What to plant?

[jonezzy026]

I’m an area where there is very little food around, No AG fields within a mile radius of anywhere on my property. I have an old field that hadn’t been planted in 5+ years and it’s about 2 acres in size. What will keep the deer in my area and relatively low maintenance. I don’t have access to a seeder or drill. Currently working with a 4ft disc i pull behind an ATV. Any suggestions are appreciated.


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[SD51555]

When do you want the deer there, and where are you located?


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[jsasker007]

My standard answer is clover and chicory with some winter rye thrown in there too. Throw the seeds and mow the field after. This time of year could get tricky for planting depending on your location.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I think an ATV sprayer is more important than an atv disk on plots that size. A simple hand held solo seed spreader will work well to plant small seeds by hand. A pull behind fertilizer/large seed spreader that pulls behind your ATV may be helpful eventually as well. I'd start off with a soil test first to see what you are starting with to identify any potential problems that might steer you away from one seed and towards another.

I would spray the field with round up when it is about 6" tall next spring to kill off competition for whatever plot you decide to plant. I would consider a second spraying in early July followed by a mix of purple top turnip, groundhog radish, dwarf essex rape, clover, alfalfa, chickory. Those are small seeds that can be spread by hand and will germinate with rain when they are spread into the dead duff laying on the surface after spraying the ground.

The brassicas will be the nurse crop that will shade and protect the slower growing perennials. You could also overseed some winter rye in early September to add some tonnage and a little variety.

 

[jsasker007]

I start off with the simple seeds that should grow easily and then you can mow it a couple times a year if need be and the clover and chicory keep coming back without any more planting. Helps where I'm at to have things coming up and growing in the spring because it's usually too wet here to get out in the plots until close to June some years. I've gone towards simple plots where mowing is the extent of maintenance. Adding other things is a good idea for more diversity but clover and chicory just plain work for me.

 

[bigboreblr]

Hows the woods around you, alot of oaks? 2 acres and an ATV is just fine. Pretty much what I do.

Clover n grans is simple. Get a soil sample and get a way to spray herbicide. It's a bit nerving at first using them, but youll be glad you did. You can spay lightly in the spring about a quart an acre once stuff starts greening up. Then throw some clover into the field right before or after mowing. LEt the summer do what it will do. Then once the days stop putting out alot of heat like mid auguat., spray about 2 quarts an acre of 41% gly. Throw mostly rye, but add some oats or wheat. Disc it up light to mic in the seed. Then either get a cultipacker or lawn roller or mke an 3 tire drag and add a logg or two ontop of it. Do one pass, then spread clover and maybe some turnips or radish. Then another pass.

you might need a field mower at some point, or you might be ok without it.

I'd grad some soil samples. Tak a shodel and take a scoop out, then in that pen spot takr some soil from 1 to 4 inch deep range with a hand shovel. Do that about a dozen or so times. Send it out for sampling.

Other things you can do is to release good deer trees in your woods. Open up a few nice iaks to more light, maybe some other trees that produce food.

If the deer got a little hiding spot at the end of the field, or make the transition from mature tree to field a bit brushy they come out earlier and more often.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Depends on your location and climate. Grain rye/cereal rye (same thing) will sprout on bare dirt under grass & weed duff. We seed our rye in early Sept. around Labor Day. Frost-seeding clover in March would be a choice without any cultivation needed. Toss in a bit of mixed brassica seed if you want to add variety.

Like jsasker007 said above - rye/clover/chicory is tough to beat. I've learned that from guys on here ......... and it works. Less fuss.

 

[swat1018]

In your situation with nothing else growing, anything will be a draw. If your soils are descent enough, it's hard to beat clover. Gotta get your pH right. In lesser soils you can do rye. It will grow anywhere, and greens up fast in the spring. Deer and turkey will be on it. Clover establishment may take a little more, but may last 4-5 years, maybe more. Rye is one and done.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I would hedge your bets by broadcastinf a combo of clovers in the late summer for different conditions: alsike (wet, bad soil), mammoth red (bad soil), medium red (bad soil), ladino (general) and definitely top spread with winter rye around Labor Day (I’m in PA so that’s when I do it). I spread ant least 100 lbs/acre of rye if not more, depending on how the clover is growing. Also make sure to mow and spray beforehand. I usually mow and spray about 2-3 weeks before I plan on seeding. Then the day of planting either spray again (with gly so there’s no residual) if there is a lot of living stuff still remaining (there shouldn’t be, but just in case your initial spray passes weren’t great) and then seed (I use a solo spreader). It helps if there’s some rain in the days following. Can also add brassicas (I’ve found purple top turnips, pasja hybrid and Winfred brassicas will grow about anywhere) for some additional tonnage. If your plots are the only green food around they will get hammered so the more green stuff the better.