Multi-year mixed food plots?

[yoderjac]

Spraying keeps the weeds in control. Rye germinates very easily. Wheat and oats not as much. If you wants brassica to coexist, self reseeding may be difficult. Rye works great, but can choke out other stuff. Wheat might be a better choice if you want other crops to coexist year after year. Spring planted hairy vetch is something to look at. Winter peas is another good fall. Green cover sells about anything you can grow.

Looking back might be better than looking forward. Pre tractor days of maintaining hay fields.

Also, bang for buck and time, shrubs. Willows dogwoods crabapples.

A coworker only does fallow. Only mows once or twice a year. Every few years discs it up as soon as its dry enough in the spring. Deer gobble up what's in there. Try a spot.

Spraying can also encourage problematic weeds. I'm not saying we should never spray, but we should spray in a very targeted way. When weed competition is not a significant problem, we should avoid it. Keep in mind that what are "weeds" for farmers (anything they didn't plant) can be very advantageous for food plotters. Spray strategically.

As for WR, I have never seen it choke out other stuff in a fall plant. I use 80-100 lbs/ac of WR in my mixes. You would really need a very high rate for it to be a problem. Brassica, on the other hand can become a problem for other crops in the mix if the rate is too heavy. These rates should not exceed 2-3 lbs/ac depending on the specific brassica. WR ca be an issue the following spring if your fall plant is covering spring, but it is easily controlled with a mower. This keeps it alive and working against many summer weeds while making it non-problematic for companion crops in the spring.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Baker]

I don't believe the following strategy will work in Pa. but is a strong compliment to the typical clover, brassica, chicory, small grain rotation here in the Deep South.

I plant 10lbs vetch, 10 lbs Alyce clover per acre on smaller plots early spring. The two cultivars are very compatible, compete with weeds very effectively, and with easy maintenance last for years as reseeding annuals. Handles heavy grazing, lasts into first frost and deer love it!!! Come fall I broadcast right on top of it small grains, crimson, radishes, maybe turnips or whatever winter annuals I want. The fall planting overlaps with the vetch somewhat depending on environmental conditions and is excellent early season hunting. Quality production year round when done right. And some of our very best bucks over the years have been seen living in vetch fields all summer when lots of alternatives were around. I love vetch!

 

[yoderjac]

I don't believe the following strategy will work in Pa. but is a strong compliment to the typical clover, brassica, chicory, small grain rotation here in the Deep South.

I plant 10lbs vetch, 10 lbs Alyce clover per acre on smaller plots early spring. The two cultivars are very compatible, compete with weeds very effectively, and with easy maintenance last for years as reseeding annuals. Handles heavy grazing, lasts into first frost and deer love it!!! Come fall I broadcast right on top of it small grains, crimson, radishes, maybe turnips or whatever winter annuals I want. The fall planting overlaps with the vetch somewhat depending on environmental conditions and is excellent early season hunting. Quality production year round when done right. And some of our very best bucks over the years have been seen living in vetch fields all summer when lots of alternatives were around. I love vetch!

Baker,

Please talk more specifically about vetch. There are lots of plants that folks call vetch. I presume you are talking about Aeschynomene americana. I'm planning on trying it this year. I plan to mix it with buckwheat in a plant this weekend in 7z. I've been reluctant to mix it with clover as it is a legume as well.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[SD51555]

I don't believe the following strategy will work in Pa. but is a strong compliment to the typical clover, brassica, chicory, small grain rotation here in the Deep South.

I plant 10lbs vetch, 10 lbs Alyce clover per acre on smaller plots early spring. The two cultivars are very compatible, compete with weeds very effectively, and with easy maintenance last for years as reseeding annuals. Handles heavy grazing, lasts into first frost and deer love it!!! Come fall I broadcast right on top of it small grains, crimson, radishes, maybe turnips or whatever winter annuals I want. The fall planting overlaps with the vetch somewhat depending on environmental conditions and is excellent early season hunting. Quality production year round when done right. And some of our very best bucks over the years have been seen living in vetch fields all summer when lots of alternatives were around. I love vetch!

I added vetch to every inch of plots I have based on your feedback. I've been very happy with it.

