Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Planting a food plot on 20 acres

If you were going to plant a food plot of rye grass or winter wheat on twenty acres would you plow it? If you were going to plow it, what would you plow it with and to what extent? If you were not going to plow it would you bush hog it and then plant it? How much fertilizer per acre would you put out and how much seed?

james, that sounds like a large food plot. What you are asking is, how much work goes into preparing the seed bed? That would depend on the present condition of the land, ie-is it now bean stubble (less work) or is it pasture grass (perhaps more work), what type of equipment you are going to do the seeding with (there would not be many volunteers to help you hand seed 20 acres) and your expectations. The technical answer to how much fertilizer is to take soil samples but for a food plot of winter wheat I doubt you would require fertilizer for winter wheat in a pure food plot. I would think for 20 acres you would consult with a friendly local farmer (who would picture a plow as a plow and a disk as a disk but perhaps a harrow as a drag section).

I do like those winter grasses. Is that gainesville, as in Florida?

James, give me a call on my cell phone. I just finished last weekend. 817 832 4724. I'm sweating bullets over "bugs" commonly known as Army Worms.

New ground is usually naturally fertile. I've already made that mistake and burnt up my first wheat food plot quite a few years ago.

Rye ($$$$) is planted on top of the ground. However, the soil has to be loosened. Don't let anybody tell you that it is really perennial. I got a 60% return crop for several years until I had very little and then none at all. 60% of 60% of 60%

Wheat ($) and oats ($)have to be covered but the ground also has to be loosened. I tried that 50/50 combo and the oats did a lot better than the wheat in arid conditions. I have seldom really had oats freeze out. However, they each seem to have different growth spurts depending on temps.

It might be best to have the soil checked but it is getting late to do for this year. That is, if you're doing it to hunt over.

If you don't have good, fairly deep, ground moisture at planting time, forget it. It has a good chance of germinating and dieing. Want to bet on rain? OK, I'm doing it.

A good guy to talk to is Gary Connor of the NRCS in Gainesville. Talk to him real soon. As Snuffy Smith used to say "Balls o' fire. Times a' wastin.".

I've had good results from this co.

http://www.pogueagri.com/wildlife.htm

The BeeWild Bundleflower is amazing! Once established it will endure 2-3 months of no rain and quickly rebound. Everything "wild" seems to utilize it. It is a true perennial! I use it for edges on plots. The deer will graze for months.
edit doesn't like sand!

Interesting stuff Al. I wonder what the NA means on cold tolerance? James and I will get at least a couple of days with temps in the low teens.

They don't show a price on it. What did you pay for it?

This variety may be better:

http://www.texaslandscaper.com/resources/texas_plants/95.shtml

If I understand, BeeWild was developed for SOUTH Tx. I mixed some sunflowers and Have literally 1000's of doves right now. I was informed we had another HARD 4" rain Sun. evening and am trying to get down today to see if the pier is visible A couple meetings may get rearranged today.

We have done a few small ones on the farm we hunt. Usally the 1st time we work the ground we burn it with round-up. 20 acres would be alot of round up so I would probally plow it and then disc it a few weeks later after the grasses have died out. We have planted wheat and rye and usually cut them back in with the disc and pack them with the 4 wheeler, they turn out good enough for us. After about three years your food plot will be better than the first, at least our has. Hope this help.

Donnie

James, First thing I do is brush hog the field. I then use a 6 foot tiller to completely turn the soil. Most large feed stores will let you use their pull behind broadcast spreaders that they have on site if you buy your seed and fertilizer from them. I have them premix fertilizer and seed together and then they auger into spreader. After pulling the spreader with my pickup and braodcasting the seed, I come behind with my tiller at apprx. 1 inch deep and dust both seed and fert into ground. I planted oats and winter peas. Did ten acres, used 800 lbs of oats 100pds peas and 1000 pds of fert. This process works for me every time assuming it rains.

