food plot build along
Contributors to this thread:West Virginia
From: gcoleman
29-Apr-14
some of you guys ask me to show how our food plot my buddy and I are doing and how its coming along and if I would post pictures and info...if you have any suggestions and tips let me know... Im a green horn at food plots so need all the help I can get don't wanna waste money,,, our goal is to have a clover winter wheat patch this fall... heres pic of what we started with... to work with I have a massy ferguson 1010 tractor , bush hogg, plow and disk, sprayer and fertilizer spreader..... soil is very shallow located on old reclaim area and I will attach soil lab test in a bit
From: gcoleman
29-Apr-14
soil report.......WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY SOIL TESTING LABORATORY P.O. Box 6108, MORGANTOWN, WV 26506-6108
COLEMAN
SAMPLE DETAILS Sample ID: FAYETTE PLOT Sample Date 1/1/2014 Previous Crop LAB ID 14-00257 Soil Name Limed in last 12Months No Soil Texture Clay Area (Acre) 1 Tillage Method Not Specified
LAB TEST RESULTS Nutrients Values Rating Soil pH 6.9 L.R.: 0 LOW MEDIUM HIGH V HIGH P2O5(Lbs/A) 27 MEDIUM P2O5 K2O(Lbs/A) 167 HIGH K2O Ca(Lbs/A) 4026 VERY HIGH Ca Mg(Lbs/A) 248 MEDIUM Mg
Nutrients K Ca Mg H Total[CEC], BS(K+Ca+Mg) MEQ/100 0 10 1 0 11 %Sat 2 89 10 0 102
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CROP: BLUE GRASS AND WHITE CLOVER PASTURE (more than 30% legume) Aglime NONE Fertilizer - N (Lbs/Acre) 0 Fertilizer - P2O5 (Lbs/Acre) 120 Fertilizer - K2O (Lbs/Acre) 60
SUGGESTIONS The above recommendations assume a pH of 6.0 and up for acidic soils, and a pH of 5.5 and up for lime-influenced soils. Grazing management has marked effect on composition and productivity of pastures. Summer and fall application of 50 Lbs/A of nitrogen may benefit unimproved pastures with little legume, or where increased fall production is desired. For longer intervals between topdressings, adjust P2O5 accordingly, but use K2O as shown above. Use any fertilizer or approved organic material that will supply the plant nutrients recommended. Your county agent can suggest locally available fertilizers that suit the recommendation. Fertilizer can be applied in late winter. Little or no nitrogen is needed where clover is 30% or more of the stand. Retest your soil regularly.
From: gcoleman
29-Apr-14
heres a cut away of soil.... nice black soil on top and base of red dog...already has clover growing on top in places so Im figuring clover may grow this fall,,, ho forgot to mention we are planting BUCK WHEAT this next week or so to get plot ready for clover in fall ,,,, thanks to gobbler for suggesting buck wheat not clover for this spring....reading up in Quality deer Mangement web site that buck wheat is great for getting a plot started making green manure and shading out weeds,,, hopefully deer will eat it too but may not like it
From: gcoleman
29-Apr-14
here we go,,, didn't need to lime as the ph is 6.9 so we bush hogged it down to the dirt about 1/3 acre ,,, added 100 lbs of 10/10/10 fertilizer when done... what do you all think about we brush hogg the whole 3 acres and let natural browse come up,, would that help the clover thats already there?? maybe other good stuff come up
From: Bennett2012
29-Apr-14
Already better off than I am my ph was low VERY LOW. I need 4375lbs of lime per acre getting the lime is no problem I just can't find a way to spread it good and don't have the money to go buy anything real expensive and I can't find anything decently priced that's not tore all to pieces but here is some pics of what I'm starting with
From: Bennett2012
29-Apr-14
From: gcoleman
29-Apr-14
we sprayed 17 gallon of glyphoste 50% (spelling?) tractor supply version of round up I will be going over tonite to see if worked my only worry was that we sprayed it early sunday morning and it rained noonish on monday hopefully it killed it before rain came... will take picture and post tomorrow
From: gcoleman
29-Apr-14
man! 2012 wish i had mine that bare,,,,here is one of the clovers that is growing wild on the rest of field
From: gcoleman
29-Apr-14
heres the other kind,,, not sure what it is,, gobbler said sweet clover he thought was what it is wasn't sure
