Fighting drought with more perennial plots?

[Joe7296]

What percentage of your plots do you like in perennials (clover/chickory)? My perception used to be grains and brassica for attractiveness and late season draw, and the more of the food plot acres in that, the better. A couple bad falls with drought has me rethinking that..

I’m considering putting 2.25 acres of 3.25 total into clover and a little chickory. That 2.25 acres is composed of a .5 and .25 acre kill plots, and a .5 and .75 acre staging plots that connect to the main one acre plot. With the cold tolerant varieties of clover and chickory, I thought maybe I’d make it into the fall further than I previously thought with good green forage, and in the event of a fall drought I wouldn’t be nearly as screwed. The remaining 1 acre main plot is bordered by a small pond that needs to be dredged, but could presumably rescue the brassica half and the oats, peas, wheat half, in the event of extreme drought. The plots will also be supported by a lot (~50) of up and coming apple, pear, and chestnut trees of varying drop times, but real production is a few years off.

Any thoughts?

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I don't think it should be a standard percent. I think some variety of plot species is better than none, and that your abilities/desire for work should inform what that variety looks like. Also, what your neighbors have or don't have would play a role on what you should plant too.

I am frankly feeling overwhelmed planting +12 acres of annual food plots each year when living 6 hours away and have been looking at scaling that back for my own sanity. We have also been having really dry falls the last several years, and having our own drill has helped some, but most fall planted plots have failed the last 3 years. The perennial green plots planted with a mixture of clover, chicory, and alfalfa have been exceptional. I think next year I'm going to plant more soybeans because the grain will have some holding power into the early winter. If I was going to convert all of our food plots to perennial greens to cut down on maintenance and something that requires fewer inputs, I would still plant each of those three, but I would do monocultures of each in a couple of sections of the farm to better understand how the herd is using them and when. I would strip fields and use browse cages in the strips.

You might find that your food plots get used a bit less later into the hunting season if you only have perennial green plots.

 

[Telemark]

What percentage of your plots do you like in perennials (clover/chickory)? My perception used to be grains and brassica for attractiveness and late season draw, and the more of the food plot acres in that, the better. A couple bad falls with drought has me rethinking that..

I’m considering putting 2.25 acres of 3.25 total into clover and a little chickory. That 2.25 acres is composed of a .5 and .25 acre kill plots, and a .5 and .75 acre staging plots that connect to the main one acre plot. With the cold tolerant varieties of clover and chickory, I thought maybe I’d make it into the fall further than I previously thought with good green forage, and in the event of a fall drought I wouldn’t be nearly as screwed. The remaining 1 acre main plot is bordered by a small pond that needs to be dredged, but could presumably rescue the brassica half and the oats, peas, wheat half, in the event of extreme drought. The plots will also be supported by a lot (~50) of up and coming apple, pear, and chestnut trees of varying drop times, but real production is a few years off.

Any thoughts?

Sounds like a great plan. It's probably what I would have done. I see only upside. If it rains a lot then you still have nice plots, and you still have the option to go in and spray the clover and plant annuals.

You can also consider some annuals that tolerate or prefer drier conditions.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

100% for me. Ag crops do the rest

 

[Joe7296]

Sounds like a great plan. It's probably what I would have done. I see only upside. If it rains a lot then you still have nice plots, and you still have the option to go in and spray the clover and plant annuals.

You can also consider some annuals that tolerate or prefer drier conditions.

What annuals do better with drier conditions? I usually am running around at the last minute to overseed with rye because that seems to do well after just one rain

 

[Telemark]

What annuals do better with drier conditions? I usually am running around at the last minute to overseed with rye because that seems to do well after just one rain

I can't remember for sure, but I think some kind of millet and sorghum.