i am going to start making food plots this year in kansas. i am using the river to get access to areas not previously hunted on public land. i know the land is already great for planting plots, being that it is old river bottom with dark rich soil and most of it is planted for crops. i will start clearing willows and paths next week. i have some blends containing brassilas, turnips, chickory, alfalfa, carrots, along with some others. there is no way to bring in lime or any heavy equipment. would it be alright if i just asked a local co-op what kind of fertilizer they would recommend, and can i get by without a soil sample? last year i planted close to this spot, and the brassilas grew fast and tall without any fertilizer, though it was flooded out due to some unusually high summer flooding. also if there are any tips for my my situation i would love to hear all of them.

I would always recommend a soil sample. After several attempts at plant and pray, the $10 expense is well worth it. It takes a lot of the mystery out of it. I have a marsh that went dry this summer, bottom was rich dark bown earth, we had lots of grasses growing in parts, otehr parts were bareen. I took a sample of the barren location and the ph was way too low. We are going to wait for a freeze and car lime out on a sled with the 4 wheelers. otherwise, we will boat it out in 5 gallon buckets in the spring. It is not a huge area, and every bit helps, so we are going to put in the effort. Take the soil sample and get the test done. just my opinion.

thanks dan, who would i send the soil sample to? and how would you take a soil sample?

Your local Co-op can usually help you out with your soil sample. What river are you on/part of the state are you in?

I use the one from the Biologic site only because it is convenience for me. I mail it to them and they e-mail the results within 36 hours usually. I don;t have a coop near me, so using the mail makes it pretty eay and straightforward. The biologic company send it to a lab i beleieve. They are also plant specific with the results, meaning if you tell them what you are going to plant, they will tell you how much lime and fertilizer you will need to add, as well as the fertilizer 'recipe', or numbers of nitgorgen, phosphorus and whatever the third number is.

thanks dan, i will go to a co-op first and see what they have to say then contact biologic. i am hunting the blue river north of tuttle creek, usfwc.

youre doing this on public ground?

yes i am doing all this on public ground, i have lots of private ground but the best hunting is on public land.

are you sure this is legal on public ground? have you checked with the countys conservation officer?

yes it is legal here. thanks though