1 Acre Cleared Woods Plot

[strawhead]

One of my sons has talked me into clearing a 1 acre spot that now is a mix of maple, basswood, and ash. My thought is to run a couple of years using Lickcreek's grain mix to amend the soil as much as possible after the dozing work. Oats, clover, foarge peas in spring and winter rye mix in the late summer. We are in ag zone 3b. Should we start the LC brassica and the winter rye mix the first year on this 1 acre and rotate back and forth per LC? I am looking for any other ideas or suggestions that will help amend the soil. We have about 4 acres other than this that we will be on the 2nd year of LC's two mixes and 2 acres of clover. There are only a few acres of food plots within a several mile radius of ours. Thanks for any help.

 

[tooln]

Maybe you could go with buckwheat. In your zone you should have no problem double cropping it. I think the BW may give you more soil amendments. I think the LC mix would also work good for you. I'm sure you get more suggestion form someone who knows more then me. Good luck.

 

[wildfire]

Could you use sum hemp? Have you done a soil sample yet, this is most important.

 

[Terrific_tom]

If it would be me I would do a soil smaple 1st. Amend soil per soil test. Spray with gly a couple times and plant winter rye in late summer. You could also add some cheap clover to the rye. You could then start LC rotation next year.

 

[strawhead]

No soil sample yet, the woods isn't cleared. Did you mean sun hemp? Not familiar with that. Will have to research.

 

[strawhead]

I have an idea how soil will test out from nearby soil samples and will certainly test. Was there little over a week ago and winter rye was only thing showing any green growth. We are extremely wet yet from winter snow melt.

 

[bat man]

Good access to your new spot? First spot I ever cleared is now abandoned as are several other area plots in the area as we learned the rough way when you keep bumping deer they don't move till well after dark.

 

[strawhead]

Thanks everyone. This is 99% a secure feeding plot. We have also learned about bumping deer. We have less of a chance for deer to become accustomed to human presence being in the northern forest area. We want to give the deer a secure feeding area. If something should tempt one of the boys, we do have a very good access to hunt this plot. We have thousands of acres county land around us, and some of the the deer come from a long ways away. We are just nicely getting started with woods management.

 

[dipper]

The worst thing you could do is plant a monoculture of anything, that's opening yourself up. I just can't unerstand why everyone is still stuck on just planting one thing. Don't forget, deer are browsers anyway, not grazers. I understand that's the way we've always done it, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Sun Hemp seed is really expensive. Buckwheat isn't bad if you have a little area like an acre. I'd plant whatever seed you have on hand first, than makesure you have oats, rye, clover, in there. Plant the rye now, you won't be disappointed. Rye doesnt even need to be touching the soil to grow, I've seen it root down an inch through air to finally hit soil. You will have enough moisture at planting now to get it to germinate. Clover grows in gravel on the sides of the road, it will grow in your new plot. You need to get life back into that soil, and these things will, especially together.
One of my farmer friends gave me a ton of sweet corn seed. I'm going to be no tilling it into my already growing rye and clover in a couple weeks. It will be biomass recycled back into the soil, and the deer will eat it. If I get a few bonus ears of corn, that's great. I'm also adding sunflower, beans, and my winter peas already. Gonna be my first time planting winter peas in the spring, I am such a rebel.

 

[dipper]

Getting back to the monoculture thing, think about it. If you planted straight clover in the gravel alongside a road at 6 pounds an acre, you won't have much for clover growing. Now if you plant rye, oats, clover, maybe some sunflower, buckwheat or whatever else. Your gonna have better results. Heck even brassicas, I've dropped seed and they grow in the cracks of my driveway. By planting one thing, you are putting all your cards in one basket.
Much less you are only giving the deer one thing to eat. It's like a buffet. I'd put money on it that guys who swear their deer don't eat brassicas, will have their deer eating brassicas growing in a cocktail of other plants.