Food Plots 101

[bhh]

So my wife and I bought a house and a 40 acre, mostly wooded property a couple of years ago we've been fixing up for about a year and half now. We're finally getting close to getting the house done which means I'll be able to finally start spending more time outdoors and one of the first things on MY to do list is to get a couple of food plots into some small meadows and open areas that were created about 10 years ago when the property had some timber harvested off of it.

The long and short of it is I have a Kubota L3800 with a box blade, grapple, and bush hog which I've been using for general clean-up around the house but don't really know where to start or even where to learn what I need to get started with this and have no agricultural background or experience. As I mentioned, there are a couple of small clearings (1/4 acreish) I'd like to start with that have some tree tops and slash piles on them I'll pile up hedgerows and cover areas around the clearings and I can bush hog the areas once they been cleared of debris but I'm sure there are a fair amount of stumps and rocks I'll need to contend with. I'd like to eventually have more of the land cleared as well so I don't mind investing in some implements that could be used to work the soil once the heavy land clearing equipment moves out.

Can anyone point me towards some good books or literature or offer any advise about how to get started on this. I've been reading through the forums but they tend to be more specific and less about general plot preparation. Thanks!

 

[Avondale]

Good luck with your food plots. I'll look forward to hearing how you are doing over time.

I have a number of plots around my hobby farm. I have "learned" many lessons, usually the hard way. Still am. Hopefully you will share your successes with us.

 

[ArmyPair2]

You Tube has so many videos on this subject and most will always tell you need to get your soil tested first. Then you can find videos on how to prep your plots, I stayed up all night watching on the best way for me. Good luck.

 

[jeff9366]

The two key implements for food plots are a Disc Harrow and a Cultipacker.

You need quite a bit of weight on each Disc Harrow pan in order to cut in food plots. Research 16/20" and 20/20" 3-Pt. mounted Disc Harrows, which will give about 55 pounds bearing on each disc yet be easy for your 37-hp / 2,600 pound Kubota L3800 to pull. You want a Disc Harrow slightly narrower than your rear tire width, so when you go through tree and boulder gaps you Disc Harrow will follow true and not "hang up" in the gap. This is especially important on sloped land. Normally, food plots are only cut once per year, so buy enough Disc Harrow weight per pan.

(20" Harrows need 1-1/8" axles, which are fairly standard.)

I recommend notched pans for food plots. Smooth pans roll over vegetation which will be cut by notched pans. Almost all 20" Disc Harrows are sold with notched pans for that reason.

The layout of 3-Pt mounted Disc Harrows is pretty much the same: width, pan diameter, notched or smooth, pan spacing (7" or 9") and "clamp plate" adjustment of the gang angles. (First two pictures show clamp plates.) I have a Howse 16/18" with clamp plate adjustment; the build quality is good. The only extra cost feature to consider is lever or screw quick-adjustment of gang angles. (Everything Attachments, Leinbach, Brown, Monroe Tufline ~ some)

(In Florida I plant distinct Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer food plots. My plots are cut in March and again in September so my 16/18" Howse suffices.)

I seed over harrowed ground. Food plot seeds are strong germinators and smoothing, at least in rock free north Florida, is a waste of time and fuel. After sowing I roll in the seed with a Cultipacker, which presses in the seed and creates ridges, which should be oriented across slopes to prevent/reduce erosion on slopes. Cultipacking is more important than smoothing after harrowing.

Voila!

PS: A 3-Pt. mounted Cultipacker makes excellent rear ballast; very heavy yet compact.

 

[smstonypoint]

I would suggest that you contact your local NRCS office (USDA Service Center Locator).

The NRCS assists farmers and landowners with soil and water conservation, environmental quality, and wildlife habitat issues. I haven't studied the new Farm Bill, but it may continue cost-sharing assistance from the previous Farm Bill.

Steve

 

[bhh]

These are all great suggestions. I'll have the soil tested for sure and YouTube is also a great idea for general info. Jeff, the info on the harrow and cultipacker is exactly what i need.

There is also an area (2-3 acres) between our house and a creek that was pasture about 30 years ago and now has a mix of 4-6" maple and some younger pine we want to re-clear as rough lawn/meadow and (fenced) garden. I have a neighbor who can clear it out with his excavator so sharing implements with that project would be nice and offer some "cover" with the wife since she wants that done as well. Our soil is very rocky here.

