What to plant for 2015?
Wisconsin
I've been doing some thinking today at work about what I should plant in my food plots next year. I have two food plots that are just under an acre big. We have to crop fields that we rent out to a farmer and for the next 3 years he said he is going to be planting alfalfa in them. The two crop fields are about 20 acres a piece. So I guess my questions are, how beneficial will it be by having the alfalfa and what would be some good things to plant in my food plots? The last couple years we've planted soy beans and they have been very productive early season when they are still green. But after they turn color and die we don't see near the activity. Open to any suggestions!! Thanks!
Red clover in spring and then reworked into brassicas around 8/1. I like rape, radish, and turnips. Other than that maybe all corn but coons, turkeys and squirrels destroy our corn plots. If you can make your plots bigger, soybeans are # 1 for me.
I know I won't be spending my money tilling deer plots for the few deer left..it's just not worth the time effort or money for deer left to use them.
When it was worth it.. I rotated alfalfa direct seeded..I also had nice fields of clover that were down seeded with winter wheat in the fall. ..by far the best for the money.. you can dump a ton of jing into expensive plots of corn..but your talking a couple hundred bucks a acre just for seed and fertilizer..add to that time and fuel to prep the field..plus time to spray and that expense...I'd say your looking at 400 bucks a acre for a hunter to plant a decent stand of corn ..if you want corn your prolly better off leasing your tillable ground and praying for crappy harvest weather like we have had the last couple seasons.
The only thing I will be planting is my butt in a tree in Iowa..LOL
Thanks for the input!! Is there any particular brand that you use?
Most Co-ops have all the seed you need. Most carry food plot seed now for a 1/4 the price of the stuff you see at sport stores.
I will do RR beans one year then mow strips or all of it down in late July and plant turnips and radishes.
This year was RR corn and half the field turnips and radishes.
Next year will be sorghum and turnips and radishes.
I should add that I mix in winter wheat on labor day weekend to everything.
I order the brassicas from Welter seeds. RR beans and corn from Co-op.
after last years weather I think we'll be planting lily pads in southern Clark cnty
Deer Creek Seeds - talk to Nutritionist on this site. He is full of great information. BC
Fleet farm clover is coated pink.. it's a good blend and being coated it comes up really nice deer like it all summer..
I have 140 ag so my 12 acres of plots are for sept thru may i plant winter rye/ rape/ ptt/ fhr on 8/1 i also plant about 2,000 pumpkins in may
Corn and soybeans are great,Seed is very cheap from Pheasants forever about $20 a bag. I just broadcast,no fertilizer and have very good results,rotate every year
I bought 20 dunstan chestnuts from the source caged them and only 3 survived crabs/apples/pears will drop quick soft mass buy late bloom late drop varities from wolfraths in hortonville
IF you have large alfalfa plots the deer till use them a lot. I would focus on soft mass for the future. Yes, it's a big investment and you will loose some trees, but after they get big enough to have fruit, the maintenance is minimal and the payoff is huge!
We added apple and pear trees to the mix 10 years ago and they are a huge draw even with all the other food plots and ag fields that the neighbors have.
Other than cutting the grass two times a year and trimming them there is not much maintenance. I have about 15 different varieties and some still have apples hanging on them.
Good Luck!
Novemberfe, when do the deer hit your pumpkins? Do the deer really like them? BC
They start kicking the pumpkins 10/15 ish not one chunk of orange is left by 11/30 from 2,000 pumpkins.they dig the ptt/ fhr all winter
Fruit trees. Deer love apples and pears.
Weed... need money to buy deer land in Waupaca and Door county.
I have them really tear into the pumpkins too, pisses the kids off. The last few years I plant a bunch just for the deer and as Nov said nothing left by end of Nov.
Has anyone ever found a good source for bulk carrot seeds? I would like to try that out to see how it goes.
