TexasBowHuntr

I was planning on planting my food plots in late august but i live in texas so i'm a little bit puzzled on what to plant. Our property is located on a river so our soil is sandy. Last year we planted wheat and i dont think it did all that great. We dont have our fields irragated so we base all of our watering on rainfall which is very little. Was wondering what i should try this year? Any ideas or success in texas? My thoughts were soy beans...

TexasOaks

Be careful with the soybeans because they require more water, but try lablab (its a warm season plant but I think fall plantings are okay but not positive), alfalfa, iron clad peas or cowpeas, Austrian winter peas, persimmons are great fruit trees thatto plant that do well in Texas, orchard grass, rye grass, junkyard trefoil, white clover, sorghum.

Soybean site requirements
Soybeans will grow on a wide range of soil conditions, but they grow best on well-drained soils. They will not tolerate drought however, so forage production may be low if planted on sandy or gravelly soils. Soil pH should be between 5.8 and 7.0.

Cowpea or Iron Clay Pea site requirements
Cowpeas are adapted to a variety of soil conditions. They can be grown on conditions ranging from sandy soils with low fertility, to fertile, clay soils. However, the best growth and forage production will occur on well-drained sandy loam, and clay. Cowpeas shouldn't be planted in wet soils. Ideal pH for cowpeas is between 6.0 and 6.5, but they will tolerate pH as low as 5.5. While they are very resistant to heat and drought, they are very susceptible to frost.

Austrian winter pea site requirements
It grows best on well drained loam or sandy loam with a pH near 7.0. Winter peas are best suited for warm climates; they will not tolerate extreme winter temperatures and they are not suitable for northern regions.

Ryegrass site requirements
Ryegrasses grow best on fertile, well-drained soils with pH between 6.0 and 7.0. They will, however, tolerate moist soils and pH as low as 5.0.

Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a cool-season, perennial legume. It has many characteristics that make it one of the best deer forages you can choose for your food plots. Its high protein content (16% to 28%) and high digestibility make it highly preferred by deer. It has a taproot that can extend to a depth of over five feet, so it is one of the most drought tolerant forages once it is established. Alfalfa is a cool-season perennial that will persist for over five years if managed correctly, and it can produce more forage per acre than the other legumes. Additionally, it is very efficient at fixing nitrogen, so you won't have to apply nitrogen fertilizer to alfalfa plots.

While the above characteristics make alfalfa a top forage choice for many deer managers, it is a demanding plant that can be difficult to establish and maintain. As a result, it is not for everybody. For example, alfalfa has low tolerance for moisture and soil acidity; it will do best on well-drained soils with pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Although alfalfa fixes its own nitrogen, it usually requires annual applications of other soil nutrients such as potassium, phosphorous, boron and sulfur. It is prone to damage from over 50 insects or diseases (especially alfalfa weevil and potato leafhopper). It is susceptible to heavy competition from weeds if stands are not kept thick and lush. Finally, it is susceptible to over-grazing early in the season.

Sorghum site requirements
Sorghum is easier to grow than corn because sorghum demands fewer nutrients and typically requires 1/3 less water for good growth. It is very drought tolerant, it will tolerate poorly-drained conditions, low soil fertility, and moderate acidity. It will not tolerate flooding. Best growth is achieved on well-drained soils with pH between 5.6 and 6.5.

Lablab site requirements
Lablab is very heat and drought tolerant so it can be grown well in the arid climates of the south. It will also grow in other regions where soybeans and cowpeas are grown. It prefers sandy clay loam soils with pH above 5.0. It will not tolerate poorly drained soils.

White Clover Requirements
Drought Tolerant
6.5-8.0, 7-8 (best adapted)
Sandy-loam, clay-loam.
12-65 inches.
-38º F. (minimum). High cold tolerance.


Here is something else you might want to check out:

http://stephenville.tamu.edu/forages/fot/species/speclist.html

I bet your food plots will be great... I just have a feeling "brother"

TexasOaks

On the topic of Lablab plantings for the fall, it usually grows until the first freeze of the fall. (Stops sometime in November)

Also if you are worried about moisture in the ground you can do something called banking moisture.Youdo this bysome deep tillage of the soil, creating a 16 to 20 inch layer of soft, absorbent soil. This layer, which is prepared weeks and even months ahead of planting time, serves as a sponge that allows the moisture from the occasional rains to be soaked up and preserved above the hardpan but below the level where the scorching sun and drying wind can quickly suck it away. (Sand, loamy soils are best for banking moisture).

justin_h

What part of Texas? Don't plant soybeans as they are a spring/early summer planted crop.

If I was you I'd go to your local co-op and buy some rye (not rye grass) seed or triticale. Rye generally tends to do better than wheat on sandy soils. You could add some austrian winter peas to the rye seed as well.

falcon

i have tried nearly everything in my fall game plots. Bought all kinds of spiffy expensive stuff that did not work. For some reason Austrian winter peas do not do good here. Ditto for triticale.

Best winter food plot stuff for this area is Spike Plot Oats. They grow well through the winter and do not freeze out. Last winter had a couple of bad ice storms and the oats survived well, headed out and the quail love them. The deer like the oats much better than they do wheat.

It rained over three inches last night and i will be planting between now and Labor Day.

Large Lad

Most soybeans are sensitive to drought. Soybeans that are trying to fill pods in this heat will hurt worse than a later maturing variety that is still in the vegetative state. We bred some forage type soybeans for this very purpose that are much more drought tolerant. Much like a hybrid, the root system is able to scavenge for moisture more readily than a racehorse variety that shines on an irrigated soil. Side by side comparisons to lablab are in favor of soybean. Our plots have some new lines at over 72 inches tall. We have also bred the roundup ready gene into the wild viny type that has excellent drought tolerance and massive tonnage per acre. I will try to post some pics. Brad.

North Texan

A lot of what you can do depends on where you are in Texas.

If you can grow a good mesquite, you can't grow alfalfa.

A large portion of the state doesn't normally get enough rainfall for corn or soybeans. Too late for both, anyway.

Black-eyed peas will grow in most of the state, and they will grow in sand, but they will die come first frost.

Sorghum won't tolerate areas that hold water, and I've never had it do much in anything coarser than a fine sandy loam.

When you say your place is on the river, are you talking about doing something within the floodplain? If so, you aren't going to want to do any kind of annual tillage. Stick with something perennial.