James,

Do like CSMITH above says and first cut any grass and weeds down as low as you can get them. After shearing, then prepare the ground for seeding. I don't have a large tiller, but do have access to a pasture renovator and it works great to prepare the field for seeding....in addition it will substantially improve grazing on the field next year. After seeding, go back over the field with a very light disc or something to get the seed in contact with the soil. Following seed germination, apply fertilizer.

Here is where you need soil test results...but if you can't get them, then use a 3-1-2 ratio of fertilizer and about 80 to 100 pounds of Nitrogen per acre.

Until the last couple of weeks, I was planning to do exactly the same as you...plant a 20 acre winter pasture. However, my hay crop came in much larger than I expected and I don't have to have the winter pasture now.

Here is a relevant article you might find interesting:

http://www.countryworldnews.com/Editorial/CTX/2005/ct1006pastures.html

If the grass is short and you have access to a grain drill you can simple over seed the land in one pass, and pray for more rain. You need to try and do this just before a rain or just after so you have the moisture to germinate the seed. Rye grass is generally very forgiving, unlike trying to get Bermuda started.

James,

This website may be helpful: http://www.wildlifemanagement.info/publications/wildlife_plantings_3.htm

It says "Southeast" but most of the info still applies to East Texas. One comment - 20 acres is A LOT for a first time planting for a wild life food plot. I have seen recommendation of 2% to 6% of your total acerage should be food plots. Most also recommend several small food plost vs. one large, I personally like 1 large plot. Are you planting the entire 20 acres?

I would mow then plow and (possibly lime), fertilize it, especially for a first time food plot.

If you buy seeds at a local supply store, they will recommend the rate and type of lime and fertilizer for your area or based on a soil test.

Gator

The weeds were pretty heavy on one place and bermuda was thick on another. I had to do a lot of steps.

I first mowed but needed to spray with Grazon. Just didn't have time. Next, I chiseled (tilled) and then disked. Then I spread the seeds 50/50 oats and wheat at the rate of 100 lbs. per acre. I have a 250 lb. seeder. Then disked again. Five steps.

Now, I'm praying for rain and cold enough weather to keep the worms off.

A guy that hunts an adjoining place inquired whether I would do some for them. No way. Done right, it takes a lot of time and effort.

And, like Cody Smith above says; assuming it rains. If I get a crop this year, it will be the first time in 4 years that drought or bugs haven't nailed me.

We have multiple smaller plots, they are built as fingers going away from our hunting blinds. As you can see, we could go 300 yds here, but we're not convinced the hunting would be any better for all the extra effort. Feeders run year round, they are already fat & happy. This plot was just seeded with oats, peas & clover, we had a really nice rainfall the following day. A nice high tine 10 pt. with 15' spread has already been spotted, really exciting this time of year.

James-

I'm in the process of planting a food plot over in Fannin County. I'm working with the NRCS and this is the recipe they gave me for a 1.5 acre plot: 45lbs. of wheat, 45lbs. of oats, 12lbs. of red ripper cow peas, and 12 lbs. of crimson clover. They suggested 300lbs. of 17-17-17 fertilizer to be disked in before seeding. Then spread the wheat, oats, and peas. Lightly disk these seeds after spreading, then spread the clover seeds on top with no further disking.
20 acres sounds like a lot. You may want to consider a few smaller plots in some strategic locations (along fencelines/game trails and near water and cover). Hope this helps (and I hope it works for me too!). By the way, I bought a Trophy Plotmaker in Bonham -- a little pricey, but does the job in a few easy steps...

Dan

Dan, what is a Trophy Plotmaker?

