What should I plant and how should I do it?
12-09-2008, 12:34 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Connecticut, Central NY
Posts: 492
What should I plant and how should I do it?
Well, here is the situation: My family bought 70 acres on top of a small mountain in Ny. There is 1 good field in the middle of the property I am thinking about putting a food source in for the deer. I will be cutting down a bunch of trees in the field. It is a 2 acre field, I probably will only be filling in about 1 acre. The field is not very flat, it has small ditches and water type bars in it. I would be tilling up the ground as much as possible with what everI could use (I have a quad and am hoping to get a tow behind tiller thing). I dont want to plant clover because I know it takes a good amount of maintaining and mowing and stuff. Im thinking soy beans (but not sure if it needs a lot of maintaining). Or maybe even corn..... So please give me any advice about what to plant and when and how to plant it. IM A NEWB 
. Thanks A lot guys!
Mike
. Thanks A lot guys! Mike
12-10-2008, 02:30 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Connecticut, Central NY
Posts: 492
RE: What should I plant and how should I do it?
nothin?what should i use to till up the ground? i dont have much money so im not sure what to do. is there any way to make something to till it up for behind the quad?
12-10-2008, 04:14 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Central PA
Posts: 829
RE: What should I plant and how should I do it?
You are pretty much stuck having to buy an atv disc. Nothing tills up the ground like a disc without getting clogged up with dirt and mud. I have seen someone use a piece of 1/2 " steel sheet metal with 1" rebar spikes but for the aggravation included and lack of depth it tills you would wish you just got a disc.
12-10-2008, 05:17 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 819
RE: What should I plant and how should I do it?
ORIGINAL: bigwhitetailbuck
Well, here is the situation: My family bought 70 acres on top of a small mountain in Ny. There is 1 good field in the middle of the property I am thinking about putting a food source in for the deer. I will be cutting down a bunch of trees in the field. It is a 2 acre field, I probably will only be filling in about 1 acre. The field is not very flat, it has small ditches and water type bars in it. I would be tilling up the ground as much as possible with what everI could use (I have a quad and am hoping to get a tow behind tiller thing). I dont want to plant clover because I know it takes a good amount of maintaining and mowing and stuff. Im thinking soy beans (but not sure if it needs a lot of maintaining). Or maybe even corn..... So please give me any advice about what to plant and when and how to plant it. IM A NEWB. Thanks A lot guys!
Mike
Well, here is the situation: My family bought 70 acres on top of a small mountain in Ny. There is 1 good field in the middle of the property I am thinking about putting a food source in for the deer. I will be cutting down a bunch of trees in the field. It is a 2 acre field, I probably will only be filling in about 1 acre. The field is not very flat, it has small ditches and water type bars in it. I would be tilling up the ground as much as possible with what everI could use (I have a quad and am hoping to get a tow behind tiller thing). I dont want to plant clover because I know it takes a good amount of maintaining and mowing and stuff. Im thinking soy beans (but not sure if it needs a lot of maintaining). Or maybe even corn..... So please give me any advice about what to plant and when and how to plant it. IM A NEWB
. Thanks A lot guys! Mike
It sounds like getting equipment may be an issue. Just doing some of the logging will open up the ground and increase food production 10 fold over a mature forest. I would take stock of the timber and choose carefully what you cut. PAy attention to your compass also and your drainage situation on the top and the hillsides.
Can you give us more info on what is there? Have you done a soil test?
12-10-2008, 08:19 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Connecticut, Central NY
Posts: 492
RE: What should I plant and how should I do it?
ORIGINAL: Remnard
Clover is much easier then either of those. Clover, while needing mowing does not need to be planted annually. (3 to 5 years before replant) Soy, if not planted in a large enough tract will be mowed down before it has a chance to produce a bean crop. Corn is also an annual and 1 corn plant needs 50 gallons of water in a season to reach a good crop at maturity. Unless you have ample rain fall, it may fail.
It sounds like getting equipment may be an issue. Just doing some of the logging will open up the ground and increase food production 10 fold over a mature forest. I would take stock of the timber and choose carefully what you cut. PAy attention to your compass also and your drainage situation on the top and the hillsides.
