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Food Plot - Gonna give it a try

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    Food Plot - Gonna give it a try

    Well, I know I am a little late to the game this year, but going to try anyway. The folks picked up 100 arces near Elkhart last year and we have been working on getting it ready for season. Still not totally there, but hunt-able. Since the leases we were on before didn't lend well to food plots we never really tried, but I want to give it a go.

    The place is heavily wooded except for the 8 acres of pasture in the front. So, I got up in the loft of the barn, looked out over the pasture and said, right there should do. Hopped on the tractor and mowed a patch to get a visual. I think this will do for now. Now just need to take soil sample and figure out where to go from here and the best way to go about it.

    It's hard to see in the pictures, but I mowed a section between the power pole on the left and the windmill. Should be about an acre and half I would guess, but still need to measure to be sure I get the right amount of ingredients. Still have no idea what I am going to plant, any hints or tips of planting plots in the white sandy East Texas ground would be appreciated.
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    #2
    I hunt near Elkhart too. Just got into food plots last year. My soil was slightly acidic and low in potash.

    The main thing that drives me nuts is the grass. Nuke all the vegetation now. Once you fertilize and lime, the grass will take off faster than anything you plant.

    I planted Oats, Kale, Chicory and Clover this fall. Not sure how it is going to turn out, I planted then the foretasted rain disappeared. 2 wks after planting it looked spotty. Hoping rain this Thursday will get some things to spring up.

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      #3
      Cool. I was just reading your thread a little bit ago. Need to go back and read it again.

      What did you do for soil sample/testing? Only thing I have used before is those cheap 4 tube gardening sample kits. Tried one yesterday, but it was so old the capsules were clumpy. Got the PH which showed to be Neutral if it was accurate.
      Last edited by Nailhead; 09-29-2014, 02:00 PM.

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        #4
        yeah, I tried that my second go around, and I did get different results from different places around the lease. I think it will give you a general idea. I used Whitetail Institute the first time, just buy a bag from them and then ship it back to them. I think you might be better off with Texas A&M. I think I will try it next.

        Also ready Unclefish's thread, a few years older than man and chalked full of good info.

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          #5
          Well, gonna try to get started this weekend up at the property.

          Confirmed with the folks that they had already bought some roundup and there is a new 15 gallon sprayer still in the box.

          I also ordered some Durana Clover and Chicory. Chicory won't make it here before the weekend.

          Going to call Hancock Seed tomorrow to see about some Kale. Can't find it anywhere else cheaper so far.

          Stopped at the feed store in Tomball and they have Elbon Rye on order, but it didn't come in today with the shipment. He is going to call in the morning and see if he can get me a couple bags on special order before the weekend or give me a lead on where I can go to get it. I was just surprised they actually planned on carrying some. They had some wheat and some oats sitting there as well, but didn't see what kind of either just saw the bags from a distance.

          If nothing else hopefully I can get the clover and possibly some rye in the ground. Then maybe make a quick run next weekend to plant the kale and chicory.

          I have about an acre plotted out, plan is to due about half in clover/kale and the other half rye/chicory.

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            #6
            Good rain in the forecast for us on Sat and Monday. If you can get everything planted tomorrow that would be primo!

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              #7
              Good luck to ya bud. Whats your game plan for prepping and planting?

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                #8
                Originally posted by jkelbe View Post
                Good rain in the forecast for us on Sat and Monday. If you can get everything planted tomorrow that would be primo!
                Man I wish I could get up there in time. Unfortunately I gotta drive down to Pearland tomorrow midday to take another set of heads to the machine shop. Always something. Hopefully it will hold off and let me get it set before it lets loose on Saturday. Or better yet hopefully it will stall until Sunday to give the gly time to do it's thing.

                Originally posted by Backwoods101 View Post
                Good luck to ya bud. Whats your game plan for prepping and planting?
                Thanks. For this plot I am going with all small seeds, so I am not going to disc it. Top soil isn't too hard and it's really sandy so I don't think I will have to disc it. Going to hit it with the Round Up and then turn around and broadcast out the seed. Hopefully the rain won't come so quick that it washes off the Round Up before it can get a good kill. It's only been two weeks since I mowed that area, so probably won't be high enough to warrant mowing again unless we have been getting some rain and then it grows pretty quick. If it's high enough after I broadcast the seed I will mow over it with the tractor to get a thatch layer down. I'm following the Unclefish method. Seems to work great for him so giving it a try.

                This spring I want to find a different area of the pasture and plant a spring plot possibly with peas and such. I will probably hit that area with gly(Round Up). Then come back a couple weeks later and mow and disc it. Then broadcast the larger seed and shallow disc to get it in the ground. Just an idea, haven't planned the spring out yet. Heck I am throwing this fall plot together at the last minute. Just throwing seed to the wind and hoping it grows.

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                  #9
                  Build it and they will come. not to late

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                    #10
                    I hope you hit the rainfall right!

                    You can read on the Gly label for how long til its rainproof but in my experience all you need is an hour or two on the plant and it will do its job.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by deer farmer View Post
                      Build it and they will come. not to late
                      Hahaha. Thanks! We are gonna give it hell.

