# Easy foodplots



## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

No, there are no really "easy" food plots if you do it right, but personally I've found it's sometimes hard to wade through the info to get the most from the small food plot acreage that most of us have.

If you start now can you have a great plot by hunting season? Certainly.

If you start in August can you have a great plot by hunting season? Yes you can.

If your planting is designed with weeds, seed, and timing in mind, you can be successful anytime you plant. 

For example, even on my low ph soils of 4.2 to 5, I've found I can clear some pines, spruce, tamerack, moss, etc., on a sandy loam in May, lime, and have a good buckwheat crop for the summer planted around 6/1. At the same time, I've found that instead of planting buckwheat on that plot, I can wait until August, after a herbacide spraying in late May, late June, and late July, and successfully plant a very good grain/clover combo for fall, or brassica/clover combo for that matter, and not only experience a great fall hunting season draw, but a very good stand of clover the following year with little to no weed cover.

With the buckwheat option you can hit it with herbacide in late summer to kill any weed competition, and plant a great fall attractant such as grains, brassica, or either in combination with clover to experience great success for both fall and the following year in clover.

Those are just 2 options you can employ right now, but either will give you very good success in the fall.

Another option. You run out of time during the summer, but you want to have a food plot. Some say it is too late...I don't! I have very good plots that were established in July and limed, and then planted towards the end of August in rye with great success at least for the hunting season and in through the winter.

On the other hand, if you tried clearing a plot now, adding the lime, and planting clover your mission will most likely fail because you did not have adequate weed control. Your clover will probably be choked out by fall and the plot will have been a waste. At the same time, if you wait until late summer to plant the clover, even after quite a few sprayings, lime, and the clover may not be high enough or established enough to really do anything for your hunting season this year. You may have a great clover crop for next year, but your expectations may not be met for hunting season.

Food plots CAN be successful even will little preperation, if you the right seed is chosen, and planted with weed competition and time of year in mind. 

My first plot in the U.P. was cleared with a bulldozer in late September...which is pushing it for the U.P. It was a 1/3 of an acre and I hand spread lime into the day it was finished. The dozer operator did not know anything about food plots so he took all my topsoil and placed it with debris around the plot to give it almost an "arena" effect. The plot really didn't seem like it had much of a chance. With only a day or two left before October, I spread rye and fertalizer by hand and ran over it with an ATV dragging the ATV ramp for my truck. A few days later it snowed several inches and the plot didn't look like it had any hope. But, then the warm weather hit and the rye took off after germinating from the melting snow. I saw more deer tracks on that plot than I had ever seen on the entire property. I hunted by that plot that fall and even saw deer most of the time. The plot was very enjoyable, and there was very little planning or preperation. I wanted a hunting attraction, and I got it. If I planted brassica, clover, Imperial Extreme, buckwheat, whatever, it would not have worked for what I wanted, but the rye and a little luck with the weather was a perfect fit.

My first plot ever back in 1996 was a learning experience. I planted in a 2 Acre farm field that the farmer had been nice enough work up for me on our property. I planted clover in the first part of September and it began to grow...slowly. What I thought would be this great attraction in the fall was basically just a green shadow on the dirt. But, the following spring it grew, and grew, and so did all the weeds that were in the dirt. I mowed 1/2 of the clover with a weed trimmer, and let the other 1/2 just sit. The unmowed portion was quickly overtaken by weeds and I virtually all clover was wiped out by late summer. The other 1/2 looked O.K., but by the following summer it was all weeds too. The entire time though, the field offered very little attraction and my dream of having this great hunting season attraction was a bust. Along with that planting I had a few other "learning experiences". Looking back the timing was wrong, the type of seed was wrong, and it wasn't for lack of how much time I had to work with, but how little I paid attention to matching the seed with the time of year I was planning, while at the same time considering the weeds, and my ultimate focus. I could have been successful, but I wasn't.

I had a neighbor tell another neighbor recently that if he started his plot now, he couldn't plant it in anything until next year....that is totally incorrect. Personally, I like seeing people plant plots because I know if they are successful they will be helping both themselves, and the deer, not to mention other possibly non-target species such as rabbits, birds, or other small game. 

Success can be planned for at anytime of the year you just have to realize the limitations of timing, seed, and weeds. You can realize success, and you really don't have to have much time to work with, your plantings just have to be realistic for your goals and have to match the conditions.

Good Luck!


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## Brad Gehman (Jun 6, 2004)

Jeff, you hit the nail on the head with this one. A great post! Thanks!

I put a link to this on a PA message board.


