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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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So I decided to try my hand at a small food plot on the ground I hunt in NE Ohio. Its about a 1/4 acre with a slight grade to it. Hoping it allows good drainage...I killed the weeds labor day with some round up and I also drug a heavy rock with my quad on top of a grill all over the grass too help kill/mat it down. I came in Friday the 7th and raked/burned off all the dead grasses/weeds. A soil test said the soil tested at a 6 for PH. The local ag store suggested I spread 50 lbs of lyme(I chose hydrated for fast acting) and 100 lbs of 15-15-15 fertilizer. I did so then tilled it. I spread some Imperial whitetail clover, sugar beets and winter bulbs and some dwarf essex rape seed. Then drug a pallet over it all to get some seed to soil contact. It started raining immediately after I finished up Friday night. Then continued to rain heavy until this morning. I left camp yesterday and it looked like the plot was ok, not washed out and I could still see seeds where they weren't covered over. There was one spot I could see a puddle formed but it wasn't big. Should I be concerned? Should I put some more seed out later today? Rain is a good thing but too much not so much...I can have a fried maybe spread more seed later today since I live a few hours away. Any suggestions or words of wisdom would be appreciated. I had a blast making the plot and am super excited to see it grow. Good news is there is supposed to be about a week of sunny days!
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By:
sagittarius
Date:10-Sep-18
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You should not be concerned. You should be ok as long as the tiny new sprouts do not dry out too much in the next week. Sugarbeets take 5 months to mature, but you should get some growth out of the other seeds. Have fun and enjoy the experience.
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By:
CAS_HNTR
Date:10-Sep-18
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Don't worry.......all will be good
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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Hoping so! My home aid drag haha it worked!
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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some pics along the way..
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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burnt
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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after its all done
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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Now we wait...
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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Prob won't be out again for a few weeks. I'll certainly post pics when I can!
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By:
drycreek
Date:10-Sep-18
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If you got a good scald on that WI clover it will come on like gangbusters next spring. I don't know anyghing about brassicas except my deer won't eat them. Imperial clover hoeever is a really good crop in my experience.
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By:
mattandersen
Date:10-Sep-18
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Awesome! IDK what you mean by scald?
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By:
mattandersen
Date:20-Sep-18
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My buddy who is local to the land I hunt sent me some less than great pics but she's green! I'm headed in Friday or Saturday so I'll take some better pics! He said there were tracks in the plot and I have a cam set up on it!
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By:
mattandersen
Date:20-Sep-18
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By:
Grubby
Date:20-Sep-18
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Looks good to me, it’s sometimes pretty hard to get results year one.
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By:
mattandersen
Date:21-Sep-18
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Thanks bud! I remain optimistic, if its not that great, the surrounding woods are ;)
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By:
jdrdeerslayer
Date:21-Sep-18
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not bad ....i would of like to seen it put in a bit earlier tho....
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By:
grubby
Date:21-Sep-18
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I guess if you think it needs more green you could probably go in and overseed it with oats and rye right now.
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By:
mattandersen
Date:21-Sep-18
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jdrdeerslayer me too...I had plans for this last winter then the property went on the market. They are asking a lot of money and its been slow so far and I hope it continues lol the food plot was a last minute decision on my part. grubby, I thought about that too..hoping the clover takes over and again, today is the 2 week mark. I'm hopeful a lot more will grow and weather seems to be cooperating so far.
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By:
mattandersen
Date:24-Sep-18
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Well my plot looked awesome! There were tracks all over it, unfortunately I had set up one of my older not so great cams on it. It took pics but they were all mostly blurry. I hung a stand over the plot. I am confident in this plot!
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By:
mattandersen
Date:24-Sep-18
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By:
mattandersen
Date:24-Sep-18
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one of the blurry pics but can see a nice buck cruising through. Hadn't even really produced much green yet. I think deer are curious and want to check new things out.
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By:
mattandersen
Date:04-Oct-18
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Question for all you pro food plotters. I've read to mow your clover to produce more/better results once in a while also cause it will slow other weeds growing if present? I planted Sept 7th so it's not even been a month. I planted clover, rape seed, winter bulbs and sugar beets in a 1/4 acre plot. Seems to be growing ok, some patchy spots I overseeded a few weeks ago. I'm headed to Ohio this wknd. Would anyone recommend mowing it with whats planted? Maybe it benefits the clover but I don't want to ruin/hurt the other crops I've got growing in the plot. Or just leave it be?
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By:
Missouribreaks
Date:04-Oct-18
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I would not mow.
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By:
drycreek
Date:04-Oct-18
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I wouldn't mow it until next spring. I generally mow mine when it blooms and the blooms turn brown. This scatters the seeds and mows the weeds at the same time. Most weeds can be controlled by mowing the tops out of them. A few weeds won't hurt, but if you get a lot of them, spray it with Butyrac 200. I don't mow less than about 8" or whatever it takes to knock the blooms off. Grass can be controlled by spraying with Clethodim but you need to get in on when the grasses are young and tender. Don't be discouraged if it looks like it isn't working, it generally takes a couple weeks to die. Whatever you do, don't look at Pat's pics of his food plots. It will give you an inferiority complex and drive you to drink........ Good luck, and you did get a good "scald" on that clover !
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By:
mattandersen
Date:04-Oct-18
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haha thanks guys..Pats plots are sick! My expectations are low but its working..its green and deer are using it. Also its hunting season! I'll keep this post updated!
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By:
mattandersen
Date:08-Oct-18
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By:
mattandersen
Date:08-Oct-18
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By:
mattandersen
Date:08-Oct-18
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Plots looking lush and thick! Bit the bullet and bought a new cam to watch it...hope to post pics/vids of deer browsing in it! Tracks in the plot tell me they are in there..
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By:
drycreek
Date:08-Oct-18
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You did good ! I have one plot of WI clover that’s a week old and sprouted and another I just planted Saturday. I’m late, but it was dry and got wet in about a week, I just couldn’t get it in on schedule. I have plenty of wheat to tide them over though.
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By:
mattandersen
Date:08-Oct-18
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Thanks I'm pretty happy with it! Sounds like you're in good shape also!
