Desirable & High Yield For Small Plots

[nrowles]

I am in Central PA. I have .10 and .40 acre plots. I just put lime down and I'm estimating a ph of around 6 by spring. What would be the most desirable & high yield plant(s) I could put in these little plots. I will fertilize as needed and I have a tractor and some equipment. Anything other than clover for small plots?

 

[Mahindra3016]

I am also from Central pa, are you wanting to plant annuals or perennials? I have good luck with buckwheat, pea and sunflower mix in the summer, and cereal rye, oats and pea mix for late summer planted fall plots, brassicas here only seem to get hit hard during winters where we get a fair amount of snow, last year was mild and my brassicas barely got used, made good fertilizer in the spring though.

 

[nrowles]

Before getting input, I was planning on doing some type of perennial with clover base. I did buckwheat over the summer and I didn't notice deer grazing in it at all. I have winter rye out now for the past 6 weeks and it is very young and lush and I don't notice deer grazing in it. I was trying to go for what would appear to be more desirable crops, which at this point I was thinking clover. Since buckwheat didn't seem to attract much last summer I was just going to go perennial clover with possibly a little chicory mixed in. I would also like to have something planted in the fall that will green up early in the spring for turkey. I am going for what's desirable AND high yield. Thoughts?

 

[Peplin Creek]

I think clover will be your best bet for what your looking for.

 

[yoderjac]

I am in Central PA. I have .10 and .40 acre plots. I just put lime down and I'm estimating a ph of around 6 by spring. What would be the most desirable & high yield plant(s) I could put in these little plots. I will fertilize as needed and I have a tractor and some equipment. Anything other than clover for small plots?

Use buckwheat in the spring to give amendments time to work and control weeds. Nothing will give you more months of food and withstand browse pressure on tiny plots like clover. Plant it in the fall with a Winter Rye cover crop. I'm south o f you in VA (zone 7a) but I really like Durana. It is slow to establish but very persistent and drought tolerant once established. Each time the WR hits a foot, mow it back to 6" the spring following your fall plant.

Before getting input, I was planning on doing some type of perennial with clover base. I did buckwheat over the summer and I didn't notice deer grazing in it at all. I have winter rye out now for the past 6 weeks and it is very young and lush and I don't notice deer grazing in it. I was trying to go for what would appear to be more desirable crops, which at this point I was thinking clover. Since buckwheat didn't seem to attract much last summer I was just going to go perennial clover with possibly a little chicory mixed in. I would also like to have something planted in the fall that will green up early in the spring for turkey. I am going for what's desirable AND high yield. Thoughts?

Deer will use buckwheat but don't usually abuse it unless they have little else. The fact that deer aren't using your WR either means they have a better food source right now (likely acorns) or the location of the plot is an issue. I'd guess deer are on acorns. When we have a bountiful mast crop, our food plots get much less use especially in the day time.

My experience in Central PA is that deer are primarily driven by hunting pressure. I realize your firearm season has likely not yet started, but small game hunters and archery hunters put pressure on deer as well as people getting stands ready for the season.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[FarmerDan]

If were given $10 dollars and told to pick only one plant species for food plots it would be Ladino or Durana clover. Your plots aren't big enough to plant summer annuals and then come back with something else in the fall. You mention rye. Its at the top of my list as a fall planted annual and goes well with clover as a nurse crop. Deer here tear it up. You might consider oats instead of rye.

 

[Mahindra3016]

I forgot to mention that i have been putting crimson clover into my fall grain and pea mix as well, and i usually have some volunteer buckwheat that for whatever reason gets eaten first late summer and early fall, even ahead of the peas. I have planted rye alone, but have had better luck putting tastier plants like peas in the mix. It gets the deer using the plot sooner and eating the rye sooner, I don't go to the golden corral for brussel sprouts, but if they are in the buffet i might grab a few bites.

 

[Peplin Creek]

I forgot to mention that i have been putting crimson clover into my fall grain and pea mix as well, and i usually have some volunteer buckwheat that for whatever reason gets eaten first late summer and early fall, even ahead of the peas. I have planted rye alone, but have had better luck putting tastier plants like peas in the mix. It gets the deer using the plot sooner and eating the rye sooner, I don't go to the golden corral for brussel sprouts, but if they are in the buffet i might grab a few bites.

