Food Plots Plot Newbie Questions

[backroads]

OK, I have disc a top of a ridge line on my property and want to put in a plot. I've been extremely busy at work and I'm thinking I'm loosing time to plant for a summer plot. Yesterday I disc the area which I guess is roughly 1/2 an acre total. I went ahead and spread 400lbs of lime. I went by Tractor Supply and the only seed they had is a mixture of clover and brassica mixture (there may have been other stuff in it too) but the instructions said to plant Sept/Oct.

Would that have been ok to plant or should I go to the Co-Op and get something else.?

Should I go ahead and put down some fertilizer the same time I seed?

(or fertilize first then seed?) If I do this I wouldn't be able to seed until April 11th.

Without a soil test what fertilizer mixture is a safe guess to put down?

All help is appreciated. Here is picture of the plot. You can see an elevated blind on the left side of the picture.

 

[Antler Dirt John]

I would plant Imperial clover and add a little rye grain to help hold the soil while the clover establishes. Fertilize at planting is fine, later works to if it helps you get the seed down sooner. If you cant plant right away consider forage beans for the summer followed by rye and brassicas this fall and then if you wish frost in the clover next winter.

 

[backroads]

I would plant Imperial clover and add a little rye grain to help hold the soil while the clover establishes. Fertilize at planting is fine, later works to if it helps you get the seed down sooner. If you cant plant right away consider forage beans for the summer followed by rye and brassicas this fall and then if you wish frost in the clover next winter.

Thanks for the info

 

[slangstrang]

I would plant Imperial clover and add a little rye grain to help hold the soil while the clover establishes. Fertilize at planting is fine, later works to if it helps you get the seed down sooner. If you cant plant right away consider forage beans for the summer followed by rye and brassicas this fall and then if you wish frost in the clover next winter.

Good call on the clover. Whitetail sells a 4# bag that would do your half acre. If you are going to do beans you could look into Eagle Seed. They have two varieties of RR beans. Large Lad and Big fellow. Ill be putting some of the Big Fellow out myself.

 

[MickThompson]

Ridgetops and perennial clover are usually not a winning combination. I would fall-plant winter annuals. What clovers are in the mix? Brassicas are annuals, meaning they will go to seed and die before the heat of summer (or just die). They may or may not come back from seed next year. No more than half an acre shouldn't break you though. If it works, great, and if it doesn't do something else next year. I would get a soil test now and fertilize according to it. Fertilizer will be the most expensive part of planting, so you might as well spend $7-10 for the test and do it right. Like the bag suggests, plant cool season crops in September.

If you decide to do a warm-season crop (I would not suggest it on such small acreage in a high deer density area), plant something besides soybeans, and wait until late May-early June. You do not want your beans/peas/lab lab etc to be the only green on the landscape. They will browse them to the dirt and kill them.

 

[chebuck]

I would go with the clover and fertilize the same time. Probably put something like a 0-60-60 down cause it hasn't been in production before. Being a wooded plot you are going to have to put lime down every year the leaves that fall are real acidic and that will help neutralize it.

 

[backroads]

I'm going to head out there this weekend and get the soil for testing. I'm thinking the soil will be wet which I think the soil test web site said it needs to be dry. I'll get my wife to mail it in after it drys out while I"m traveling on business.

How long does it take them to turn the test around? If it's better to wait until fall I can do that as well (reluctantly). Being new to this I wanted to get something in the ground. You guys know how that is.

I appreciate all the information.

Steve

 

[slangstrang]

Just make sure you let the sample air dry and don't do anything crazy to get it to dry faster. Then take it to Giles County Coop. They should have a pretty quick turn around on it. I will be sending mine off this weekend for a property I just acquired to put out a plot and hunt. Should still be plenty of time to get something in the ground!