Food Plots What would you do?

[PcDeer]

This is probably a dumb question but I have a food plot on my property that is only about 2 acres in size but I am wanting to plant a variety of plants on it this season. I've decided I'm going to plant my normal go to seeds of bob oats and durana clover but I also want to try some winter peas, daikon radishes, and purple top turnips in it as well. My question is would you just make a mix out of the seeds and plant the whole 2 acres in the mix or would you plant oats and clover on 1 acre and the pea, radish, turnip mix on the other acre? I was thinking just mix it all together but wasn't sure if the oats and clover will be able to establish itself with the broader leaf plants.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Perennial clovers can be really slow to establish. A cool season cereal grain like oats, rye, or wheat can really help as a nurse crop while the clover is coming in and it will hopefully jump for you in the spring. Radishes or turnips (especially the tuber/root) may really represent more competition than assistance as the clover tries to also establish its root structure.

Another issue down the road may become weed/grass maintenance if you apply selective herbicides. Each planting is pretty particular about what it can tolerate, although there are some combinations that work ok (like clethodim on clover and chicory to manage grasses).

Given a choice, I might put my clover and a grain on 1 side and radishes/turnips on the other.

 

[woodsman87]

Like Boll Weevil said, its hard to spray for weeds if you mix them all up. But a plus to mix them up is that once the clover gets established good it will create nitrogen for itself and other plants to use too.

 

[7wsm]

might get it to thick and kill part of it out or will not grow like it should by planting so many different kinds together .