Can you give us more info on what is there? Have you done a soil test?
ORIGINAL: bigwhitetailbuck
Well, here is the situation: My family bought 70 acres on top of a small mountain in Ny. There is 1 good field in the middle of the property I am thinking about putting a food source in for the deer. I will be cutting down a bunch of trees in the field. It is a 2 acre field, I probably will only be filling in about 1 acre. The field is not very flat, it has small ditches and water type bars in it. I would be tilling up the ground as much as possible with what everI could use (I have a quad and am hoping to get a tow behind tiller thing). I dont want to plant clover because I know it takes a good amount of maintaining and mowing and stuff. Im thinking soy beans (but not sure if it needs a lot of maintaining). Or maybe even corn..... So please give me any advice about what to plant and when and how to plant it. IM A NEWB. Thanks A lot guys!
Mike
Well, here is the situation: My family bought 70 acres on top of a small mountain in Ny. There is 1 good field in the middle of the property I am thinking about putting a food source in for the deer. I will be cutting down a bunch of trees in the field. It is a 2 acre field, I probably will only be filling in about 1 acre. The field is not very flat, it has small ditches and water type bars in it. I would be tilling up the ground as much as possible with what everI could use (I have a quad and am hoping to get a tow behind tiller thing). I dont want to plant clover because I know it takes a good amount of maintaining and mowing and stuff. Im thinking soy beans (but not sure if it needs a lot of maintaining). Or maybe even corn..... So please give me any advice about what to plant and when and how to plant it. IM A NEWB
. Thanks A lot guys! Mike
It sounds like getting equipment may be an issue. Just doing some of the logging will open up the ground and increase food production 10 fold over a mature forest. I would take stock of the timber and choose carefully what you cut. PAy attention to your compass also and your drainage situation on the top and the hillsides.
Can you give us more info on what is there? Have you done a soil test?
Wow! Awesome help Remnard! Thanks!
So.. It looks like clover would be the best in my situation then. Getting equipment is definetly an issue. Im 14 right now and my family is builing a cabin on the property. The cabin is about250 yards from the road and the field im talking about is another 200 behind the cabin (You cant really see the field)While we were out there a couple of weeks ago we saw 7 deer walk right next to the cabin, so the issue of the field being close to the cabin is not bad.We are not finished with the cabin yet and lots of the stuff left I wont be able to do, so when they are working on the cabin i will be working on my food plot. I wish we did but no one in my family owns any large tractors.
About the drainage thing... The field is pretty dry in the most part except for the center (where theres a quad trail) in the winter/spring.... There is a sleight water flow in that spot but not too bad. That is only about a 20 foot area. How would I control the draining though?
Another question is about the mowing.... When you guys say mow the clover do you mean to go directly over the clover and cut the heads off or go over just the weeds or keep the blades high so you just cut the top of the weeds and not the clover? Will a weed wacker or somethingother then an actual tractor work for this? I might be able to grab my grandpas oldlawn mower... Also, Do I spray the whole field with a weed killer before planting?
No, I have not done a PH test yet but will in early spring.
And in front of the cabin it is about 5 acres.... On the left side of the driveway, decently open, but still some thicker bushes and on the right side its very thick probably not possible to put in a plot.
Thanks a Lot for the help!
Mike
12-11-2008, 06:48 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Connecticut, Central NY
Posts: 492
RE: What should I plant and how should I do it?
oh and also... what should i till up the ground with ifi dont get access to a disc tiller? and what can i use for a harrower or cultipacker?
thanks
thanks
12-11-2008, 06:52 PM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 819
RE: What should I plant and how should I do it?
ORIGINAL: bigwhitetailbuck
Wow! Awesome help Remnard! Thanks!