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## Big Al (Sep 11, 2000)

Timing is definately everything. I pretty sure I screwed up my first plot already. I put in 4 acres of clover this spring after burning the field and discing it. I planted 3-4 weeks ago the day before it was supposed to rain, but big surprise, it never did. After the little bit of rain we finally had a couple of days ago, i have a little bit of clover sprouting but it's mostly just grass. Hopefully with this rain we're getting right now it might start to sprout better, but I've pretty much written this plot off for the year and am planning on starting over in the fall.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

BigAl,

You are not alone. Conventional wisdom says to plant in the spring, but for food plots I find the opposite to generally be true.

If your weeds were not controlled before your planting, your plot will fail, and I mean controlled by chemical, which can not be replaced by tilling or burning. 

I wouldn't be surprised if your clover took off fine eventually, but I'm wondering most about the weeds. Getting the field ready for fall, and planting in late summer/early fall is about the most sure-fire way for success.

I don't think the question on your field will be if the clover will come up, but if you have adequate weed control or not.

Hope it works out, but if not your plot can still be great for hunting season.


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## Big Al (Sep 11, 2000)

Although my clover field may be FUBAR for this summer I am still planning on putting in a couple of acres each of corn and soybeans on the other half of our property. Is chemical weed control as important with these as it apparently is with clover, or can I get by with burning, discing, and possibly rototilling the field before planting? These fields are too far away from the house to stretch a garden hose to and my funds prevent from buying anything but a little hand pump sprayer.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

Weed control is still important, but there is round-up ready soybean and corn available.

I have limited deer up here in the U.P. and I'm still not sure a 2 acre corn or soybean field would work...might be too small.


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## halfczech (Nov 27, 2004)

Iam planting a clover plot this spring but i started last year getting ready. i soil tested and then sprayed the entire plot 3 times ( june july sept) and one last spot spray late sept. hopefully the weeds are pretty well hammered.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

halfczech,

Why didn't you plant in the fall? just curious because I see people doing that and unless it was time prohibitive, I couldn't stand to have bare earth during the hunting season and often a guy misses the best time to plant..fall. Just wondering though, sounds like the plot should do well but I see a lot of people missing a golden opportunity. Up here I've had a spring planting of clover that got to about 5-6" in heigth turn completely crispy brown and die during a mid-summer drought....didn't happen to the adjacent fall planted clover combos though.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

I think I know a good reason why a lot of guys plant clover in the spring; because the sellers of blended clover seeds recommend it! Unless they've changed their packaging, IWC and Antler King both used to recommend spring plantings, right on the bag. I think they gave food plotters some bad advice.

I would say there's only two good times to plant clover in our part of the country; a fall planting, or a frost-seeding on a prepared site.


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## brokenarrow (Oct 6, 2003)

Here is a question that I have thought about the answer to many a sleepless night. After reading food plots 1-2-3 many times I keep coming back to the same question (in my mind) Maybe I am not seeing the clover thru the weeds? Recomended is weed control right? You are supposed to spray three to four times and the last spraying being in late Sept to prepair for a spring frost seeding, "I can understand that" That makes alot of sense. Here is the question (in my mind) on which would actually be best for a Late July-early Aug. brassica/clover planting. I spray in late May. Spray again in three weeks (mid june say about the 20th.) Now around July 1 we should have a pretty dead plot right? This is where I have an opinion! I here many say spray the third time and then plant. I differ with this thinking and would like to hear comments on my next 2 steps. Instead of spraying the third time in Mid July and then planting, I feel you should till or disk to your planting depth on July 1-4 (after the second spraying on June 20th). This will bring any new weed seeds that are not germinated and maybe 2-4 inches below the surface, to the top. They all should germinate by July 20th (or there about give or take a day or two). I feel you should then give them a blast of round up on the 20th of July. Effectively killing most all of the weed seeds that germinated from 2-4 inches of soil you had just exposed and were under the soil. If you then re-till this (at the same depth you tilled it at on July 1-4th) you will be bringing back to the top, soil that should be relatively weed seed free (since you killed all the weeds that were on the surface with your first two sprayings). When you till this on Aug. 1rst and plant for your fall brassica plot and future spring clover plot you should have a field with the top 4" of soil relatively weed seed free. 
If you were to spray three times in the summer and till and plant (like I hear so many times is done by food plotters) when you till you are bringing new weed seed that has not been touched by round up to the surface to eventually germinate? Although it will be less than if you did not spray at all, you still are going to have new weed seed.
I tried to explain fully what I have been pondering about. Hope I came over as clearly as I think I did. Was wondering what you guys think or if any here already prepairs that way?
I think about this often because last summer I sprayed one of my plots twice, disked it and planted the fall blend of brassica and clover. I thought I was doing it right but after further review, I may of brought weed seeds back to the surface only to germinate this spring (and ruin my clover plot again).