 

[jeff9366]

Our soil is very rocky here.

Notched pans are sometimes portrayed as more deformation prone than smooth pans. This may be true in 14" - 16" pans. Maybe for 3mm (thinner than normal) 18" pans in rocky soil. I have never heard of a 20" notched pan, which are usually 4mm - 5mm thick, sometime 6mm thick, having a notch bent when pulled by a well matched tractor, like your L3800.

If you will encounter 7" rocks in your soil, go with 9" pan spacing. My Howse has 9" spacing, which I like.

 

[vabiker23518]

While I agree with the comments, a cultipacker is pretty expensive. for my food plots, I took a section of chain link fence and loaded a few rocks on it. After broadcasting seed by hand, I just run the tractor/drag harrow over it. I've had excellent germination and coverage a lot cheaper. So, if your food plots are small, you might want to try this first. If your plots are in the acres, than this might be manually exhausting! Good luck.

 

[Stick895]

One thing I have found helpful in re information on food plots is the state website for the agency that governs wildlife and hunting. In VA it's Game & Inland Fisheries your state may call it Dept of Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife, Fish & Game, whatever. The GIF website has a lot of info for food plots and a google search will get you links to the others who have information, I know, TN & KY do, as well as colleges or universities that publish info.

 

[AaronS]

QDMA Forums - Powered by vBulletin

Tons and tons of great info in the link above.

 

[Western]

I would suggest that you contact your local NRCS office (USDA Service Center Locator).

The NRCS assists farmers and landowners with soil and water conservation, environmental quality, and wildlife habitat issues. I haven't studied the new Farm Bill, but it may continue cost-sharing assistance from the previous Farm Bill.

Steve

Steve is 1000% right, doing this could save you allot of wasted $$, effort and headache. The AG agent, will give you the common denominators that work in YOUR part of the world. Planting concepts are pretty cut and dried nationwide, just depends on how fancy and expensive you want you want/need to be. What you plan on planting will also make the decision on equipment easier (The AG agent will make the best recommendations for your location).

For instance, I have planted I don't know how may acres in food plots that only needed a disk,drag, and spreader, this is primarily for Oats (a deer favorite ) often mixed with Wheat. Cultipackers work best IMO, for small seeded plants such as clovers that require a very shallow planting depth, but I have also had decent luck planting small seed with a disk and drag ding over seeding.

Also try not to plant seeds that are big, like a bean, combined with small seed like clover at the same time. Planting depth incorrectly, is usually where most fail. plant beans 1st, then top with the smallest seed and pack or drag.

If you really want to spend some $$ and get it all in one "package" look at something like this:
Plotmaster Food Plot Planters Orchard/ Vineyard Erosion Control Wetland Restoration Equipment

They are not cheap, as they have everything on one unit. I just have never been able to justify one with my "means", but if I hired out to do many acres, it would be a nice "write-off"

1st, I'd follow Steve's advice and expect to get a soil sample too(about $20) In fact, you could go ahead and get the sample done, then you could have that info for your "free visit" with the agent. Contact their office and find out the protocols for sending in a sample, or look online for your state AG dept for the information.

What I do, I get a clean 5 gallon bucket, then using a clean digging tool, I dig 6" down in as many places on the plot I can to cover the area. I will then run the dirt through a 1/4, or 1/2"screen into another clean bucket, mix it up and get my sample from that to send to Texas A&M. Really easy and takes out some very important "unknowns".

 

[dkair]

I am in a very similar situation so this discussion has been helpful for me. I appreciate everyone taking the time to contribute.

 

[Murfster3]

Go to michigan sportsmans forum. Or iowawhitail.com. And search dbltreecorner. He post on each site

 

[super55]

As others have said go to the Quality Deer Management forum and dbltreecorner. Both have more information on them for you to digest it will take months to absorb. I've been on the QDMA forum for years now and is by hands down the most informative forum on food plots for deer on the internet and dbltree's has the most in depth informative threads you find anywhere.

A couple books worth looking into are Quality Food Plots and Ultimate Food Plots by Ed Spinzola. The first covers everything from plants, equipment, soil basics and so forth. Ed Spinz book is more along the lines of creating a food plot from square one and his techniques that have worked for him on taking an open woodlot to a food plot.

 

[bhh]

I am in a very similar situation so this discussion has been helpful for me. I appreciate everyone taking the time to contribute.

Yes. Thanks everyone for the excellent contributions.