So.. It looks like clover would be the best in my situation then. Getting equipment is definetly an issue. Im 14 right now and my family is builing a cabin on the property. The cabin is about250 yards from the road and the field im talking about is another 200 behind the cabin (You cant really see the field)While we were out there a couple of weeks ago we saw 7 deer walk right next to the cabin, so the issue of the field being close to the cabin is not bad.We are not finished with the cabin yet and lots of the stuff left I wont be able to do, so when they are working on the cabin i will be working on my food plot. I wish we did but no one in my family owns any large tractors.
About the drainage thing... The field is pretty dry in the most part except for the center (where theres a quad trail) in the winter/spring.... There is a slight water flow in that spot but not too bad. That is only about a 20 foot area. How would I control the draining though?
You don't need to control the drainage, you just need to plant accordingly. Alfalfa will do better than clover in dry area, whitetail imperial has a blend of alfa rack that has clover in it that would probably work well in your situation.
Another question is about the mowing.... When you guys say mow the clover do you mean to go directly over the clover and cut the heads off or go over just the weeds or keep the blades high so you just cut the top of the weeds and not the clover? Will a weed wacker or somethingother then an actual tractor work for this? I might be able to grab my grandpas oldlawn mower... Also, Do I spray the whole field with a weed killer before planting?
As any plant ages it wil get an increasingly higher lignen content(fiber) deer need about 16% crude protein for optimal growth. Cutting the plot will yield you 2 benefits. If you watch it grow you will see the weeds growing in it along with your crop. This isn't abad thing necessarily, as it will be native forbes(weeds) growing there for the most part. The deer are probably used to eating these and they will yeild some benefit. However they will compete for nutrients and sunlight and try to out compete the plot. What you want to do is cut the field when the weeds are about to go to seed. This will prevent them from reseeding themselves and help your plot grow.
Second part is in the late summer, just about when the august drought is over you wll want to cut the clover as it will start to get leggy
(high fiber/low protein/low palatibality) at that point. Try and time this just before the fall rains come and you will get a good flush of new growth on the clover. This will draw the deer in for another period of time.
No, I have not done a PH test yet but will in early spring. Do one as soon as you can. After you get the results, it will take 4 to 6 months for the lime to get in to the soil and actually affect the chemistry of the soil.
And in front of the cabin it is about 5 acres.... On the left side of the driveway, decently open, but still some thicker bushes and on the right side its very thick probably not possible to put in a plot. You can mow that maybe in between the shrubs that are growing. This will keep cover there and they will feel safe, yet allow you to move through it somewhat to hunt it. Or you can mow it all and let it come back. I don't know the property but you do need some cover areas where the deer will feel comfortable and safe from predation (yeah that means you!) Remember after about 10 or 15 years it gets expensive to reclaim that field after trees have started growing in there. Pulling stumps gets expensive. Mowing is cheap.
Thanks a Lot for the help!
Mike
ORIGINAL: Remnard
Clover is much easier then either of those. Clover, while needing mowing does not need to be planted annually. (3 to 5 years before replant) Soy, if not planted in a large enough tract will be mowed down before it has a chance to produce a bean crop. Corn is also an annual and 1 corn plant needs 50 gallons of water in a season to reach a good crop at maturity. Unless you have ample rain fall, it may fail.
It sounds like getting equipment may be an issue. Just doing some of the logging will open up the ground and increase food production 10 fold over a mature forest. I would take stock of the timber and choose carefully what you cut. PAy attention to your compass also and your drainage situation on the top and the hillsides.
Can you give us more info on what is there? Have you done a soil test?
ORIGINAL: bigwhitetailbuck
Well, here is the situation: My family bought 70 acres on top of a small mountain in Ny. There is 1 good field in the middle of the property I am thinking about putting a food source in for the deer. I will be cutting down a bunch of trees in the field. It is a 2 acre field, I probably will only be filling in about 1 acre. The field is not very flat, it has small ditches and water type bars in it. I would be tilling up the ground as much as possible with what everI could use (I have a quad and am hoping to get a tow behind tiller thing). I dont want to plant clover because I know it takes a good amount of maintaining and mowing and stuff. Im thinking soy beans (but not sure if it needs a lot of maintaining). Or maybe even corn..... So please give me any advice about what to plant and when and how to plant it. IM A NEWB. Thanks A lot guys!
