Watering Food Plots; Is it Worth It?

[Victor Van Meter]

In a previous thread I mentioned the extreme drought we are experiencing here in Ohio. I watched a few videos yesterday on YouTube about building mobile watering systems for food plots. The total cost would be around $550. Just looking for advice on whether I can actually put down enough water on my small (acre or less) food plots to actually make a difference. I do understand that 1" of rain is like thousands of gallons of water, but if a little will help, I may bite the financial bullet and do it. Thanks for any insight.

VV

 

[Wind Gypsy]

1" on an acre is 27k gallons.

Edit to add: I'd probably consider it IF there was water available and the only cost was the energy to pump it in addition to that $550 you referenced.

 

[Victor Van Meter]

1" on an acre is 27k gallons.

Edit to add: I'd probably consider it IF there was water available and the only cost was the energy to pump it in addition to that $550 you referenced.

Water is available. After the initial purchase of equipment, fuel would be the only cost.

 

[SD51555]

In a previous thread I mentioned the extreme drought we are experiencing here in Ohio. I watched a few videos yesterday on YouTube about building mobile watering systems for food plots. The total cost would be around $550. Just looking for advice on whether I can actually put down enough water on my small (acre or less) food plots to actually make a difference. I do understand that 1" of rain is like thousands of gallons of water, but if a little will help, I may bite the financial bullet and do it. Thanks for any insight.

VV

Start operating like it's not going to rain. Amazingly enough, the plan for no rain is nearly the same plan as preparing for epic flooding. Sound practices will get you through both.

1. Flip to drought tolerant perennial and biennial forages and those that do their growing in the cool season like rye, chicory, plantain, yellow sweet clover, forage collards, sorghums etc. When the hot months arrive, you wanna be big, bushy, keep your soil hidden from direct sun, and not need a bunch of water.

2. I'd be watching for a window in the fall to get the perennials and biennials mentioned above germinated before winter. You may only get one shot at it.

3. Get serious about residue covering the soil surface, both living and dead. If you can keep your soil from being baked by the sun, your moisture efficiency rises to near 100%. It's also going to ensure you infiltrate every drop of rain you get, and none will run off, or cause crusting.

4. Run high diversity mixes. 8+ species blends will build a co-dependent relationship with your MF and help deliver moisture from deep in the soil where mono-cultures on the same amount of moisture will die out.

5. Leave the tillage and spraying tools in the shed. You can't afford to go black in a drought.

6. If you have woodlands, leverage your chainsaw and try to up your native browse with some sky busting.

 

[SD51555]

If I were to spend money to try to outfox the current situation, I'd try to get my hands on some kind of high carbon residue and spread it on with a manure spreader. If you've got a large dairy in the area that tub grinds hay bales, I might try to get a few big loads of shredded corn stalks and scatter them out there to cool off that dirt, and put your fall seeds under whatever you can spread.

 

[jsasker007]

I have let weeds be my cover crop in the past. Weeds will grow and they help with shade and moisture retention. Just can't allow the weeds to smother but if you can time it so the weeds are present during the hottest driest times it will help provide shade and hides your plot mix from being eaten as quickly. Planting things with deeper roots will help also like SD said. Experiment to find what works.

 

[FarmerDan]

Howdy! I have thoughts. Sometimes, many times, I have such an abundance of thought I need to stop to think about which of my thoughts are worthy of sharing. I often fail where upon my stupid thoughts end up here. Maybe this is one of those times. I think watering food plots during hot dry weather is a waste of time but that depends on why you have food plots. During these unnerving dry spells the whole habitat changes. If feeding and attracting deer is the reason for your food plot I can think of several outcomes from irrigating. Some will result in unintended negative outcomes depending on your reasons for wanting to supplement rainfall. But rather than get into that, think about this. It's nearly impossible thru irrigation to replace the dynamics of nature. We know that one inch of rain on an acre produces 27,154 gallons of water. If you are able to supply that amount, because of droughts "hot and dry," you will lose a large amount of water you supply thru evaporation. I guess I'd rather be spending my time and money somewhere else.

 

[bigboreblr]

In texas they commonly water hayfields and other crops. Ohio though...

A few options....

-Add a shaded area plot, like a small spot of clover.
-Add a watering Station. Know someonei n kansas that gets alot more visits to his spot just doing that.
-Rye. Food plot fails, have rye on hand to plant in the soil. Seed drill guys have the upper hand here if its that bad. Spread seed them mow it down if a mowr is available. Rye seed in the shed is crop insurance for deer hunters.

I've done mild waterings at home on my 1/3 acre or so plots. Do a corner a day with the garden hose. Small additions of water do help.

Occasional subsoiling the food plot help the roots get deeper quicker.