                      Originally posted by unclefish View Post
                      I hope you hit the rainfall right!

                      You can read on the Gly label for how long til its rainproof but in my experience all you need is an hour or two on the plant and it will do its job.
                      Well hopefully you are right! Hopefully the rain will hold off for me to get it down. I will put it down right after I come in from the morning hunt.

                      Unfortunately it looks like the only seed I will have in time for this weekend is the clover. Chicory won't make it in time for this weekend and the Kale probably won't be here until Monday. I have struck out so far on the Elbon Rye as well. Went back by the feed store on the way home yesterday and they said hopefully they will have an idea early next week when it will be coming in. They only have a few bags coming, but I have my name down on two of them for when and if they show up. He said last year it was $31/50lb bag and should be right around that again, so price isn't bad either. They did have a couple sacks of AWP, Winter Wheat, and some kind of Oats but I didn't see the tag on it. So they carry some of the stuff, so that's a plus. Just need to get in there and order what I want so they can get it in time.

                      Just checked the forecast and it now shows 80% for Saturday with the rain in the morning. So Saturday might be out unless it misses us. Sunday is looking good though with some follow up rain coming Monday with another 80% chance and an estimate of about an 1" of rain.
                      Last edited by Nailhead; 10-10-2014, 08:03 AM.

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                        #12
                        Well I didn't beat the rain this weekend. When I got up to the ranch Friday night I checked the rain gauge and we had gotten over 3" of rain since we were there 2 weeks ago. I dumped the gauge out before going to bed. I woke up before daylight to it pouring down rain. Then everyone's alarms started going off to get up to go hunting, still raining. It rained pretty hard during the night. As daylight came it turned into a steady light soaking rain. It rained non-stop until around 2pm. We had gotten about 1-1/2" of rain. That evening it didn't really rain anymore. Sunday morning went out for the hunt, a few light very short sprinkling showers came though.

                        After the hunt I went and mixed up my Round-Up and went to town on the plot. Hopefully I got it coated good enough. The rain held off for an hour or two after I got it down then we got more light showers. Then a few more hard rains while we were trying to fill feeders. Got a little soaked. Before we left Sunday evening I dumped the rain gauge again and we had gotten about 2-1/4" in under 48 hours. Not complaining cause we needed it. Just didn't work out for me planting anything.

                        We are going back next weekend. After working on the plot a little and digging all the hole for the soil sample, I think I am going to disc this plot the first time around. With it being so sandy the ground is actually pretty hard and compact. The disc we have isn't that big nor is it all that heavy, so I think if I run it without any weight on it I can just turn over the top soil with the thatch that's there and get a pretty good seed bed. Then after the disc drag a cattle panel over it to make it a little more uniform. I'm just afraid with the ground being so compact it may make it difficult for the seeds to take hold this first time around.

                        Got my soil sample bagged up and ready to send off to A&M to see what they have to say. Of course the P.O. is closed because of Columbus Day . Guess it will go out tomorrow.

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                        Other good news, my chicory was at the house when I got home yesterday and with any luck my Kale should come in today. Hopefully the feed store will call with some good news on the Elbon Rye. I checked Iron Gate Feed in Palestine this weekend but they had sold out of Elbon Rye the day before. They said some lady came in and bought it all up. Who sent their wife on a seed run?? Lol.

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                          #13
                          I shop at that feed store, but it wasn't me. I don't know how loose you want the soil. After discing I have some deep ruts, and the soil is so light and fluffy, I'm talking to LA Dave on how to make my own cultipacker to get a firm seedbed. I think discing helps ensure you get seed to soil contact, but I don't think you need to worry about your soil being to compact. It's going to be a lot firmer after the rain. ... oh and be sure to dry out the soil before you ship it out.

                          Good luck.

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by jkelbe View Post
                            I shop at that feed store, but it wasn't me. I don't know how loose you want the soil. After discing I have some deep ruts, and the soil is so light and fluffy, I'm talking to LA Dave on how to make my own cultipacker to get a firm seedbed. I think discing helps ensure you get seed to soil contact, but I don't think you need to worry about your soil being to compact. It's going to be a lot firmer after the rain. ... oh and be sure to dry out the soil before you ship it out.

                            Good luck.
                            Yeah, I am tore on what to do with the ground really. I also am confused or not sure of what seed rate I should use or if I should do like my original plan of two seeds on half and two seeds on the other, or if I should just plant them all out there across the acre and see what happens.

                            After pulling the soil sample I laid it out on the table at the ranch for a few hours and when I got home last night I laid it out again spread out on some paper towels. It seemed pretty dry when I got up this morning. It's A LOT lighter in color than what it was and doesn't clump together anymore. Could have build a sand castle with it yesterday.

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by Nailhead View Post
                              Yeah, I am tore on what to do with the ground really. I also am confused or not sure of what seed rate I should use or if I should do like my original plan of two seeds on half and two seeds on the other, or if I should just plant them all out there across the acre and see what happens.
                              Thats what I would do.

                              You mention a disc, but what other equipment do you have? 3pt spreader? Roller?

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