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## familyinmi (Aug 9, 2003)

Ok from all the reading on this form I have a question. First let's give some insight on the situation. I have roughly 35 acres of the most nasty stuff (crab apple tree, wild apple trees, norway spruce..) that is surrounded with either bean/corn fields. Once those crops have been taken off(by nov 15th) deer sightings start to decline, to almost nothing during muzzleloader season. I have the ok that add a plot roughly 1/3 - 1/2 acre size. At the end of May I will have the area cut down and sprayed with roundup, followed with sprayings the end of June and July. I will then plant clover with a dose of 19-19-19. 2-3 weeks later a mix of BFO and wheat. I my also try a samll plot of brassica, to see if the deer like it??? Now as I understand it the grain provides a good hunting plot, with the clover coming in the following spring. Here's the question...with the clover coming in next year how do you plant a grain in the same plot next year????


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## halfczech (Nov 27, 2004)

northjeff this last weekend i was at jays in clare to buy qdma ulimate seed blend. this blend was developed by ed spinazzola. the instructions that come with the seed say to plant in the spring. nothing is said about a fall planting. being new to food plotting i felt i should go by what the expert here in michigan was recommending.


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## Swamp Ghost (Feb 5, 2003)

Broadcast it into your existing plot @ 1.5 times the recommended seeding rate in late summer/early fall





familyinmi said:


> Ok from all the reading on this form I have a question. First let's give some insight on the situation. I have roughly 35 acres of the most nasty stuff (crab apple tree, wild apple trees, norway spruce..) that is surrounded with either bean/corn fields. Once those crops have been taken off(by nov 15th) deer sightings start to decline, to almost nothing during muzzleloader season. I have the ok that add a plot roughly 1/3 - 1/2 acre size. At the end of May I will have the area cut down and sprayed with roundup, followed with sprayings the end of June and July. I will then plant clover with a dose of 19-19-19. 2-3 weeks later a mix of BFO and wheat. I my also try a samll plot of brassica, to see if the deer like it??? Now as I understand it the grain provides a good hunting plot, with the clover coming in the following spring. Here's the question...with the clover coming in next year how do you plant a grain in the same plot next year????


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

familyinmi,

Just what Swampghost said, or, take your worst 1/2, kill with round-up or till, and re-plant the grain/clover combo so you have the existing good clover stand on 1/2, with the grain on the other. As you watch the use of the clover go down, the grain usage will go up.

As far as waiting to plant until spring, I know that is what many seed company's say, but if you miss an opportunity to plant in the fall, by waiting for spring it doesn't really make sense. Not to say you will not have a great crop after the spring planting, especially if your clover has a nurse crop like the brassicas thrown in and you have taken adequate weed control measures, but there is certainly enough time from spring to late summer to get a very good planting in by fall. In fact by using buckwheat in between the summer sprayings you can get a summer crop in, build you soil up substantially with a weed competing seed, AND plant before hunting season with a well prepared plot.

I like brokenarrow's idea of tilling and then killing with the last spraying....sounds like some good thinking!


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## clover (May 3, 2005)

Jeff,My first clover plot was planted in spring which turned out great.My sons planted two clover plots last year in the fall around labor day which are looking pretty good also.I'm in NC PA.In your opinion would fall be the best time to plant clover and what month should it be planted in?
Also,in the past I've planted rape but the deer in the area go crazy on it and eat it all before it gets a chance to fully grow.I've been thinking about planting rye?What's your take on the two?
thanks


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

I always plant either rye and oats with the clover, or brassica with the clover. The same thing happens to my brassica as yours, so mostly I stick with the grain and clover in the fall and then frost seed in clover to fill in any light areas in the spring, following the fall planting. For the past 2 years I frost-seeded in brassica into the grain/clover combo from the previous fall with mixed results. This year I've waited another month and I will cultipack in the brassica into the plots.

I like to plant the grain clover combos in early to late August around here, and the brassica/clover combos a few weeks earlier, if there is adequate moisture....not sure if those would be similar dates for you or not, but we start getting our first frosts in early September, so it's great to have your brassica in the ground at least a few weeks before then. You are slightly warmer than us so I would think planting a grain/clover combo around Labor day would be about right.


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## clover (May 3, 2005)

Thanks Jeff.


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