From: gcoleman
29-Apr-14
big thanks again to my buddy gobbler for his help and guidance on our project... if anyone else has ideas and or pictures of your plot put them on here,, theres a lot of knowledge on this site if we share it...I would sure like to find a used tiller for this little tractor,, new one at massey ferguson is 1200 to 1600 bucks got a 6 spline pto ,, if anyone knows of good deal on one let me know...again let us see your plots
From: Bennett2012
29-Apr-14
Here is the other end of it they brought a big mowing machine in to clear the power line right of way and mowed it down and I had a guy at the house doin done dozer work so had him back drag it figured after my soil test come back wasn't goin to hurt to have him get it down to the soil to give me a good clean start just really need to get the lime on it and disced up so it will be ready to plant in the fall
From: gobbler
29-Apr-14
I relimed all my fields last year. My 2 big fields are accessible to a big liming truck. He limed those with the spreading truck. My other 9 plots are on roads or trails that the big truck can't get to so I had him dump what I needed in 2 different piles on different sides of the farm. Each county or two has equipment for rent at the USDA. Monroe didn't have any but they use greenbrier county so I called and rented a powdered lime spreader for around 70 dollars a day. I pulled it to farm with my truck. Then I used my tractor bucket to fill it up from my piles of lime, then hooked it to the tractor and it ran off of PTO I think. Anyway I was able to get all of my plots limed with powdered lime.
Since you only have to lime every 4-5 years and those are not cheap. To me it makes sense to rent it.
From: WVM&M
29-Apr-14
Don't expect for the glyphosate to have everything dead brown in a week. I sprayed april 6th and hardly could tell a difference a week later. However two weeks later it had done the job. You can see in picture where i missed a spot. Don't worry about the rain...the roundup will have been absorbed at that point. Good luck with buckwheat.
From: Bennett2012
29-Apr-14
Well I was hoping to get one from Monroe co I'm real close to the VA line in glen lynn I'm having trouble finding anything here in mercer co that's for sure
From: gobbler
29-Apr-14
Greenbrier county office had 2 or 3 different ones to rent.
From: Bob Dunn
30-Apr-14
Lookin good Georgie!
From: gobbler
30-Apr-14
Bob, have you seen his food plot? It's doing good too.
Georgie? Bob sounds like he's in a gay and frolical mood.
From: gcoleman
30-Apr-14
maybe Im rushing things but by the looks of this photo taken last nite,, (plot was sprayed sunday am) compared to sundays picture of paul spraying it ,, I can't see much difference,, here one from standing in plot
From: gcoleman
30-Apr-14
up close,, don't know why photos are flipping around
From: gcoleman
30-Apr-14
from way up on hill above looks dead??
From: gcoleman
30-Apr-14
good grief sorry keeps flipping photos???
From: wvmule
30-Apr-14
looking good, Georgie. I wish we had a few honey holes like that down in Mingo. One thing you may want to try is to let everything green up again before spraying. I think you are susposed to spray before you cut because it puts the plants into shock or something an the poison does not work. I read that somewhere last year....spray first, cut second.
From: gobbler
30-Apr-14
He cut first, then have it a week to start greening up first, then sprayed. That way you get the spray on it when it starts growing good.
From: WV Mountaineer
30-Apr-14
It will take a bit to turn it good and brown.
I'm not sure here and not being an idiot but, we used to spread lime the old fashioned way, A shovel. It works fine as long as you do. Had a situation the lime truck wouldn't make the fields. Dumped into big piles, used bucket on the tractor to fill pick up, shoveled out of the pick up. Fields rotated so not to much in any given year but, we'd spread 20-40 tons every year, in 1-2 days no sweat. Just sayin... God Bless
From: gobbler
01-May-14
I used to be able to dunk a basketball, not so much anymore. The older I get and the more my back hurts the more I truly appreciate the physics of hydrolics and torque.
