jopey

I have 80 wooded acres in Wisconsin, I'm planning on experimenting with food plots this year. My plan is to plant these along exsisting logging roads where weeds have been plentiful in the past. They would only be about 30' wide x 100' long. Some will be along a low area where moisture is present during any normal or wet year. Will this work out for me, or will I need larger areas to work with??



Edited by - jopey on 01/19/2003 12:40:43

1sagittarius

How much equiptment do you have to work with, type of mower, brush cutter, weed sprayer, disk, rake, spreader for lime and fertilizer? Will you be working with a tractor, ATV, or by hand? can you get to the area to mow 2-3 times per year? Answering some of these questions will determine what might have a chance to grow without being a waste of your time and money.

If your planting areas are mainly old logging roads, you should trim the trees and open up the canopy to let in as much light as possible for as start.

jopey

Thanks for your reply!!
I have a small tractor & an ATV. A small plow, and access to a disc, weed mower, & rake. I only have a small hand spayer & spreader though. The areas I want to plant have successfully grown weeds year after year, so I'm assuming there will be adequate sunlight. But I am also planning on trimming some brush & trees to help with the sunlight. I will be able to access these areas for mowing several times as long as we don't have too much rain. I,m mainly concerned with the lower areas I mentioned. This area has only been tall grass & weed along a small creek, I'd like to plant around the edge to see if I can get anything to grow that is benificial to Bullwinkle.

Dan O.

How many 30 x 100' plots can you plant? That will make the difference between feeding the deer and just attracting them.

Dan O.

jopey

Thanks for your reply!!

There will be at least 3 areas approximately 30' x 100' that are on "high ground". Depending on if I can get anything to grow in the low areas, and be able to maintain them, there will be at least 2 more plots as large as an acre or more.

lawnfarmer

I see you only have a few posts on here and are probably a new member of the group. I would suggest you read the previous posts on this forum, its loaded with all kinds of valuable information. Please don't do anything without the soil sample or you will be as sorry as I was. You can waste a lot of time and money without it. terry<img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>

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Jolly Rogers

jopey, I am in the same position as you, 80 acres of leased land near Westfield. I am also planning on putting in some food plots this year, but I don't have access to any equipment so all of mine will be put in by hand. I have two areas earmaked and will wait until March April and do the soil tests before I decide what to plant. I am planning on planting @ 6-8 apple trees in another part and hopefully when the soil tests come back I will be able to figure out how much lime and fertilizer I need to hump back in there to start working it in, but as it stands after some research I would be surprised if I will be able to get a planting in this spring as it sounds like the prep time itself will eat in to most of my summer.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good perennial planting that wont need to be mowed as this won't be an option? Both plots will be completely locked by the woods and a swamp, very remote and inaccessable and I dont want to lug a weedeater bak ther in July to mow a 1/4 acre food plot.

lunchbucket

Unless your hell bent on failing, do soil samples on each plot you are doing. I would imagine you will need to lime substantially before planting. You may be able to do most of the perennial forages and some of the annuals.

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42

jopey

Thank you all for your help!!
I've learned alot in a short time.

Lawnfarmer - you are right, there is a lot of info in this forum on this topic.

Brian - I am located in Marathon County, near the Lincoln County line. The Deer density is estimated at 15-30 per sq. mile. Although I know little about soil, the forester who helped me with my MFL stewardship plan described them as &quot;Magnor & Cable silt loam&quot; I have a buddy that works at the local Co-op, so I'm hoping I can catch a good deal on my lime requirments. I do not know what type of grass is present in my low &quot;marshy&quot; area. But with your advise, I am at least going to try and mow it this year.

Jolly - I'm sorry I don't have any advise on your seed selection. Could you possibly rent some equipment to help with your workload?

Lunchbucket - How many soil tests are needed per acre? per 1/2 acre? ect.