Food Plots Warm season plot thoughts ?

[NChunt1]

Was thinking of possibly adding in some warm season plots into the program this year. We always plant about a 6 acre soybean field every year and it usually does pretty good but the property is to big for that to be the only summer time crop available throughout the summer. Also all the other plot locations are to small for soybeans or some of them would also be planted in beans. I'm thinking I will drill in a warm season verity into our fall plots from last year. Then around September killing the summer plot and drill our fall seed back into it for a type of a rotation. I guess my questions are would this be worth the trouble or should I just let my fall plots that are in WW, oats, crimson clover, red clover with some arrowleaf clover mixed in just grow fallow or keep them mowed until around the end of August then mow and kill them replant the same blend. Or would some type of summer food like deer vetch or iron clay cowpeas be a much better option to keep in the plots through out the summer months until its time to plant the fall plots? I'm new to planting warm season plots other than soybeans but I would like the deer to have good food on the property year round so what would you guys recommend for a year round plot program?

 

[NChunt1]

So far I'm thinking of planting ironclay cowpeas, deer vetch and maybe some lablab with some sunflowers for structure

 

[Popcorn]

Eagle seed has a blend called Buffalo Summer blend you should look at for plots you wish to rotate, build matter while feeding deer. You mention "drilling" in seed. If you have a drill then you do not need to kill one seasons crop to plant the next. Just drill thru it.
Springtime drill in your beans, drill in the summer blend before first big rain event after august 15 drill in cereal rye, wheat, annual clover, add turnips and radishes to have food all winter. Come May drill your beans or summer blend right into the rye and wheat. No need to spray kill unless you have a weed or grass problem.
Create a clover plot or clover strip, drill in a blend of clovers with some wheat.

Deer are browsers, not grazers. Keep them coming and hold them longer with variety and year round food.

 

[skipperbrown]

Soybeans are good and last year were significantly cheaper than iron clay peas. I planted both and the deer seemed happy with both of them. The problem with warm weather crops is keeping the deer out of them until the plants can tolerate grazing.

 

[Popcorn]

Again Eagle seed has a roundup ready blend of top notch forage beans that will withstand quite a bit of browse and keep trying to grow. It grows till frost also.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Eagle seed has a blend called Buffalo Summer blend you should look at for plots you wish to rotate, build matter while feeding deer.

How did you like the Green Cover blends? Are you moving back to Eagle?

 

[NChunt1]

Eagle beans is all we have planted in the past few years and they do great. With our deer numbers we still have to plant at least 5 acre's to get them to survive

 

[megalomaniac]

So...

In my area, there are PLENTY of available food sources for deer in the late spring/ summer. Between ag fields, highly nutritious native plants (esp buckbrush/coralberry, honeysuckle, and blackberry) there is no reason to plant summer plots for the deer.

BUT, I love planting summer plots for 2 reasons.... #1 weed suppression- If I'm growing a good stand of something in the summer, I'm not having harder to kill weeks come time to plant fall/ winter plots (the ones that REALLY count!!!). Less weed competition in the fall means more plot forage. #2- soil building- the more biomass I produce above the ground means putting all that organic matter back into topsoil to benefit the fall plots. And the more root systems I'm growing under the dirt also helps benefit the fall crop by increasing beneficial nitrifying bacteria and reducing soil compaction.

The key is you want your summer plot to produce well.... for example, soybeans in a small 1 ac plot will just be eaten down, then all you end up with is a field of weeds by fall. Then, you also need a summer crop that if well established will not compete with your fall planting.... something easily killed with straight gly.

I'm always experimenting, but so far what I've found that does best in my soils is a mix of grasses PLUS legumes for summer. I really like the dwarf sorgham and millet for the grasses, then add some cheap beans or cowpeas to the mix. Throw in a little buckwheat as well, and you have a reasonably priced blend which will produce a relatively weed free stand without further herbicide applications other than at initial planting. If the deer eat all the beans and buckwheat, the sorgham/ millet will still produce excellent biomass and root systems (but the deer won't eat them... again no big deal for a summer plot). The sorgham/ millet is easy to kill by bushhogging, waiting 10-14d, then spraying with gly before drilling fall plot.

 

[BSK]

That's some great advice Popcorn and Mega.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

So...

In my area, there are PLENTY of available food sources for deer in the late spring/ summer. Between ag fields, highly nutritious native plants (esp buckbrush/coralberry, honeysuckle, and blackberry) there is no reason to plant summer plots for the deer.