 

[Baker]

Baker,

Please talk more specifically about vetch. There are lots of plants that folks call vetch. I presume you are talking about Aeschynomene americana. I'm planning on trying it this year. I plan to mix it with buckwheat in a plant this weekend in 7z. I've been reluctant to mix it with clover as it is a legume as well.

Thanks,

Jack

Apologies, I should have been more clear. Yes the vetch I refer to is aeschynomene other wise known as joint vetch or deer vetch.It is a vigorous reseeder much like crimson. What I am unsure of is if it has time to go to seed as you start getting further north--i.e Va. or Pa. ? It would do fine with buckwheat. I have crimson in my vetch plots as the crimson has flowered and gone to seed before the vetch ever sprouts. I try to mow the fields at the last possible moment before the vetch starts sprouting. Also same process can be done with gly spraying a field to terminate young weeds just before the vetch sprouts. Vetch doesn't get going until it warms up , I usually dont see sprouting till around mid May in La.

Alyce makes the perfect compliment. Reseeds readily. Whereas vetch tends to like more moisture, Alyce can handle drier conditions. Deer like the vetch better but will graze Alyce. Both are quality feeds. While Alyce isn't a 'true' cover both are legumes. Weedy vetch fields don't bother me at all but depending on fertility and deer density vetch can get dense enough to choke a lot of weeds out. I've had fields established for over 10 years and only occasionally add a little vetch in spring to amend. And to repeat....I think it is one of the best deer feeds out there!

 

[yoderjac]

Apologies, I should have been more clear. Yes the vetch I refer to is aeschynomene other wise known as joint vetch or deer vetch.It is a vigorous reseeder much like crimson. What I am unsure of is if it has time to go to seed as you start getting further north--i.e Va. or Pa. ? It would do fine with buckwheat. I have crimson in my vetch plots as the crimson has flowered and gone to seed before the vetch ever sprouts. I try to mow the fields at the last possible moment before the vetch starts sprouting. Also same process can be done with gly spraying a field to terminate young weeds just before the vetch sprouts. Vetch doesn't get going until it warms up , I usually dont see sprouting till around mid May in La.

Alyce makes the perfect compliment. Reseeds readily. Whereas vetch tends to like more moisture, Alyce can handle drier conditions. Deer like the vetch better but will graze Alyce. Both are quality feeds. While Alyce isn't a 'true' cover both are legumes. Weedy vetch fields don't bother me at all but depending on fertility and deer density vetch can get dense enough to choke a lot of weeds out. I've had fields established for over 10 years and only occasionally add a little vetch in spring to amend. And to repeat....I think it is one of the best deer feeds out there!

Thanks! I was pretty sure that was what you were talking about there there are lots of new folks. My fall mix is WR/CC/PTT. the CC that came up this spring has already gone to seed under the WR. In recent years, I've been planting a mix of buckwheat and sunn hemp for summer stress. Both do well planted late. I like to target early June but I was laid up after a small operation. I'm hoping to plant this weekend. I got some vetch to substitute for the sunn hemp in one field for my first test here.

 

[Baker]

Speedy recovery from the operation. IMO its only 'minor surgery' when its someone else. I like sunn hemp a lot also though I think vetch the better crop. Both have their place.

At the risk of overkill this is a video I did a few years back on vetch .

 

[yoderjac]

Great video.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

How is sun hemp as a deer food?? No experience with it at all. Soil advantages for sun hemp??

 

[yoderjac]

How is sun hemp as a deer food?? No experience with it at all. Soil advantages for sun hemp??

It had lots of nutrition and my deer love it when it is young. Most of the tips get nipped off. It is a legume, so I mix it with buckwheat for summer food here. It is sub-tropical, so it does not go to seed here, so it is just a warm season annual. It is not attractive to deer once it matures, so it is not a good hunting season attractant.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

This is way I was referring to in my post a while back. Pictured is Winter Barley and Austrian Winter Peas. The peas didn’t over winter well for me. I have had good success with Icicle winter peas but they weren’t available in time to plant.

The seed matures at about the same time and the deer absolutely decimate them when they do.

Lots of options with it

Mix with perenial clover and chicory in the fall

Annual clover or buckwheat in spring

Maybe even just overseed the same crop over after the deer eat the seed heads?

Brassica and perenial clover late summer

You could come up with a bunch of different ways to do it.


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