just looking at ways to improve the no-till method.....and I always enjoy experimenting with different methods or ideas.

I've been seeing the same thing with my spray and sow plots last year. My new plots grew great, but ones that i've had out for 3-5 years, not so great. I use to have beautiful stands of growth. Now I'm seeing sporadic growth of wheat and oats. Brassicas have not shown any growth.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Depends on the type of planting.

I am hoping next year to find a decent planter for planting beans.

 

[TNlandowner]

Several great ideas. I would love to drill seed in, but only plant 4 or 5 acres of small plots each year. Next fall, I may try the spray, burn, and sow method just before rain.

 

[BSK]

Several great ideas. I would love to drill seed in, but only plant 4 or 5 acres of small plots each year.

I just can't justify the cost of a seed drill for only 7 acres. Plus, I'm not sure a seed drill would even penetrate the ground of some of my plots. But unquestionably it is the best way to plant for many, many reasons.

 

[rtaylor]

I'm on year 3 of sow and mow and I've been super happy with the results. In the spring I'll sow buckwheat in my foodplots. It feeds my bees, chokes out all the weeds and the turkeys love the seeds when they come in. In September I'll spray with Gly and then wait a few days then sow my food plot seeds. After I sow I'll mow and because my buckwheat choked out all the weeds I usually get pretty good seed to dirt contact. The buckwheat seeds will germinate again but that is fine by me because the deer like the new growth. My plots have all turned out great even with the drought. I only started this method because my dirt is so awful rocky that I knew that disturbing what little bit of soil I had mixed in with the rock wouldn't be good.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I'm on year 3 of sow and mow and I've been super happy with the results. In the spring I'll sow buckwheat in my foodplots. It feeds my bees, chokes out all the weeds and the turkeys love the seeds when they come in. In September I'll spray with Gly and then wait a few days then sow my food plot seeds. After I sow I'll mow and because my buckwheat choked out all the weeds I usually get pretty good seed to dirt contact. The buckwheat seeds will germinate again but that is fine by me because the deer like the new growth. My plots have all turned out great even with the drought. I only started this method because my dirt is so awful rocky that I knew that disturbing what little bit of soil I had mixed in with the rock wouldn't be good.

rtaylor....our experience with buckwheat in previous years has been very impressive as well....weed surpression was fantastic....only issue we had this year was the cost....in the previous year we paid around $30 or $35 per 50lb....this summer it was $83 per 50lb....hoping the price returns closer to normal in the years ahead because we plan to use buckwheat in our plot rotation.....and in addition to bees and turkey's...the number of dove using the plot was amazing....and as mentioned...the buckwheat reseeding itself for a second crop (up until a frost) is an added bonus.

 

[BSK]

For rtaylor and DoubleRidge: What do you do about the fast maturation rate of Buckwheat? Whenever I grow it, it seeds out and is done in 10-12 weeks. If I were to plant in early May, that means it would be done by mid-July.

 

[skipperbrown]

I sprayed 3 acres this spring, waited for it to turn crispy brown, and then disked until there was just dirt showing. Next I planted beans and peas. Seems like I just churned the seed bank because the weeds in my beans and peas are terrible (the drought hurt my plots. I'm just trying disk and plant for my fall plots to see if I can skip a step. Hopefully most of the weeds are warm season plants and won't show up until next year.