I use a process exactly like Csmith described. I use a tiller and boadcast spreader for all my seed and fertilzer. Works whether you are planting grasses, grains, beans or corn. One suggestion for saving the high cost if you want to plant rye is to simply buy rye grain. Don't buy rye seed, just feed grain. I pay about $7 per 100 pounds and it grows just fine. I plant it in August, is 6 inches tall right now. Will overwinter and produce grain next year. In the fall and winter the deer love it. During the latter half of summer until I till it under in August the game birds live in it and eat the seed. Works great and is cheap. In my area I find the deer like the rye much better than oats or wheat. I've tried them all.

http://trophyplotmaker.com/

Cappy_TX told me about it. Works like a dream, though the first time I used it I burned out a belt on my Mule. I had the disk set all the way down (wheels all the way up), and it was a heavy pull -- stupid city slicker! :rolleyes:

bz, I like that idea. Rye seed here is obscenely expensive. I believe I'll check into it for next year. Does it come from feed stores like the seed?

Dave, if you do it, you should only expect rye in Texas to be a cool-season annual, even if it's perennial seed.

Eastland, I'm wondering more about wheat and oats. The deer around my area prefer, in order of preference, oats, wheat and then rye. All of the planted cereal grains, even oats, but also corn in feeders, come in a very distant second to acorns and natural forbs. BTW, we do have wild rye but I've never seen any indication that the deer use it much.

However, the seed I bought this year was up in price by quite a bit. I paid about $7.75 per 50 lb. bag for wheat and $8.25 for oats. Over twice what BZ is paying for the much higher priced rye in my area. It generally costs me about 10% more to buy it by the bag but that allows me some flexibility regarding planting times. I do 3 different places so I can't always get to each of them at the same time.

I had trouble finding bagged wheat this year. Due to drought, only one feed store had taken the risk of stocking it.

I've planted just about every food plot seed pack available. From Cabela's, Gander Mtn, Bass Pro shop, Walmart and a few I found online. It's kind of a sickness that cost me allot of money with minimal results. It could be that East Texas is just weird, but as of yet, none of the food plots have done any better than the native grass that I just cut down low and put a feeder in the middle.

This year I'm gonna try something different. I'm going to plant bird seed. I have ten feeders in front of my house and what the birds don't eat, starts to grow. I even shot one huge wild hog 25 feet from my front door eating bird seed earlier this year!!!

I'll cut the weeds down low, disk it real good, lime it and spread the seed, then drag it with a log one time and let it sit.

A 50 pound bag of bird seed at walmart is around $10 I think. Two bags per acre should do a nice job. If not, I'm only out $40 in seed for two acres of food plots.

Good luck,
Eddie

Eddie,

East Texas Seed, in Tyler, has a good mix called Rack King. I planted it last year and had good success. Lime and Fertilizer made a big differenbce too.

Gator

Dave, I buy my rye at the local farm Co-op. Same place I get seed. At least in my area it is never perrenial rye but that doesn't matter. I plant it mid August, it grows good for the deer season by mid Sept, it goes dormant for winter but the great thing as compared to wheat and oats is that it stays perfectly green even under snow, then next year it goes to seed. Actually, lots of times it produces enough seed that I can just till one crop under and I get new growth. Even though is is annual rye our normal practice is to plant one year and harvest the next.

To add some more East Texas thoughts for Eddie...

Our soils here are generally acidic(sometimes very acidic), very low in "N", just fine in "P", and slightly low in "K". Hence the need for lime and fertilizers that, in the absence of specific soil tests, have a 3-1-2 ratio. Balanced fertilizers like 13-13-13 or those often recommended for garden plants like 12-24-12 are often a waste of money in East Texas.

For my hay fields, I lime about every three years and use a 27-0-5 ratio for fertilizers.

Makes a huge difference.

bz,
I just laid out 200# of cereal rye as a cover crop on the pondsite perimeter, dam, and behind the dam. It cost $10/bag, 50# bags. It came from a farm supply seed distributor. My farmer neighbor called it cereal rye...the distributor called it winter rye. The seeds were pretty big, about the size of rice.
It is supposed to be a perennial. Is this the same stuff that you're talking about?