Food Plot Blends

[JeffK]

There are a number of food plot threads already, but how about one where we just put our blends down. May help us tweak our numbers by looking at what everyone else is doing.

Oats 100 lbs/ac
radish 3 lbs/ac
winter peas 50 lbs/ac
rape volunteer growth from the past year

Also, planning on a blend of wheat and clover to plant on a long clearing, but will not be fenced off from cows. Not sure yet on a good rate?

[roadkill54]

Can you guarantee me rainfall

[Kdog]

Can you guarantee me rainfall

I can, just not in Texas.

[JeffK]

Can you guarantee me rainfall

Yep. Your one day closer

[EastTexun]

This thread has a lot of good info already

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10438744#post10438744

[JeffK]

This thread has a lot of good info already
http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...4#post10438744

Yeah but don't see anyone posting their actual blends (lbs/acre)

[gingib]

I like this idea...not store bought blends but what you are buyinf whole and mixing yourself

FOLLOWING!

[gingib]

WHat is the mixing rate of wheat/oats together for 1 acre? How many lbs per acre?

[BrandonA]

This year I think we are going to have a local farmer plant for us!!! He pays for the seed and does all the work and we get a % of the crop. Win Win!!

[catslayer]

Some REALLY economical options in here... I can mix these up and be reallygood price with great options.... look for your GENERAL area and it breaks it down by rainfall... great resource...

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/tx/technical/ecoscience/bio/?cid=nrcs144p2_003079

[EastTexun]

Yeah but don't see anyone posting their actual blends (lbs/acre)

Good point...didn't see that. For myself, I am planting a combo of 100lbs/acre of oats and rye mixed 50/50 on all of my food plots. On selected areas I will add about 10lbs/acre of Crimson clover and others I will add about 5lbs/acre of Durana clover. I will be adding chicory at about 1-2lbs/acre to selected areas and Daikon radishes at 2lbs/acre to some compacted areas.

I am planting all of this on Houston County sandy land, hopefully the last weekend of September. Doing lime and fertilizer tomorrow and Saturday.

Edit: I expect a pretty good stand of volunteer Arrowleaf and Crimson clover on one of my larger plots, so I won't be planting any of that this year in selected areas.

[gingib]

Some REALLY economical options in here... I can mix these up and be reallygood price with great options.... look for your GENERAL area and it breaks it down by rainfall... great resource...

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/...cs144p2_003079

Interesting. This article says the oat/wheat rate is 1/2 or more less then what people on here are saying?

[Palmetto]

How does mixing seed sizes work for you guys? In the past, I have always planted seperately. Big seeds (oats) 1" deep, small stuff on top (clover, turnips).

Also, how does putting fertilizer out with the seeds work? I have always fertilized after the seeds have sprouted (3 weeks).

[BrandonA]

How does mixing seed sizes work for you guys? In the past, I have always planted seperately. Big seeds (oats) 1" deep, small stuff on top (clover, turnips).

Also, how does putting fertilizer out with the seeds work? I have always fertilized after the seeds have sprouted (3 weeks).

This is how we always do it.

[EastTexun]

How does mixing seed sizes work for you guys? In the past, I have always planted seperately. Big seeds (oats) 1" deep, small stuff on top (clover, turnips).

Also, how does putting fertilizer out with the seeds work? I have always fertilized after the seeds have sprouted (3 weeks).

This year I am using both seed boxes on my drill, one of which is for big seeds like oats and rye and one for the small seeds like clover. The larger seeds will actually be drilled in about an inch, but the smaller seeds will fall on the ground in front of the drill. I will be dragging my cultipacker in tandem...so hopefully that will work to firm the ground enough and get good seed/soil contact. Before I got the small box working, I would drill the big seeds and then broadcast smaller seeds with a small, handheld broadcaster. That gets old after walking 5-10 acres.

I can't afford to fertilize every year, but when I have done it I normally broadcast after the forage had sprouted. This year I am going to broadcast fertilizer now and disc it in, along with lime and plant in a few weeks when there is more water. I have followed quite a few guys on QDMA that use this route, especially with 24-0-0 and 48-0-0 to eliminate the N from evaporating.