Food Plot Ideas
Connecticut
Contributors to this thread:
Do any of you have suggestions for food plots that grow well in Connecticut? I'm looking to plant or seed a quarter to half an acre and while I don't have farm machinery for tilling I do have fertile soil that retains water. Optimally I'd like to attract deer during bow season and provide a winter food source. I've thought of clover, brassica and sugar beets as possibilities but am unsure how they'll do in our climate. I'm also concerned whatever I plant will be left alone enough by deer and other animals in the spring/summer to grow by fall. Apple trees could work but I understand they're not easy to grow and don't provide much of a winter food source. Any information or advice is greatly appreciated. Please forgive me if this has been discussed recently.
Check out the threads on this topic on the Big Game forum. There is a ton of info available there.
DO NOT assume that your soil is good. Test the ph, and follow the recommendations about lime and fertilizer. You will probably ignore that advice, then next year you'll either follow it, and have a lot better success, or ignore it again, try a different seed, and after 2 years of failed plots, you'll pay a few bucks for a test (some places they are even free), or I have seen some just give up.
I was only stubborn once, and lost a year in the process.
Couple of thoughts:
-It's more work that you may be anticipating. -There is a ton of stuff to learn (read everything you can find) -Small plots can easily be overbrowsed. -Weeds will be you nemesis. Chemical warfare is practically required. -Don't believe all of the marketing hype! -Lot's of different food plot stuff will grow in CT -It's not magic, deer eat a lot of different things throughout the seasons, so don't expect it to be like on TV. -It can be fun, and frustrating, and worthwhile.
I find white clover grows very easy with little work. I bought it from a feed store for cheap. Do not buy that throw and grow garbage as it has mostly rye grass in it. Their is a bow site sponsor by the handle of nutritionist and he sells top notch seeds from what I read.
Get a soil test and get your soil right then you can grow anout anything in this part if the country. Your probaby low to very low in ph which will significantly limit what will grow well. I have areas i cover crop for commerical grow fields. Last year diakon radish and turnips. I have seen little prefrence of turnips or radishs even in winter. Last fall to prep for spring planting i planted a pea winter wheat plot deer still liked the acorns better. Whinter wheat is greening up nicly now and deer come by but cant hunt it in spring for deer. In all honesty deer eat the clover out of my pasture more then anything else. I havent tried sugarbeets but i hear they are very good but very involved. Good cover cropping procedures will not require pesticides. They are unnecessary. Liming for ph takes 6 months to really work so plan accordingly. Finally try for soil conservation. Youll build organic matyer and really grow nice stuff. Othwrwise your end up with hard pan garage.
Ditto to what Ace and Oneeye said. Soil tests are cheap. Someone once said the best time to put down lime was 6 months ago. The next best time to do so is today....
Maybe try some buckwheat in late May to suppress weeds and then whack it down in August and put in some brassica. With 1/4 to 1/2 acre, it is very possible the deer will hammer the plot and make it tough to get anything established. They may leave the brassica alone until after a couple frosts sweeten it.
Lots of info on the QDMA forum as well.
Clover I stay planting clover. All of a sudden there's plenty of clover.