Food Plots New clearing?

[Hollar Hunter]

So I've got a few freshley logged sections that we've made for new plots/trees and thickets. The tops of the ridges have been completely cleared and burned. Were going to have tons of lime spread hopefully in the next couple weeks as long as things stay dry so he can make it. I have a lot of bare ground on the ridge tops now. I want to get something growing so I don't loose what top soil I have... This fall were going to plant a lot of it in white/crimson clover and corn but what can I plant now that will grow till the fall in the current condition???

 

[bjohnson]

Iron and clay cowpeas.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Buckwheat or millet. It's cheap, will absolutely grow on concrete, helps build your soil when you turn it in (green manure), and will jump up pretty quick as the temps continue to warm.

 

[tellico4x4]

Buckwheat or millet. It's cheap, will absolutely grow on concrete, helps build your soil when you turn it in (green manure), and will jump up pretty quick as the temps continue to warm.

X2 on the Buckwheat.
Plant in May and 60 days later it'll be mature,can be disked under and will come back up. You'll get two good crops of the "green manure" to help build your ridge top soil.

 

[Hollar Hunter]

Thanks guys... I got about 12 acres to cover so cheap is good! How deep does buckwheat need to be planted? Can I just top sow it before a good rain? Like I said the ground is completely bare or does it need to get deeper?

 

[tellico4x4]

I've always disked & cultipacked it in. Most of the areas we've used it have been packed soil at log landing areas. Usually mixed the seed in spreader with some pellatized lime to get a jump start.The seed is not tiny like clover.

Looking back at notes, the last I bought was in 2011 and paid $55/sack and sowed 50# to the acre. Sometimes it is a little hard to find at CO-OP.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Exposed soil that's not overly compacted/rutted from the logging operations should be fine to just lightly disk, top sow, and cultipack if you can. Buckwheat likes cool temperatures too, so my guess is you could plant any time now or thru May like Tellico states. It does have kind of a hard seed coat though, so good contact in damp soil will really help move the germination process along.

I even plant it in minimally prepared roadbeds through planted pines with no soil amendments and it does fine. If you're bringing in lime and preparing the dirt as well as you are, it oughta really do great. Good luck to you.


Edit: Oops...didn't mean to be redundant. While I was typing, Tellico had aleady hit send.

 

[Hollar Hunter]

Thanks to you both