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Jesse's 2015 Plots

bowhunter1023

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,484
288
Appalachia
'Tis the season and I've been after it for a couple weeks now. With 4 plots going in the ground over the next couple days, I wanted to dedicate a thread to one of favorite hobbies. I've been putting plots in since 2005 and have come a long ways in that time. The plot that sits in what I call Paradise was started in '05 with a weedeater, rake and some Biologic Hot Spot. It didn't grow for shit and was way more labor intensive than it had to be!

Today I returned to Paradise to start the 2015 version and it's now twice the size. I now have a backpack sprayer, bigger weedeater, gas powered blower and a walk behind tiller. 12 days ago the plot looked like this...



There have been times I've spent 8 hours on this plot getting it prepped. I took the weedeater and the poly head to it, then the blower, then the weedeater again, followed with the blower. In an hour, I had it looking like this...



I walked our tiller down and hit it once before running out of gas. I'll return tomorrow and hit it one more time before spreading seed. We are set to plant all 3 plots at the farm on Sunday, so lots more to come on this thread over the next couple of days.
 
bowhunter1023

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,484
288
Appalachia
The Pure Attraction is going in a plot at the farm I call the Corner Pocket. I'm planting Evolved Harvest Throw & Gro X-treme Oats in Paradise. I've had good luck with Throw & Gro in that plot in the past, so I went that route again. This is the first time I've done the oat version, so we'll see how it does.
 
bowhunter1023

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,484
288
Appalachia
Finished up the Paradise plot this morning and I'm really please with how things turned out. Started the morning by finishing the tilling, then I used the quad to firm up the seed bed. I followed that with 50#s of pelleted lime and and 50#s of 12-12-12 fertilizer. Once I broadcast the seed, I put the tiller on the second shallowest setting and lightly tilled in the seed which needs to be buried roughly 1/4" for best results. I was really pleased at the results I got with the final tilling and can't wait to see how this plot turns out. It doesn't get much sun, so that may be the biggest hindrance.



Finished product...



View from the blind...

 
Milo

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,188
171
Good lookin dirt down there buddy. If we get
Some rain in September id fertilize again one more time.
 
ajupsman

ajupsman

*Supporting Member*
811
70
New Hampshire
That looks great Jesse. I tried a small plot like that in a shady area last with not much luck. I used Whitetail Institutes Secret Spot. Of course I tried doing it all by hand and I think that was a mistake. Probably should have used a tiller. It was my first attempt at a plot so I'll be watching this thread closely. I have a lot to learn a lot about plots.
 
themedic

themedic

Junior Member
755
0
OHIO
You should concider cutting the walnut out of your plot. I recently learned walnut trees release a herbacide called Juglone as a defence mechanism to stop other plants from growing with-in their dripline . That herbacide is probably restricking some of your germination. Obviously, from your b4 picture, plants can/will grow but I have always noticed that below walnut trees there never seems to be an over abundance of vegitation. Just a thought
 
Last edited:
bowhunter1023

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,484
288
Appalachia
themedic said:
You should concider cutting the walnut out of your plot. I recently learned walnut trees release a herbacide called Juglone as a defence mechanism to stop other plants from growing with-in their dripline . That herbacide is probably restricking some of your germination. Obviously, from your b4 picture, plants can/will grow but I have always noticed that below walnut trees there never seems to be an over abundance of vegitation. Just a thought
Click to expand...

Interesting. This walnut must have ran out of Juggalo juice cause after the first year when I failed to lime or fertilize, I've never had any issue growing a lush green plot here. Looks about like this every year...

 
themedic

themedic

Junior Member
755
0
OHIO
Looks healthy! I just cleared a new plot in the middle of a walnut covered ridge. I have 4 walnuts currently standing in the middle of the NOT YET COMPLETED plot. Only reason I didn't cut them down yet was they are such good trees. Maybe I'll leave them be and try the plot with them.
 
bowhunter1023

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,484
288
Appalachia
Look at the before picture. I'm not sure what kind of weed/grass that is growing in there, but it's a thick and green as you'll find. I'm not doubting your new found knowledge, but it sure doesn't seem to be in action here. The biggest issue with these secluded woods plots is pH level due to rotting leaf debris. It's a constant struggle to get the soil healthy.
 
themedic

themedic

Junior Member
755
0
OHIO
So you did a soil test? How much lime would you suggest for my first year with in the woods plots? And are we talking pelatized lime or ag lime
 
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