Newbie - Recommendations!

[CrippleCreek]

Well I got out to check the plots briefly this weekend. After a few weeks of some cooler weather and a few good rain showers it seems like the clover is starting to fill in nicely and a few good patches of chicory coming along. Mixed results on brassicas, last time I checked them they seemed to be coming along nicely, this time it appears most have been nibbled down to nothing. It'll be interesting to see if we get any bulbs or not. I overseeded 50lbs of rye about a week ago and noticed some shoots coming up as well. I'll try to get down to take a few pictures of the plot sometime this week.

The deer have been grazing it heavily. It is not uncommon to catch 5+ deer on the plot in the morning and evenings. My only hope is that there is till some forage left by the time the season rolls along. As I anticipated, I'll have to go substantially bigger next year.

 

[CrippleCreek]

Little update:

Checked on the food plot up in the woods and the clover is coming around. Threw some leftover brassicas and some rye in there as well to see what will grow (a couple weeks apart). Seeing a little bit of everything which is nice to see. I'm actually surprised at how well it seems to be doing considering that it was just a patch of woods a few months ago, its poorly drained, and from the results of the soil test (low PH, low nutrients). The dead spots are areas of Japanese stilt grass I sprayed with Cleth a few weeks ago. My initial plan was to establish this as strictly a hidden clover plot but if I'm able to diversify the forage some I certainly wouldn't be mad about it! It is a small plot so it doesn't take much for things to get grazed down rather quickly. Still quite a few bare spots and some weeds mixed in.

I've attached some photos below. I'm completely open to any suggestions in this area and would love some feedback.

 

[Tree Spud]

With it being poorly drained, will be interesting to see how what you planted will do. I have had good luck with brassicas in similar conditions. Alsike clover is a good choice for wet soil areas.

 

[CrippleCreek]

With it being poorly drained, will be interesting to see how what you planted will do. I have had good luck with brassicas in similar conditions. Alsike clover is a good choice for wet soil areas.

To clarify, there's a very wet area in the center of the plot that seeps downhill (the whole thing is on a pretty significant hillside). The surrounding areas seem to stay damp but not under water. Interestingly enough, the areas that have been consistently damp (borderline soggy) seem to be the areas that are doing the best. The worst off of the areas is that which is most dry. I'm considering trying to divert the natural drain to the dry side of the plot next year to get that going.

 

[Tree Spud]

Here is some info on Alsike

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/AlsikeClover.pdf

 

[jsasker007]

I have a spot that's wet most of the year and alsike is one of the few things that can survive there. It's the only clover that I've had any luck with in that spot and it's done well.

 

[CrippleCreek]

Thank you both for the tips, I’ll order some and get it in the ground

 

[CrippleCreek]

I got a couple new stands hung today over the plots. Here are a few shots from the platforms.