The invention of a PTO ranks right up there with white bread to me.
From: WVM&M
13-May-14
How about some updated pics? I read where you had some gobblers hanging out on your new plot.
From: babysaph
13-May-14
My food plot is dumping corn in the feeder. hahahahaha
From: gcoleman
14-May-14
no pics to show had to respray it with the real round up brand,, the tractor supply didn't kill it very good,,, finally got it down to bare dirt and planted buck wheat monday will send pictures when it starts to come up,, Im a bit worried the turkeys don't start eating the seed,, they started using the plot as a strutting ground
From: gobbler
14-May-14
They will get some of it. Remember its a planted field not a feeding area.
From: gcoleman
23-May-14
UPDATE...i finally got some pics to share.. looks like all the hard work is going to pay off,,, me and paul are officially buckwheat farmers lol... looks like the turkeys worked us over pretty good several bare areas
From: gcoleman
23-May-14
another,,, its not as bare as it looks some wheat is just coming up
From: gcoleman
23-May-14
would a scare crow keep the turkeys out??? maybe get lonnie to stand in field on days off,, that would scare off anything lol
From: babysaph
23-May-14
A load of number 4's would keep em out
From: WVM&M
02-Jun-14
My new clover plots are coming in well this spring. I have three plots totalling ~ 1 acre. Two plots I used Real World Clover and Chicory Blend. The other plot I blended/inocculated medium red, Ladino, and Kopu 2.
From: WVM&M
02-Jun-14
From: WVM&M
02-Jun-14
Previous two pics were Real World Blend. This pic is my own blend. Will need to spray for grasses at some point in this plot.
From: gobbler
02-Jun-14
Good looking clover! I started a tread over on the main forums about herbicides for clover. Looking for a cheaper alternative. Good info. I got clethodim, feed store had to order it. Got it sprayed Saturday so I guess I'll see how it works. The thread name is herbicides.
From: WVM&M
02-Jun-14
Thanks...I will check it out.
From: gcoleman
03-Jun-14
nice patch of clover I hope mine looks that good this fall
From: WVM&M
17-Jun-14
GC....How is the buckwheat plot coming along?
Gobbler, have you checked since spraying clethodim? I ordered a gallon from the internet and have sprayed most of my plots. Im battling stiltgrass (i think) and johnson grass
From: gobbler
18-Jun-14
Yeah, the grass was starting to turn brown last week. Going back Friday and I'll check it again.
The 24DB was killing most of the other weeds too except the thistles still looked healthy. May try and spot spray them to get better coverage. Thistles are tough to kill.
I figure I'll be spraying them with both again here is a few weeks unless it turns real dry.
From: gcoleman
18-Jun-14
We're going over Friday to check on it let u know
From: WV Mountaineer
20-Jun-14
If your spot spraying look into a herbicide called Kills-all. I get it from the local Purina farm store. It does what it says, it kills everything if you spray it. I no longer weed eat anything. I just use a gallon pump sprayer, adjust it to a fine stream and manicure everything. Over spray hasn't been a problem around my strawberry's and produce. It is super concentrated. I think one cap full for every 10 gallons of water. At $75/gallon, it is a great deal.
BTW, those clover plots look great. God Bless
From: gcoleman
22-Jun-14
Buck wheat
From: WV Mountaineer
22-Jun-14
Looks great!
From: WVM&M
22-Jun-14
Yeah. That looks really good. Can you tell if deer have been hitting it?
From: gcoleman
22-Jun-14
Not eating much I can tell...mostly cover crop for clover in August
From: gcoleman
22-Jun-14
Not eating much I can tell...mostly cover crop for clover in August
From: gobbler
22-Jun-14
Clover field after sprayed for grass and broad leaves . The brown is dead grasses still standing. Clover looks good. I need to trim it but I haven't had a good rain. As soon as it gets a good rain I'll trim it and that will get the dead grass out of it and stimulate some new clover growth.