BUT, I love planting summer plots for 2 reasons.... #1 weed suppression- If I'm growing a good stand of something in the summer, I'm not having harder to kill weeks come time to plant fall/ winter plots (the ones that REALLY count!!!). Less weed competition in the fall means more plot forage. #2- soil building- the more biomass I produce above the ground means putting all that organic matter back into topsoil to benefit the fall plots. And the more root systems I'm growing under the dirt also helps benefit the fall crop by increasing beneficial nitrifying bacteria and reducing soil compaction.

The key is you want your summer plot to produce well.... for example, soybeans in a small 1 ac plot will just be eaten down, then all you end up with is a field of weeds by fall. Then, you also need a summer crop that if well established will not compete with your fall planting.... something easily killed with straight gly.

I'm always experimenting, but so far what I've found that does best in my soils is a mix of grasses PLUS legumes for summer. I really like the dwarf sorgham and millet for the grasses, then add some cheap beans or cowpeas to the mix. Throw in a little buckwheat as well, and you have a reasonably priced blend which will produce a relatively weed free stand without further herbicide applications other than at initial planting. If the deer eat all the beans and buckwheat, the sorgham/ millet will still produce excellent biomass and root systems (but the deer won't eat them... again no big deal for a summer plot). The sorgham/ millet is easy to kill by bushhogging, waiting 10-14d, then spraying with gly before drilling fall plot.

Dude - you have me pumped for planting! Should have my crimper in the next few weeks. Really hoping the rye pops out tall creating a ton of biomass. Plan on drilling soybeans and dwarf sorghum in a blend. The newly established clover plots will lightly be drilled with corn - very lightly. Just wanting a different root system in there while providing shade.

More work to do before that, however. Got some areas to hack n squirt and areas to burn. That's our natural forage

 

[megalomaniac]

Dude - you have me pumped for planting! Should have my crimper in the next few weeks. Really hoping the rye pops out tall creating a ton of biomass. Plan on drilling soybeans and dwarf sorghum in a blend. The newly established clover plots will lightly be drilled with corn - very lightly. Just wanting a different root system in there while providing shade.

More work to do before that, however. Got some areas to hack n squirt and areas to burn. That's our natural forage

Wow, great idea putting a little corn in the clover plots for shade! I'm gonna take that and run with it in my clover plot!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Wow, great idea putting a little corn in the clover plots for shade! I'm gonna take that and run with it in my clover plot!

I've got a friend who's a TWRA manager for Royal Blue WMA. We bounce ideas off each other. He suggested doing that. They plant ALOT of food and he said when lightly drilling corn into established clover plots, he said their clover takes off. Makes sense - plenty of shade for the clover and plenty of nitrogen for the corn.

 

[BSK]

I've got a friend who's a TWRA manager for Royal Blue WMA. We bounce ideas off each other. He suggested doing that. They plant ALOT of food and he said when lightly drilling corn into established clover plots, he said their clover takes off. Makes sense - plenty of shade for the clover and plenty of nitrogen for the corn.

My only concern (for my personal plots) would be not being able to spray or mow the clover plots over the summer.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

My only concern (for my personal plots) would be not being able to spray or mow the clover plots over the summer.

He suggested waiting until late spring to spray (if needed), then plant the corn. Clethodim is a post-emergent, so should be good there. I've already frost-seeded, so hopefully it will be coming in really thick.

 

[BSK]

He suggested waiting until late spring to spray (if needed), then plant the corn. Clethodim is a post-emergent, so should be good there. I've already frost-seeded, so hopefully it will be coming in really thick.

My problem is summer grasses, like foxtail. I would need to spray more than once per season to knock that back.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Same here on the foxtail. Fortunately, there doesn't appear to be an issue with it in our smaller clover plots. It is an issue in some of our larger fields. The larger fields where it is an issue, I may not put sorghum in the mix with the soybeans. That way if the crimping doesn't suppress the foxtail, I can run back over it with some gly. As always, very site specific

 

[Popcorn]

How did you like the Green Cover blends? Are you moving back to Eagle?

I cannot say I had great success with GCS products, Germination was less than expected, seed was not as clean as expected and it seemed that the plants were just not as vigorous as I expected. To be fair I did not send plant material off to the lab so I am left with my experience and knowledge to judge. I actually went back to Eagle last year and planted some side by side with GCS. I will not stray again.
Weiner, AR is a short drive, customer service is great

 

[Popcorn]

My problem is summer grasses, like foxtail. I would need to spray more than once per season to knock that back.

