onlybrowning
Buck Fawn
Hi everyone,
I am new here, but didn't immediately see a spot to introduce myself. I have piece of land that I have 2 cleared fields, both about 5 acres, that I've had some success with food plots with over the past 8-10 years. For the past several years, I've done nothing in my plots other than mow (rotary mower). They still attract deer, but I am ready to do more again. The first time I went "all in" on these fields, I rototilled or plowed them with a moldboard plow, then cultipacked them. I do not have a seed drill, so seeding has always been done with a hand spreader. During that first planting, I fertilized and limed according to the Whitetail Institute soil tests, and planted them in WI Fusion (clover and chicory mix). That process was very expensive. I have frost seeded a few times since then, but both fields are mostly not those crops anymore. They are mostly grasses and some other weeds, with some clover in there too.
Now, to the question: The ground is often too wet during first green up to run my tractor on, so I am wondering if it is advisable to spray (glyphosate) on both fields as soon as they are dry enough, then broadcast seed into the dying vegetation. My thought is that as the vegetation dies and lays down, it will provide adequate conditions for germination.
I like clover, because that's something I have experience with, but the reality is that I don't know much different. I would be open to blends and that kind of thing, but I do not want to get back into spending thousands of dollars per year to fertilize and lime. I'd also prefer to avoid plowing if I can.
Thanks for any advice you may have.
I am new here, but didn't immediately see a spot to introduce myself. I have piece of land that I have 2 cleared fields, both about 5 acres, that I've had some success with food plots with over the past 8-10 years. For the past several years, I've done nothing in my plots other than mow (rotary mower). They still attract deer, but I am ready to do more again. The first time I went "all in" on these fields, I rototilled or plowed them with a moldboard plow, then cultipacked them. I do not have a seed drill, so seeding has always been done with a hand spreader. During that first planting, I fertilized and limed according to the Whitetail Institute soil tests, and planted them in WI Fusion (clover and chicory mix). That process was very expensive. I have frost seeded a few times since then, but both fields are mostly not those crops anymore. They are mostly grasses and some other weeds, with some clover in there too.
Now, to the question: The ground is often too wet during first green up to run my tractor on, so I am wondering if it is advisable to spray (glyphosate) on both fields as soon as they are dry enough, then broadcast seed into the dying vegetation. My thought is that as the vegetation dies and lays down, it will provide adequate conditions for germination.
I like clover, because that's something I have experience with, but the reality is that I don't know much different. I would be open to blends and that kind of thing, but I do not want to get back into spending thousands of dollars per year to fertilize and lime. I'd also prefer to avoid plowing if I can.
Thanks for any advice you may have.