Too late for food plot?

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flytpm

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Joined
Feb 28, 2009
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127
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Mid Tn.
Just now getting chance to plant. Thinking about spraying to kill weeds, etc soon as rain stops, give it about a week and plant about 1/3 acre plot of wheat,rye and either clover or oats. Is it too late ?
 
i planted 2 plots last weekend after all that rain and they are already greening up! Its not too late but u need to hurry and you cant just plant anything.
 
Most of the Farmers don't get really started planting wheat in Mid TN and Western KY until Sept 15th thru Oct 15th Your good
 
My club planted Sunday before last (8 days ago) and sprouts are just coming up...

I think you could plant now (or as soon as it's dry enough), but I wouldn't wait too long...
 
You need to factor in the fact that we have a frost in October. So, if you're wheat hasn't sprouted by then I'm not so sure it will do well. It needs to at least sprout before the frost. I'm sure others will disagree with me on this but planting clover this late is not something I would do personally. Your oats will do dormant/brown/die with the first frost too. If it were me I'd probably just plant winter wheat and rye and let the deer eat the green grasses...maybe the wheat will make it and rye will be sprouting in a week or even less.
 
BSK said:
I've planted food plots into mid to late October with no problems.
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Did they experience a frost soon after planting? I would be worried that if my seeds had just began to germinate/cultivate and then experienced a frost it would either kill them or go dormant in the case of winter wheat.
 
BlountArrow said:
BSK said:
I've planted food plots into mid to late October with no problems.
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Did they experience a frost soon after planting? I would be worried that if my seeds had just began to germinate/cultivate and then experienced a frost it would either kill them or go dormant in the case of winter wheat.
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That can be a problem if the frost/freeze occurs at germination. But as long as the plants are up a few inches, no problem. I planted that late back in '07--the big drought year. We didn't get any rain from late July until late October. I don't think we got our first freeze that year until mid-November.
 
I look at it this way: as long as you aren't planting some huge plot or investing tons of money and time - a late plot is still better than no plot at all... and you also get the EXPERIENCE to do it better next year.
 
-DRM- said:
I look at it this way: as long as you aren't planting some huge plot or investing tons of money and time - a late plot is still better than no plot at all... and you also get the EXPERIENCE to do it better next year.
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Very true, especially the experience factor. Call it old farmer wisdom but for South East TN I go by my granddad's teachings in that we "always" have a frost in October. I'm sure there are/have been years where that isn't true, but a good rule of thumb I think. He had other good ones too like being sure to plant corn by July 4th to make "hard corn" before the first frost [however, I planted it July 9th one year and it did fine ;) ].
 
I hope it's not too late. We got ours in at the lease Saturday but the one behind my house isn't finished. I got about half disked yesterday before darkness got me. Now the monsoon has set in so it will be a bit before I can get it done. Guess I shouldn't complain about the rain though.
 
Rye grain will still have some grow down to 37 to 39 degrees. Plus if u work the plot now it will be easy to work next year spring or fall and help with weed control some too, I say go for it . Be really good to go ahead and lime as well
 
Just got my oats and clover in saturday. I don't get the opportunity to bow hunt so I had rather plant my plots late september or early october.
 
flytpm said:
Just now getting chance to plant. Thinking about spraying to kill weeds, etc soon as rain stops, give it about a week and plant about 1/3 acre plot of wheat,rye and either clover or oats. Is it too late ?
Click to expand...

I planted wheat last year in one late plot on or about november 3...came up in a few days and produced forage the entire winter.....not an ideal time to plant but you have the entire month of october for the most part with wheat. I like to be completely thru before oct 15th but i will do what i think will work and any food plot is better than none in my opinion.
:)
 
Got ww and ladino clover planted yesterday, now just waiting on the rain. Thx for info folks.
 

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