Well, we are getting into the Spring planting season. What do you guys plant and when? I have a nice tract of land that I can use with a few different locations for plots. Some is full sun, some partial, some pretty shady. Will anything work in the shady area? Is a variety of items a good idea?
I'm just throwing some questions out there.
Two years ago I planted Antler King along with alot of clover in May. This past season I focused on brassicas, sorghum, and winter wheat (again planting in May).
What has worked for you guys? :smiley_chinrub:
Suggestions for Spring and Fall planting?
Food plots in the spring are a hassle, atleast IMO. In the spring you typically have decent growing conditions, however, the weeds are starting to germinate and I have found it is an ever ending struggle trying to keep the weeds at bay.
To counter that obstacle I started planting fall food plots. On my farm I plant a variety of forages including grains (oats, rye), clover (both red and white) and brassicas (turnips, rape and radishes). The above forages are cheap to plant and provide nutritious foarges to my deer when they need it most. Here's a couple of my can't fail mixes that I use on a rotation every year to feed my deer:. All pounds are per acre:
My grain mix:
50-80# of winter rye (not rye grass)
80-120# of oats (don't buy buck forage, buy regular feed mill oats for $8 a bag).
20-40# of field peas
5# of radishes
8-12# of red clover or 4-6# of white clover
How to plant: Till ground and mix winter rye, oats and field peas into your hopper and broadcast. After planting the larger seeds drag the plot with a harrow or cultipacker to push the seeds 1/2-1" deep. Once you have dragged the plot, then overseed the plot with the tiny clover and radish seed and walk away. This mix will feed deer from two weeks after planting all the way through the next summer if you decide to till it. The winter rye rye will feed the deer all winter long and it will never die. It stays green and becomes a great forage for the deer when everything else is dead. The oats and field peas are more of an early season attractant. They will die off after a couple good frosts. The radishes, like all brassicas, will increase in sugar content once you have a freeze and is accompanied well to the rye as a late season food source. The clover is the sleep in the mix. In the fall it is establishing its root system and come spring it exploded out of the ground. At this time we have to go back to the rye because rye gives off alleopothetic chemicals that keeps many weeds from growing. By May, you have a clean weed free clover plot. The rye, as long as it's not planted real heavy, will mature and break off by June or so. If you plant the rye at 80# or more an acre you might have to cut it, but I normally do not. I let it seed out for the turkeys.
My brassica Mix:
3# purple top turnips
2# rape
5# radishes
Once again till ground and drag or cultipack ground before spreading seed. Brassica seeds are very tiny and if planted too deep they will not grow. After tilling and dragging plot, simply over seed the plot and walk away.
If you plant the above mixes and the deer won't eat it, you don't have any deer!
Plant the grain mix between August 15th-September 1 (approx 30-45 days before bow opener)
Plant the brassica mix from July 15-August 1 (approx 75-90 days before first frost)