This is why I run wheat in when supplimental planting or establishing clover. It will come early crowding out early grasses and weeds, it consumes excess nitrogen, reduces browse pressure on the clover then goes to seed and dies in time for me to mow in July and spray if needed later.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

This is why I run wheat in when supplimental planting or establishing clover. It will come early crowding out early grasses and weeds, it consumes excess nitrogen, reduces browse pressure on the clover then goes to seed and dies in time for me to mow in July and spray if needed later.

This is what we did. I think we did 25-30 lbs of wheat in with the clover last fall. Based on y'all's recommendation on here

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I cannot say I had great success with GCS products, Germination was less than expected, seed was not as clean as expected and it seemed that the plants were just not as vigorous as I expected. To be fair I did not send plant material off to the lab so I am left with my experience and knowledge to judge. I actually went back to Eagle last year and planted some side by side with GCS. I will not stray again.
Weiner, AR is a short drive, customer service is great

Good to know. Yes, many variables and may have worked under slightly different circumstances. Nonetheless, GCS was not getting my vote until prices and shipping were brought down. I'll definitely look into the Eagle summer blend. I'm familiar with it, just haven't priced it out. Looks about a 4 hr drive, which I wouldn't hesitate to do.

Thanks for the info, sir!

 

[BSK]

This is why I run wheat in when supplimental planting or establishing clover. It will come early crowding out early grasses and weeds, it consumes excess nitrogen, reduces browse pressure on the clover then goes to seed and dies in time for me to mow in July and spray if needed later.

All my fall plots have wheat (and heavy). Yet all of the plots will be thick, knee-high foxtail by mid-summer. It chokes out everything. In the past, when we were not trying to grow a summer crop, no problem. Just kill it and mow it before fall planting. But now that I'm attempting summer crops, it's a major problem. Don't know what I'm going to try this summer. A few plots will have Eagle Beans, which can be sprayed. May just let the other plots go fallow. Or I may overseed with Arrowleaf and just let it go, as the Arrowleaf can grow as tall or taller than the foxtail. Or hit those Arrowleaf plots with Clethodim. Still thinking on it.

Of course, I'm in the unusual position of summer foods being very low on the priority list as few deer call my property home in summer (and we currently have a massive amount of natural summer browse). However, the fall plots are EVERYTHING, and we pour all of our resources into those.

 

[Popcorn]

I know your pain with foxtail. I have mowed that stuff4 times just before seed stage and it still manages to make seed, a lot of seed.
I had considered just killing the plot repeatedly till I got ahead of the stuff but never went through with it

 

[BSK]

I know your pain with foxtail. I have mowed that stuff4 times just before seed stage and it still manages to make seed, a lot of seed.
I had considered just killing the plot repeatedly till I got ahead of the stuff but never went through with it

If I catch it in its early growth stage, will Clethodim kill it?

 

[Popcorn]

If I catch it in its early growth stage, will Clethodim kill it?

Yes
Remember the surfactant also
You likely have a great amount of seed stored in the soil, stay after it.

 

[BSK]

You likely have a great amount of seed stored in the soil,...

That would be an understatement.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I've been experimenting with cowpea, sunflower, sorghum mixes for several years that creates tons of food even in really dry growing seasons. Food, fawning, and brooding all in one. It generally gets up/canopies pretty quick for weed suppression and moisture retention.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I've been experimenting with cowpea, sunflower, sorghum, sunflower mixes for several years that creates tons of food even in really dry growing seasons. Food, fawning, and brooding all in one. It generally gets up/canopies pretty quick for weed suppression and moisture retention.

View attachment 170101

"Food, fawning, and brooding all in one"

Looks absolutely fantastic!! Great job! And very motivating! Thanks for sharing!

 

[BSK]

"Food, fawning, and brooding all in one"

Looks absolutely fantastic!! Great job! And very motivating! Thanks for sharing!

I second that!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I've been experimenting with cowpea, sunflower, sorghum, sunflower mixes for several years that creates tons of food even in really dry growing seasons. Food, fawning, and brooding all in one. It generally gets up/canopies pretty quick for weed suppression and moisture retention.

View attachment 170101

That looks awesome. If I had that every year I'd be a happy man. However "dry growing season" in 2022 only yielded buckwheat about 6" tall and very sparse. Mostly dirt. Of course, that was the worst we've seen in a while

 

[tellico4x4]

I've been experimenting with cowpea, sunflower, sorghum, sunflower mixes for several years that creates tons of food even in really dry growing seasons. Food, fawning, and brooding all in one. It generally gets up/canopies pretty quick for weed suppression and moisture retention.

View attachment 170101

Looks great! Got a recipe for your mix? Got quite a bit of clover for redo & that would work.