Spring Food Plots
Wisconsin
Now that the snow is gone what does everyone have planned? I was able to get out yesterday and make some trails that will hopefully help manipulate deer movement. I'm going to get some sort of shade resistant food on them in the next month and see if I can get the deer moving on them all summer/fall.
I also have a small open spot that I'm going to turn over, but may save that for a fall plot.
Now that the snow is gone what does everyone have planned? I was able to get out yesterday and make some trails that will hopefully help manipulate deer movement. I'm going to get some sort of shade resistant food on them in the next month and see if I can get the deer moving on them all summer/fall.
I also have a small open spot that I'm going to turn over, but may save that for a fall plot.
I bought a mix from Grandpa Rays called Inner Sanctum. A forage blend of annuals and perennials designed to handle less than ideal conditions such as shade, low pH, wetter soil. 40% Spring Triticale 15% Balansa Fixation Clover 10% Alsike Clover 10% Frosty Berseem Clover 10% Forage Kale 10% Medium Red Clover 5% Ladino Clover
I have a shady spot that I think this will suit just right..... We shall see.
I frost seeded clover and a little chicory just before our last big snow fall. Went back and spread again (worried about the seed washing away with the 28" of snow Waupaca supposedly got). Cut a few trails and got scratched up quite a bit wearing short sleeve shirt for the first time this year.
Till trying to figure out what to over seed with this fall. Probably Austrian Peas and turnips.
Per48,
I was thinking of clover and chicory as I think it will work pretty well in the couple spots I have in mind for this spring.
I broadcasted a 50/50 mix of clover (I think red) and perennial rye last year. I won't be up for another 2 weeks though to see how its doing this year.
Tweed- winter rye is a great cover crop for clover, it will fall over and die in mid summer and then have pure clover. If you used ryegrass, it will take over and choke out your clover.
Planted aspen and installed a solar electric fence to protect them. Found frost still in the ground in some areas and will have to wait to plant some seed. I have 200 poplar cuttings that will be planted after the trees leaf out and it warms up.
Food plots will come shortly.
Mike F- poplar cuttings?Please explain.
RJN- I hope I didn't mess it up.
Ill see in a couple weeks.
I looked into poplar cuttings for our property few years ago. Concept is cutting small budding chunks of poplar branch, apply a little rooting hormone (not necessary because rooting hormones are stored around buds or undeveloped leaves, but gives it an extra boost) and sticking them in the ground. Everything goes right=new tree.
My friend did that in his backyard and they have really taken off.
We are planting 2 acres corn, 2 acres soybeans, and have 1 acre in perennial ladino clover. Will broadcast turnips or winter rye in beans when leaves turn yellow.
I put in GRO's Inner Sanctum along with extra Alsike, Ladino, Red, Berseem, and Balansa clover in one spot in the woods. Added 320# of lime and 100# of 19/19/19. I through in 4# of left over oats for a nurse crop. I buy 10# bags of each from Outside Pride.
I put in all those clovers and oats in another plot along with 240# of lime and 100# of triple 19.
In early June, I have new plot that will be getting GRO's Soil Builder mix. I'll be putting additional buckwheat in that new plot too. I have another plot that will be getting GRO's Four Galore in June as well. Lots and lots of lime and fertilizer to put in yet.
I have all my brassicas for fall already as well as GRO's Deer Cafeteria mix. Both will go in in late July/early August. All the plots will get some winter rye and oats too.
Tweed, ryegrass is no Bueno in food plots. The exception is some of the High Sugar Ryegrass that is out there but it too takes over. Even the HSG RG is very low on the deer's preference list.
