North Alabama drought
11-27-2016, 04:46 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 1
North Alabama drought
As many of you probably know Alabama has been hit with a rough over 60 day drought and in the process I have planted my food plots twice the first time it got a rain on it then the drought started the second time I reseeded the plots since to grass had died. I have been doing my best keeping mineral licks and other attractants in the plots. I wanted to know is there any hope that the seed will germinate after the next rain and if they don't what do y'all recommend if they don't. Thanks for the help and happy hunting!
11-29-2016, 03:53 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 2,178
Depending on Your growing Season it might make it?One thing to plant that usually can make it is Oats and/or Winter Wheat...e d pecially if You don't have much time left and it will make it thru the Colder winter days even under snow!
11-30-2016, 02:02 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: a van down by the river
Posts: 8,939
Sometimes the best thing to do is try to sit back and wait it out. It can be the most economical option, for sure. If it hasn't rained and the seed hasn't germinated, there's still a chance you could get a decent stand. Regardless, I'd wait on a rain and see what happens before doing anything else.
Oats would work, but you have to be careful on variety selection, among other things, at this time of year. Oats are less freeze hardy than wheat, barley, and rye. In a drought, something to consider is you will have more daily temperature fluctuations than you would if you had some moisture in the air and on the ground. If you could find a good beardless winter wheat, you might try that. In a drought, nothing is a guarantee, but winter wheat is pretty hardy and the deer like it. I would stay away from rye. Some people plant it as a food plot, but my experience has been if there are any oats or wheat in an area, they will not touch the rye. And not sure why, but they have to get real desperate to touch barley.
Wish the wild hogs were that picky, then I could plant something they'd stay out of.
Oats would work, but you have to be careful on variety selection, among other things, at this time of year. Oats are less freeze hardy than wheat, barley, and rye. In a drought, something to consider is you will have more daily temperature fluctuations than you would if you had some moisture in the air and on the ground. If you could find a good beardless winter wheat, you might try that. In a drought, nothing is a guarantee, but winter wheat is pretty hardy and the deer like it. I would stay away from rye. Some people plant it as a food plot, but my experience has been if there are any oats or wheat in an area, they will not touch the rye. And not sure why, but they have to get real desperate to touch barley.
Wish the wild hogs were that picky, then I could plant something they'd stay out of.