Completely agree with this.. this past year I planted one plot straight rye and the other rye with winter peas. The plot with the peas got 2x 3x more use from deer and that plot is in a worse location than than the straight rye plot.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

My camp is in N.Central Pa. Our smallest plots are about 1/2 acre, the largest about 3/4 to 1 acre. We've had very good use of buckwheat planted in spring. It keeps weeds down and provides greens, and later seed that deer and turkeys will hammer. Buckwheat will grow on less than ideal soil. We've had very good luck with winter rye and winter wheat there. Peas mixed into the rye will make the plot more attractive. We have a plot of Ladino, Alice, and Kopu II white clover and chicory that will last for 7 or 8 years ( perennial plot ) as long as we keep it mowed and sprayed for grass. We started this plot with oats as a nurse crop. It attracts deer all year. Farmer Dan mentioned oats as a nurse crop in post #6. This plot of 3 white clovers, chicory and using oats as a nurse crop has been our best use of money, space, and time for longevity. It was spring-planted.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

The next time I plant a perennial plot It will be a chicory plot with a little clover mixed in. For whatever reason the deer at our place just prefer the chicory over the clover.

 

[andrew bullard]

Do you have to terminate spring planted buckwheat in the fall when you plant clover and oats (or Rye)?

What's the recommended pounds/acre for buckwheat if the plan is to over seed with clover and cereal grains in the fall?

 

[Mortenson]

This is the 3rd day in a row I'm hunting a ladino/Durana plot. I think the plot is 3 or 4 years old. I can say that the deer are feeding on it very well right now based on actual observation. Mostly does and fawns but it's the rut and the bucks are here too. Trail cam shows my target buck was here 3 days ago cruising the plot but also eating mouthfuls of clover! And he looks many pounds lighter than he did in October. The last confirmed time he was in this area was on 2/22. So yes I think the clover is doing it's job and each time I think of rotating out, I've so far just convinced myself to keep maintaining it. White clover I'd recommend as a workhorse. Now I just need that big stud to show up at 7 am for one last bite.

 

[yoderjac]

Do you have to terminate spring planted buckwheat in the fall when you plant clover and oats (or Rye)?

What's the recommended pounds/acre for buckwheat if the plan is to over seed with clover and cereal grains in the fall?

Nope. Buckwheat will die at the first frost but is usually dead long before that. It is a 60 to 90 day crop. The throw and mow method broadcasts the cereal clover mix into standing buckwheat after it has gone to seed. You then simply mow the stand of buckwheat. When it touches the soil, microbes decompose it quickly and the nutrients it scavenged are released for the next crop. The buckwheat acts as a mulch. You can cultipack instead of mowing which works even better.

There are some folks that get a heavy volunteer crop from the buckwheat that worry it will smother their other seed. If you get the timing right this is not an issue. You want to plant your buckwheat 60 to 90 days before you plan your fall plant. I often get some volunteer crop, but because it is an annual it comes up quickly. Deer love it during our archery season in October. But as soon as we get a frost, any buckwheat not eaten by deer dies making room for the Winter Rye and clover.

You want to use WR as a nurse crop when plant clover in the fall rather than oats. WR is cold tolerant and will bound back in the spring when needed to protect the clover.

For a monoculture of buckwheat I'd seed at about 50 lbs/ac. If planted as part of a warm season annual mix in the spring, I'd go no higher than 10 lbs/ac (Not your case).

Thanks,

Jack

 

[andrew bullard]

Thank you for the reply Jack. Now I need to decide if I want to plant Clover/Rye or buckwheat this spring (probably mid April).

I kind of like the idea of planting something other than clover (which is my desired perennial end state) this spring then using the throw/mow or throw/roll method in the fall.

Thank you for the ideas and sorry to highjack the thread, just seemed like a relevant addition.

 

[yoderjac]

Thank you for the reply Jack. Now I need to decide if I want to plant Clover/Rye or buckwheat this spring (probably mid April).

I kind of like the idea of planting something other than clover (which is my desired perennial end state) this spring then using the throw/mow or throw/roll method in the fall.

Thank you for the ideas and sorry to highjack the thread, just seemed like a relevant addition.

I would not plant perennial clover in the spring in NC. Folks further north my get away with it and if lucky, others may get away with it too, but it is not the best practice. Here is why: Perennial clover is slow to establish. It spends a lot of time establishing a root system after germination. When you plant it in the spring, it is competing with annual weeds starting from seed that are in your soil bank. The weeds (mostly annuals) are faster to get going so the get ahead of the clover. Also, in the south especially, the summer weeds are favored by hot dry conditions in the summer. You end up starting with a fairly weedy plot and things deteriorate over the life of the plot and you spend a lot of money and time on herbicides or the plot is relatively short lived.

I like Durana for the south. It is slower than most to establish but once established it is very drought tolerant and very persistent. When you plant perennial clover with a WR nurse crop in the fall, the WR takes off first. It becomes the attractant that first fall. Deer love it when it is young and tender. It becomes less attractive as it gets older. The perennial clover germinates in the fall but doesn't really grow much before winter sets in. The following spring, the WR takes off and crowds out weeds. It also has a chemical effect on weed seed germination. This allows the clover time to establish a root system. When they WR hits about a foot or so, mow it back to 6"-8" depending on conditions and the type of clover you select. This will not kill the WR but it will let enough light in to release the clover. By summer, the WR will die on its own and the clover will fill in. This reduces the opportunity for weeds to get established in your clover.

