Food Plot Help Sealy/Bellville

[jpdarby2]

This will be my First time planting food plots and I need some insight for the Sealy/Bellville area.

I want to plant two small 1/4 acre food plots one is on the edge of timber and one is in a clearing surrounded by timber.
I plan to spray and till with an ATV then broadcast by hand.
I am hoping to hunt over the food plot during Texas bow season.

With all that in mind what should I plant? Oats, Wheat, Rye, Clover, Mix? What have you had success with?

When should I plant for it to be productive in October? Mid/Late August?

[Greenheadless]

Start with a soil test.

You can do this thru the local ag extension agent or can mail off with TAMU Agrilife being the most prominent.

https://soiltesting.tamu.edu/

[BayouCat]

Soil test and then drop by your local feed store and talk to them about what works. Sometimes they sell their own mix you can buy. There is also a website you can play around on that will show your soil types by county and you can narrow it down to your place.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/surveylist/soils/survey/state/?stateId=TX

[BolilloLoco]

Simple option here. Throw down some Bob Oat Seed and then mow over top of them to cover with thatch. No poison or tilling required. Do it as late in September as possible to prevent burning them up and/or feeding Army Worms.

[RMW]

If your in the rolling hills north of Sealy west of 36 that is some sandy ground

[Speck]

We planted a small food plot in Cat Spring last year. Made our own mix with a bag of deer plot seed, and added clover and additional brassica. To prepare we did a soil test and it pretty much said add as much lime as possible. I don’t have any equipment so I bought the pelletized lime from TSC. I mowed the plot down as low as my zero turn would go and sprayed the patch twice. Waited for good rain in the forecast and seeded. Plot came up great. The mix had wheat and it’s that came up well but the radishes and turnips did wonderful. The only issue was we didn’t see a lot of deer in it. I have heard that you need to keep doing it a few years to get them used to it. I’m constantly learning. Good luck.

[txbowman12]

Cereal rye is a good starter plant for food plots. It will grow in just about anything (up to and including the dirty corner of your side by side bed) with some rain. Just make sure you don't mess up and get rye grass. Elbon rye is what you want. I planted 2nd weekend of October this year in front of a rain and it did really well.

Also you don't really need to till with rye. I sprayed, then broadcast into the dead thatch, then ran over it some with a drag harrow (teeth up) to knock the seeds down onto the dirt, then got rain 2 days later

[Big pig]

Cereal rye is a good starter plant for food plots. It will grow in just about anything (up to and including the dirty corner of your side by side bed) with some rain. Just make sure you don't mess up and get rye grass. Elbon rye is what you want. I planted 2nd weekend of October this year in front of a rain and it did really well.

Also you don't really need to till with rye. I sprayed, then broadcast into the dead thatch, then ran over it some with a drag harrow (teeth up) to knock the seeds down onto the dirt, then got rain 2 days later

This will work. I add oats, wheat & triticale for variety.
And I shred the sprayed/dead grass and weeds for more coverage.
But as stated above, those oats will grow in the back of the Mule!
I fertilize after they have developed a good root system. Place cages in each plot to determine growth and usage.