Food Plots Plot recipe for this year

[NChunt1]

Hey guys I was going to see what the food plot experts think about my mixture for this year. Last year I drilled 60# of oats/winter wheat mix at about 50/50 ratio Before I ran the drill over the plot I hand broadcast 10# of crimson and and 5# of radishes, the plots grew amazing and where lush and green all year but deer usage wasn't great I blame it mostly on the massive acorn crop we had in my area. This year I was thinking of doing somewhat of the same mix but doing 50# of oats/wheat with 20# of winter peas added and just doing 15# of crimson and leaving the radishes out because I didn't notice a deer ate a single radish and they all just rotted. What do you guys think ? Should I add or take out anything ?
Thanks

 

[Jcalder]

The only year I planted radishes it was a bust. I planted too late and they didn't come up until spring. Ive found turnips are a waste for my area, but the wheat and oats are great, but generally just the first 3 weeks after planting. They still used them after but I had better luck early. Ive tried the peas and didn't have a lot of luck getting them to do much, but that was in my early days of experimenting so it's something I should come back too. I think your mix adds a lot of variety and should do good. My only question is how big of a plot are you planting, deer density, and number of plots. You may feel they aren't hitting it hard but there's a lot of factors that go into it

 

[BSK]

If your soil has a significant sand component, winter peas may be a bust. I don't know why, but every time I've experimented with them in sandier soils, they grow but deer don't touch them. In clay or clay/loam they are the best candy plant going for fall. I too have moved away from brassicas. I get more bang for my buck from a higher rate of cereal grains and clover.

 

[BSK]

Ive found turnips are a waste for my area, but the wheat and oats are great, but generally just the first 3 weeks after planting. They still used them after but I had better luck early.

That's interesting Jcalder. I see the exact opposite. My mix is buckwheat, wheat, winter peas and crimson clover. The deer eat the plants in a very predictable pattern. First goes the buckwheat, then the winter peas, then the clover, and they don't hit the wheat until last, and the wheat carries them through the winter.

But that's why we should all experiment. Every property (and even each plot) can see different results.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Hey guys I was going to see what the food plot experts think about my mixture for this year. Last year I drilled 60# of oats/winter wheat mix at about 50/50 ratio Before I ran the drill over the plot I hand broadcast 10# of crimson and and 5# of radishes, the plots grew amazing and where lush and green all year but deer usage wasn't great I blame it mostly on the massive acorn crop we had in my area. This year I was thinking of doing somewhat of the same mix but doing 50# of oats/wheat with 20# of winter peas added and just doing 15# of crimson and leaving the radishes out because I didn't notice a deer ate a single radish and they all just rotted. What do you guys think ? Should I add or take out anything ?
Thanks

Both your previous blend and your future blend sound good to me.....but I wouldn't be too disappointed in the rotten radishes....your building soil so your still getting a return on your investment.

 

[Jcalder]

That's interesting Jcalder. I see the exact opposite. My mix is buckwheat, wheat, winter peas and crimson clover. The deer eat the plants in a very predictable pattern. First goes the buckwheat, then the winter peas, then the clover, and they don't hit the wheat until last, and the wheat carries them through the winter.

But that's why we should all experiment. Every property (and even each plot) can see different results.

I've mixed oats and wheat together. I personally couldn't tell you what is what when it's growing lol. The peas I planted years ago came up and didn't really do much. I dont know if there was a drought or not, don't remember if I skimped on covering them up, but they just didn't do great. I do have a drag now and may work on that more this year. I also have beans planted in one section and will top sow the oats and wheat leaving the beans standing this fall. The rest of the plot will be disked and dragged and basically started over like I do every fall. The turnips, I'm thinking seven top?, came up fine, but we're just never touched. I kicked a bunch of the turnips out and took them to my aunt to fix lol. The radishes I wanted to plant to help build up my soil and bust it up. I think I planted them way too late in the year. Kind of a bust. Every year I try to do something a little different to perfect the results I want. It's definitely a learning curve. I've also added sunflowers to my summer plots but I'm not so sure they're attracting much besides growing and probably helping the bees.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Agreed with DR on both blends being good. He also beat me to saying the rotting radishes are good for your soil. That's half the reason I planted them last year and plan on doing the same this year.

I think this is a great thread you have started and hope others share their blends/species per acre as we approach the fall planting months. I have two different types of plots I am planting this fall. 1) existing plots (9 acres) that we have always planted and 2) newly-made plots (16 acres) that should be completed by the end of July. This is the plan thus far

Existing plots: Drilling 50/50 cereal rye and oats (about 60 lbs total), 6 lbs crimson clover, 2 lbs radishes and 3 lbs of kale
Newly-made plots: Broadcasting 100 lbs of Cereal rye and 6 lbs crimson clover per acre (trying to build the soil here by creating a lot of biomass come spring, while growing food the critters will eat as well)

 

[BSK]

I know it's a commonly told story that turnips and radishes "break up" hard soil with their deep tap roots, but it didn't work at all on my soils. Turnips grew up out of the ground with just the root tip touching the ground, and "deep" tap roots ran sideways just under the soil's surface. Deer would eat the leaves after the first hard freeze, but they can get pretty big and "rangy." That's why I don't use them anymore. I get more biomass the deer prefer from other plants.