From: gobbler
22-Jun-14
The newest field. 2 years ago this was woods and brush like you see behind the field.
From: gobbler
22-Jun-14
After spraying for grass and using 2,4 DB for broad leaves I still have 3 fields with thistle problems. Going to spot spray with 2,4 D tomorrow cause they are starting to head up then cut back after a few days if it rains.
From: gobbler
22-Jun-14
After nuking my 2-3 acre fields that I usually plant buckwheat and soybeans in during the summer the Canadian thistle is starting to come back. I'm convinced that it's the devil in disguise. So this week I'm going to nuke them again, and again.
From: gobbler
22-Jun-14
I left an acre of winter wheat to go to head to let the turkey eat the seed heads. Lost a nice 3 yr old gobbler to a coyote or bobcat. I hate to lose a gobbler like that but I guess it was better than a hen with poults? Still sux
Hope its a good winter for trapping.
From: L.S.
23-Jun-14
We still have a trapping date for this Winter. Love to work on a coyote or two. Maybe even a cat or two. Let me know.
From: gobbler
23-Jun-14
Sounds like a plan to me.
From: M.P.
23-Jun-14
Guys, it good that George and Paul has fixed up these plots. Its good to have a backup spot to hunt other than Smokeys place in case Smokey is in town and we cant hunt there.
From: gobbler
23-Jun-14
Yeah, I'm not going anywhere this fall so you heatherns will have to find another place to trespass and poach.
From: M.P.
23-Jun-14
Smokey, I have 2 free movie tickets you can have this fall at the Tulsa Oklahoma Movie-plex if you want I figured I would give you a late October gift because you are my friend.
From: gobbler
23-Jun-14
Wow, what a deal!! Yeah, I'll take them. I hope there's some action movies.
From: babysaph
23-Jun-14
Gobbler do you have any easy to reach comfy ladder stands over those plots? Don't you have an out of state bowhunt in November some time?
From: gobbler
23-Jun-14
#1. Yes #2. No
From: babysaph
23-Jun-14
Lol
From: gcoleman
23-Jun-14
Started new plot for fall clover,,next step spray in few weeks
From: gobbler
23-Jun-14
If a small group of you guys want to go together and send me to Saskatchewan for a week of hunting in November I can arrange to leave the gates and cabin unlocked.
From: Babysaph
23-Jun-14
Here is mine.
From: gobbler
23-Jun-14
I think it's a trick. Looks like somebody's alfalfa field. Looks like a good time for hunting but not for picture taking. LOL
From: babysaph
23-Jun-14
Lol. It's the field behind my house. Saw 4 bucks in it tonight.
From: gcoleman
24-Jun-14
Waiting for fall planting
From: babysaph
24-Jun-14
I think you guys are frustrated farmers. LOL. It looks like fun. I planted some clover in the mountain that is growing good. I will post a pic of it when I get up there. Deer are eating it up though and it is only 4 acres of it. I did it for the deer and now hate that they nibble it off to the ground. LOL.
From: WVM&M
26-Jun-14
Im a believer in clethodim. It wiped out the japanese stiltgrass (in a different plot) and is wiping out the johnson grass in this plot.
From: M.P.
29-Jun-14
My little clover patch
From: M.P.
29-Jun-14
Here is another food plot. I'm not sure what all it has in it but it had Tiffany Lakouskys picture on the bag of seed
From: gobbler
29-Jun-14
Mike, your clover plot needs to be trimmed.
From: WVM&M
29-Jun-14
Gobbler. How many years do you get out of your clover? Did you clip the heads off the thistle as they recommended on other thread? MP...Seeing those fawns eating your clover has to be rewarding.
From: gobbler
29-Jun-14
4-5 years usually. That's with some additional frost seeding each year.
No I didn't. They were wilted and flopped over from where they were spot sprayed with 24d. None of them had started opening up. I'm hoping they were dead or dying before the seed was fully developed.
I spent the weekend trimming all of the clover plots down to about 8 inches.
Now I've got nut sedge coming up in a couple. It's a never ending battle. But it beats golf LOL
