Food Plots Whitetail institute Edge

[rescue2087]

Anybody ever planted Whitetail Institutes Edge? If so what results did u get?

 

[diamond hunter]

What results??

 

[DoubleRidge]

Weve used Whitetail Institutes Imperial Clover with good results but have never even seen Edge...but it sounds interesting.

 

[megalomaniac]

Most of us aren't rich enough to spend $160 per acre for just seed.

Based on what's in it (sainfoil, alfalfa, etc) I can tell you that it will only have a chance of establishing in the very best rich and well drained soils.... which is NOT what most of our food plots have. In addition to that, your seed bed is going to have to be meticulously prepared for a chance to establish and outcompete weeds. THEN, you are going to need timely and adequate rainfall. And IF you get it established, the deer are going to destroy it the first few months unless you plant several acres.

There is a reason you don't see much alfalfa grown in TN.

 

[bigriver13]

Oats are cheap, easy, and the deer/turkey love them. You can plant anything next to oats and the oats get eat first. Broadcast 2 to 3 bushel/acre or direct seed 1 bushel/acre. $20 per 50# bag.

 

[BSK]

There is a reason you don't see much alfalfa grown in TN.

I have a few clients growing alfalfa. Deer go crazy over it. But it is dang near the hardest crop to grow well of anything I've worked with.

 

[deerhunter10]

Alfalfa is very difficult to establish and also pretty expensive to maintain. Being as we sell hay we would love to get into it but it's just not justification for it. Anytime I see it in a foodplot blend around here it's just a gimmick imo.

 

[BSK]

Alfalfa is very difficult to establish and also pretty expensive to maintain. Being as we sell hay we would love to get into it but it's just not justification for it. Anytime I see it in a foodplot blend around here it's just a gimmick imo.

The client I have not far from you tried growing alfalfa up on those high ridge-tops above Lick Creek. And I emphasize "tried."

 

[diamond hunter]

I think Alfalfa is the 3rd largest ingredient.I bought enough for 2 acres and Im gonna split it up into 2 different fields and put a bunch of clover with it. Im planning on a spring planting.I have over 100 acres of crop rotation ground on my place and hope that will take some of the pressure off it.Im gonna try and grow 2 other fields of something planted a couple weeks earlier to alsdo take some pressure off it.

 

[diamond hunter]

Plus I have a few other fields full of food so hopefully I can get a stand.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I have a fair amount of alfalfa just spread throughout the pasture around my house. Deer hammer it for sure. This used to be a chicken farm so the soil is extremely rich. I need to work on getting more a pure stand.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Years ago there was a local farmer who had two large alfalfa fields that he cut and square baled for different horse owners and in the evenings deer would pour into those fields. His son killed several good bucks over the years but they have gotton out of the business now. I've never atttempted to grow alfalfa in our food plots or hay fields but have always heard it was challenging to grow and maintain.

 

[tellico4x4]

Ranch I just hunted in western NE had two fields of it. One was 57 acres & other was 120. He had irrigation pivots & said the only way to grow it was be able to put the water to it. Theres a reason you see all the nice green circles when flying over the west, it's all irrigated .

 

[megalomaniac]

I think Alfalfa is the 3rd largest ingredient.I bought enough for 2 acres and Im gonna split it up into 2 different fields and put a bunch of clover with it. Im planning on a spring planting.I have over 100 acres of crop rotation ground on my place and hope that will take some of the pressure off it.Im gonna try and grow 2 other fields of something planted a couple weeks earlier to alsdo take some pressure off it.

Please let us know how it does!!!

If you have ground that is already in crops, it must be decent rich dirt that is well drained, so it may do well, and you have a chance of it getting established.

But you have to be meticulous with the seedbed and minimize weed competition from the start. If you can ever get it established, alfalfa would probably be the single most preferred food plot you could grow.

I'll admit failure when it comes to alfalfa. Tried it twice on some decent soybean ground, but too much clay and didn't drain well enough, so it didn't outcompete onions and buttercup. Each experiment cost about $750, but more importantly, cost me a season of growing something easier and more productive. But props to you if you get it established!

 

[diamond hunter]

Is it specifically the field you are growing it in or the amount of effort that causes failure? Ill be happy to keep spraying it for weed protection and will spare no expense when it comes to lime and fertilizer.I thing the field drains well,it has a rise in the middle of the field and there are no wet spots.Again,if there is failure with the alfalfa the other seeds in the mix will still be attractive.

 

[deerhunter10]

Is it specifically the field you are growing it in or the amount of effort that causes failure? Ill be happy to keep spraying it for weed protection and will spare no expense when it comes to lime and fertilizer.I thing the field drains well,it has a rise in the middle of the field and there are no wet spots.Again,if there is failure with the alfalfa the other seeds in the mix will still be attractive.

If you are really wanting Alfalfa I would go with the round up ready alfalfa you will at least have a fighting chance to control the weed pressure. The other thing with alfalfa is its got to be cut and it's best to have a clean field after it's cut so really for hay. Bush hogging it could also cause issues. Not trying to bash what you are doing at all just way better stuff with good success out there. And also need to have a sprayer or access to one incase of weevils.

 

[diamond hunter]

After hearing all the responses I thinkI will mix another seed in there and if the alfalfa doesnt at least get grazed down that does come in Ill have other things in there to look good to the deer.

 

[megalomaniac]

Is it specifically the field you are growing it in or the amount of effort that causes failure? Ill be happy to keep spraying it for weed protection and will spare no expense when it comes to lime and fertilizer.I thing the field drains well,it has a rise in the middle of the field and there are no wet spots.Again,if there is failure with the alfalfa the other seeds in the mix will still be attractive.

It's the dirt itself. Alfalfa requires both rich (easy enough with fertilizer and lime) PLUS soil that is well drained (but NOT sandy). Too much clay and it will hold too much moisture. BUT it also needs timely rains that rapidly absorb.

And deerhunter is correct... it has to be clipped fairly high periodically to flourish. This can be done for hay or can be cut high with a bushhog.

IF you have the right ground, it will outcompete most weeds for years if you had them under control prior to planting. And 5 years is not unusual, especially if you add some clover as the alfalfa starts to slowly die out after year 2 or 3.