 

[BSK]

Newly-made plots: Broadcasting 100 lbs of Cereal rye and 6 lbs crimson clover per acre (trying to build the soil here by creating a lot of biomass come spring, while growing food the critters will eat as well)

I'll be doing basically the same on my new plots JCDEERMAN. Instead of wheat or oats, I'll be broadcasting 100 lbs of Elbon Rye onto turned ground, pull chain harrow over it, then broadcast a pretty heavy seeding of crimson (15-20lbs) onto that packed surface.

Existing plots, my standard broadcast 20 lbs buckwheat, 100 lbs wheat, 20 lbs winter peas, chain harrow, and then broadcast crimson (15 lbs).

 

[Jcalder]

I know it's a commonly told story that turnips and radishes "break up" hard soil with their deep tap roots, but it didn't work at all on my soils. Turnips grew up out of the ground with just the root tip touching the ground, and "deep" tap roots ran sideways just under the soil's surface. Deer would eat the leaves after the first hard freeze, but they can get pretty big and "rangy." That's why I don't use them anymore. I get more biomass the deer prefer from other plants.

The daikon radishes I planted got fairly big, but it was the following spring from planting before they done anything for me. Pretty sure they got hit with gly before they were done growing as I was planting beans.

 

[NChunt1]

Man thanks for all the response. We plant a total of about 15 acres in plots 10 of which are in eagle seed soybean that do really well until about mid October the do great again about a week before Christmas. This property is a good mix of hay fields with quite a bit of clover in spots and some 3-6 year old clear cuts with probably 30% hard woods on the rest, so with no plots the deer really have plenty to eat but that makes them pretty scattered and with medium to possibly medium/low deer density doesn't help. My main goal with the plots is to have the most attractive food source during the fall ( like all food ploters ) but really to get the deer more congregated where I want them.

 

[NChunt1]

Also and pretty much all my plots especially the soybeans whenever there's a good rain in the forecast during October I usually broadcast quite a bit of winter rye especially in the thin spots and a lot in the soybeans are starting to yellow

 

[BSK]

If you want deer focused on your plots, pray for a poor acorn crop! I could park a feed truck full of corn in my plots, but if we have a good acorn crop the deer wouldn't pay any attention to the corn. In my area, NOTHING out-draws white oak acorns.

 

[NChunt1]

If you want deer focused on your plots, pray for a poor acorn crop! I could park a feed truck full of corn in my plots, but if we have a good acorn crop the deer wouldn't pay any attention to the corn. In my area, NOTHING out-draws white oak acorns.

That's exactly what happened to us last year we had a decent white oak crop but man the red oak acorns where knee deep all over the property. It made for a really challenging season because the way the land lays there are tons of scattered oaks in all of the prime bedding locations. So catching the deer moving in the daylight was rough and hunting the bedding was hit our miss with blowing most the deer out

 

[BSK]

I feel your pain NChunt1!

 

[JhnDeereMan]

I'll wager that southern Montgomery county has a good acorn crop this year as I planted corn in most of my food plots. As BSK said the corn is worthless for me until the acorns play out or it gets really cold.

 

[BigAl]

I plant clover with the hopes I will get multiple years from one planting. If you mix things like wheat and oats and other grains, do you get multiple years from those as well? Do you have to overseed in subsequent years?

 

[BSK]

I plant clover with the hopes I will get multiple years from one planting. If you mix things like wheat and oats and other grains, do you get multiple years from those as well? Do you have to overseed in subsequent years?

No, cereal grains are annuals. They only grow one season.

 

[sc8point]

I'll be doing basically the same on my new plots JCDEERMAN. Instead of wheat or oats, I'll be broadcasting 100 lbs of Elbon Rye onto turned ground, pull chain harrow over it, then broadcast a pretty heavy seeding of crimson (15-20lbs) onto that packed surface.

Existing plots, my standard broadcast 20 lbs buckwheat, 100 lbs wheat, 20 lbs winter peas, chain harrow, and then broadcast crimson (15 lbs).

BSK do you test for fertilizer or w/o a test what would you add?

 

[BSK]

BSK do you test for fertilizer or w/o a test what would you add?

I do test every few years. My older existing plots are in pretty good shape. New ones are going to take awhile until I can get the pH in order. But then I'm lucky in that our thin ridge-top soils are not nutrient poor, just incredibly acidic. If soil is acidic, plants cannot utilize the nutrients that are there. As the soil is neutralized by adding lime, nutrients become available to the plants to utilize.