dabowhunter

I just closed the deal on some land in Buffalo county Wi and am eager to start a food plot. This would be in a hidden meadow approx. 2-3 acres in size. It currently has high grass and weeds growing in it. I don't have any equipment butwill be calling the neighboring farmer to ask his help. My questions are. 1. Is it nescesarry to spray the weeds for a fall plot, and if yes how much?. 2. What to plant? I was thinking of wheat and peas? Or? 3. I have sent out some soil samples. Should I wait for the results which could put me back a few weeks unless they come back promptly or assume it is low ph and lime it? Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated......dabow

Brad W Wi

I put some plots in last year in Sawyer Co. Wi.I mixed clovers with turnips, I had my seeds mixed in West Bend, instead of buying a premixed and paying more than I should.I didn't lime my plots, even though I should have. According to the soil test( ph was around 5.5).Everything came up good. This year of course the turnips didn't come back , they're an annual, but the clover looks real good.The deer really liked the turnips after the frost hit them. This year I made a few new smaller plots that I'm just putting turnips in.( next week I'll plant them)From what I understand I should lime to get the max out of what I plant but I have to draw the line on how much I spend. Maybe next year as I have all the plots I need

greg-dude

Most farmers will know what to do. It doesn't necessarily needs to be sprayed, but clipping or mowing before plowing will definitely allow the ground to be worked better. If you no till, then spraying will need to be done.

Cereal grains and peas and soybean combo should work well. The brassica suggestion may be a good thing in your neigborhood. You can add a general fertilizer and see what happens. I may justifiably get hammered for saying this, but pH of the soil is more critical with clovers and alfafla then it is with cereal grains and brassicas. That's not to say thatyou should not get your pH up to around 6.5 to 7 range, just that you can get byusing certain crops in lower pH soils.

dabowhunter

I am also wondering about the time factor. If I go with the cereal grain and brassicas is there a date I should try and have it planted by?.........dabow

little indian

I would suggest wheat, peas, & clover. The clover won't be much of a benefit this year but will come on strong next year.

Brad W Wi

Try some brassicas. They shoot up fast and can take some of the early frosts and keep growing. Turnipsare what I used last year and I planted them around the 18th of Aug.and I'm farther north than you,so you might have a week on me.As far as ground prep all I did was disc and spring tooth , I spread the seed with a lawn broadcast spreader and dragged with a piece of chain link fence. Right now you have time against you I would try to get something in quick for this year and worry about the clovers next. Plant your clover to late and it may not come up next year. I'm talking from experence, I learned the hard way. I'm in Cedarburg with my property in Saywer Co. If you want to talk a bit about it send me your phone number over E-mail to [email protected]

ostdc

I agree with Brad in the last post. I'd offer the grass that is there to the farmer. If he'll mow it, he can have it.
Then I'd plow it, disc it, run a cultipacker over it, and plant it in winter rye for a fall hunting area.
Next spring, then, wait until it greens up and round-up the whole thing and plant clover and brassicas with oats as a nurse crop.
Brian

dabowhunter

We are talking to the farmer today and hopefully he will be interested. If not we will check around the area for some type of equipment to rent or borrow. If no other options are available we could cut the grass short ourselves and use a tiller but I would think doing even a half acre that way could be a chore..........dabow

Brad W Wi

You get what you put in to it. Even a half acre is better than nothing. Go for it.

dabowhunter

We talked to the neighbor and he is going to till it for us. Hopefully it will get done in time for planting.