Mike
Well, here is the situation: My family bought 70 acres on top of a small mountain in Ny. There is 1 good field in the middle of the property I am thinking about putting a food source in for the deer. I will be cutting down a bunch of trees in the field. It is a 2 acre field, I probably will only be filling in about 1 acre. The field is not very flat, it has small ditches and water type bars in it. I would be tilling up the ground as much as possible with what everI could use (I have a quad and am hoping to get a tow behind tiller thing). I dont want to plant clover because I know it takes a good amount of maintaining and mowing and stuff. Im thinking soy beans (but not sure if it needs a lot of maintaining). Or maybe even corn..... So please give me any advice about what to plant and when and how to plant it. IM A NEWB
. Thanks A lot guys! Mike
It sounds like getting equipment may be an issue. Just doing some of the logging will open up the ground and increase food production 10 fold over a mature forest. I would take stock of the timber and choose carefully what you cut. PAy attention to your compass also and your drainage situation on the top and the hillsides.
Can you give us more info on what is there? Have you done a soil test?
Wow! Awesome help Remnard! Thanks!
So.. It looks like clover would be the best in my situation then. Getting equipment is definetly an issue. Im 14 right now and my family is builing a cabin on the property. The cabin is about250 yards from the road and the field im talking about is another 200 behind the cabin (You cant really see the field)While we were out there a couple of weeks ago we saw 7 deer walk right next to the cabin, so the issue of the field being close to the cabin is not bad.We are not finished with the cabin yet and lots of the stuff left I wont be able to do, so when they are working on the cabin i will be working on my food plot. I wish we did but no one in my family owns any large tractors.
About the drainage thing... The field is pretty dry in the most part except for the center (where theres a quad trail) in the winter/spring.... There is a slight water flow in that spot but not too bad. That is only about a 20 foot area. How would I control the draining though?
You don't need to control the drainage, you just need to plant accordingly. Alfalfa will do better than clover in dry area, whitetail imperial has a blend of alfa rack that has clover in it that would probably work well in your situation.
Another question is about the mowing.... When you guys say mow the clover do you mean to go directly over the clover and cut the heads off or go over just the weeds or keep the blades high so you just cut the top of the weeds and not the clover? Will a weed wacker or somethingother then an actual tractor work for this? I might be able to grab my grandpas oldlawn mower... Also, Do I spray the whole field with a weed killer before planting?
As any plant ages it wil get an increasingly higher lignen content(fiber) deer need about 16% crude protein for optimal growth. Cutting the plot will yield you 2 benefits. If you watch it grow you will see the weeds growing in it along with your crop. This isn't abad thing necessarily, as it will be native forbes(weeds) growing there for the most part. The deer are probably used to eating these and they will yeild some benefit. However they will compete for nutrients and sunlight and try to out compete the plot. What you want to do is cut the field when the weeds are about to go to seed. This will prevent them from reseeding themselves and help your plot grow.
Second part is in the late summer, just about when the august drought is over you wll want to cut the clover as it will start to get leggy
(high fiber/low protein/low palatibality) at that point. Try and time this just before the fall rains come and you will get a good flush of new growth on the clover. This will draw the deer in for another period of time.
No, I have not done a PH test yet but will in early spring. Do one as soon as you can. After you get the results, it will take 4 to 6 months for the lime to get in to the soil and actually affect the chemistry of the soil.
And in front of the cabin it is about 5 acres.... On the left side of the driveway, decently open, but still some thicker bushes and on the right side its very thick probably not possible to put in a plot. You can mow that maybe in between the shrubs that are growing. This will keep cover there and they will feel safe, yet allow you to move through it somewhat to hunt it. Or you can mow it all and let it come back. I don't know the property but you do need some cover areas where the deer will feel comfortable and safe from predation (yeah that means you!) Remember after about 10 or 15 years it gets expensive to reclaim that field after trees have started growing in there. Pulling stumps gets expensive. Mowing is cheap.
Thanks a Lot for the help!
Mike
T.
