Thanks... I sure will, man. It'll probably be at least a couple weeks before I get down there again, so the update should (hopefully) be a good one.
My stepdad sent me a couple pics of the plots today. The pics don't do them justice, he said... According to him the plots are already 3-4" tall, and the deer are already feeding in them. He jumped 2 deer out of the plot furthest toward the back of the property. Hopefully they don't destroy them too bad before bow season opens.
huntn2
Senior Member
It sure does! I know the pictures suck, but I can already tell that that cultipacker was well worth the time and effort renting it. I'm really looking forward to seeing these plots first-hand in a couple weeks. I have one more set to hang and I'll be ready to rock.
Man, that looks great! Nice to see hard work paid off. Now all you got to do is bust a buck out of that plot!!
Boone
*Supporting Member*
Nice. They should be lawn-thick when you get down there in a few weeks. Is that a pear tree in the upper photo. It's kinda foggy or out of focus :smiley_crocodile:
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Actually I think it's just a scrubby oak tree. Man do I wish it WAS a pear tree though!
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Jesse on our plots we did my buddy had a soil test done on them and the place (co-op I believe) told him how much per acre of both the lime and fertilizer. Hopefully you have one nearby you can take your samples to and get the same. Hell if I know what the amounts were but all I know is he had two pallets of lime and half a pallet of fertilizer and we used it all. Ugh... :smiley_blackeye:
To be honest, at the time it was simply because the red clover was a bit cheaper. I think the deer prefer a white clover over a red, but I really don't plant the clover for the sake of the deer during hunting season. A late-summer clover planting doesn't result to much in the fall as they're mostly just establishing root structure. I mainly throw in clover because its a legume which, since legumes fix their own nitrogen, equates to free fertilizer in the plot. The deer and turkeys will work through the clover in the spring and summer, but there are so many other forms of browse available at that time of year I really don't put much stock in it. If I were doing a spring clover planting with the intention of providing a fall clover food source, I'd more than likely go with a white clover variety.
I tend to skimp on lime and fertilizer because I'm usually running low on play money during late summer. It's sad to say it, but I've never had a soil test done on this property and I've never limed either of the plots. If I'm planting a lot of brassicas I'll throw down some 46-0-0 urea at about 150-200# per acre. For everything else I'd say a 20-10-10 or triple-19 at about 200# per acre would suffice. For legumes like clover and beans you'd want to go with a low nitrogen fertilizer.
There's no doubt that if I'd spend a little more money and lime/fertilize these plots properly my end results would be much better. But for the money, I think my results have been pretty good... good enough at least. The nice thing about rye and oats is that they'll grow on damn near any soil. That's why when you look at the contents of the "throw and grow" blends, 90% or more of the seed is rye.
I don't do soil tests either. All the time anyways. It happens on occasion but by and large, I'm like you and can't drop the coin on true lime and fertilizer rates I fertilize along the same lines as you suggest and lime with 500#s of pelletized lime per acre.
Thanks for the help brother! I'll be sure to update on how this mix does for me this year.
I forgot to tell you about the austrian winter peas in our texts the other day. The deer absolutely hammered the peas... pretty much as soon as they popped out of the ground. They're a great addition to this mix, helping to draw the deer in to the plot as soon as possible.
Talked to the dude at Merit and he suggested not planting clover. Says it will get lost in the mix with such an aggressive fall blend.
Your thoughts JB/Milo?
Your thoughts JB/Milo?