All clover fields will get weedy over time. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Starting with a clean field planted in the fall will give you the most years of deer food in the long run for the lowest cost.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Big Snow Man]

Oats and wheat or rye in the fall is the preferred and easy choice

 

[andrew bullard]

I would not plant perennial clover in the spring in NC. Folks further north my get away with it and if lucky, others may get away with it too, but it is not the best practice. Here is why: Perennial clover is slow to establish. It spends a lot of time establishing a root system after germination. When you plant it in the spring, it is competing with annual weeds starting from seed that are in your soil bank. The weeds (mostly annuals) are faster to get going so the get ahead of the clover. Also, in the south especially, the summer weeds are favored by hot dry conditions in the summer. You end up starting with a fairly weedy plot and things deteriorate over the life of the plot and you spend a lot of money and time on herbicides or the plot is relatively short lived.

I like Durana for the south. It is slower than most to establish but once established it is very drought tolerant and very persistent. When you plant perennial clover with a WR nurse crop in the fall, the WR takes off first. It becomes the attractant that first fall. Deer love it when it is young and tender. It becomes less attractive as it gets older. The perennial clover germinates in the fall but doesn't really grow much before winter sets in. The following spring, the WR takes off and crowds out weeds. It also has a chemical effect on weed seed germination. This allows the clover time to establish a root system. When they WR hits about a foot or so, mow it back to 6"-8" depending on conditions and the type of clover you select. This will not kill the WR but it will let enough light in to release the clover. By summer, the WR will die on its own and the clover will fill in. This reduces the opportunity for weeds to get established in your clover.

All clover fields will get weedy over time. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Starting with a clean field planted in the fall will give you the most years of deer food in the long run for the lowest cost.

Thanks,

Jack

Jack,

Does it matter what part of the south? My property is in the mountains. The area receives about ~50 inches of rain annually and it rarely gets above 80F in the summer. The average elevation on my place is about 3k'. The climate zone is 6B. Compared to the low country piedmont I grew up in, the climate is drastically different.

I like the idea of planting buckwheat in the spring but it sounds like timing for broadcasting into the buckwheat and rolling is pretty critical. I live 4500 miles from our place and don't have the luxury of monitoring the exact growth stage of my plot. I guess I could terminate any weeds that take over in the summer if I'm late getting the rye/clover in.

Not the ideal scenario I know but that's what I'm working with for the next 5 years.

 

[yoderjac]

Jack,

Does it matter what part of the south? My property is in the mountains. The area receives about ~50 inches of rain annually and it rarely gets above 80F in the summer. The average elevation on my place is about 3k'. The climate zone is 6B. Compared to the low country piedmont I grew up in, the climate is drastically different.

I like the idea of planting buckwheat in the spring but it sounds like timing for broadcasting into the buckwheat and rolling is pretty critical. I live 4500 miles from our place and don't have the luxury of monitoring the exact growth stage of my plot. I guess I could terminate any weeds that take over in the summer if I'm late getting the rye/clover in.

Not the ideal scenario I know but that's what I'm working with for the next 5 years.

I don't think there is a single factor. I'm sure elevation plays a role. Your native seed bank also plays a role. Bottom line is that if conditions happened to be right and mother nature works in your favor, you can do many things in less than an optimal way and get success. On the other hand, you can do everything in an optimal way and if mother nature happens to work against you, things can get ugly fast. Planting perennial clover in the fall with a WR nurse crop will increase your chances of success.

Do whatever you think is best, over time you will learn what works for you. Location plays a big role in strategy. The best we can provide are generalizations and the rationale for why they work. You then need to overlay your specific conditions, goals, resources, etc. and make a choice.

Keep in mind, not matter what you choose, it won't likely be a disaster.

Buckwheat has one of the widest planting windows of any crop. It competes well against weeds. It will germinate with soil temperatures as low as 45 degrees (that is soil not air temp) but the optimal soil temperature for maximum germination is 80 degrees. Buckwheat will grow in my gravel driveway if I spill the seed and I occasionally find it growing in the bed of my truck. All you need is a little rain after planting and buckwheat will do the rest.

Buckwheat provides 60 to 90 days of food value for deer, but there is no reason it can't be terminated early or left stand longer. If you find significant weeds in your buckwheat when you go to throw and mow in the fall, simply spray the same day your plant. Gly only kills actively growing green plants and it won't hurt seed that has not germinated. This makes it easy when you live a distance from your property since you can do everything in one day spring or fall.

Best of luck,

Jack

 

[andrew bullard]

Great advice, thanks again.

 

[Bowman]

Are you 4500 miles from your property? If that is true, I would consider a camera that provides updates to keep you informed.