Pse_guy

i' ve convinced my cousin to let me put in a food plot on his land, i am guessing about 1/4-1/2 an acre, but im not sure what to plant, or how to start planting it, i was thinking about alfalfa since there' s corn and i think winterwheat/rye right in the area, its a 10acre land plot that is bordered by 10 to the east which is hardwoods/oaks with a few pines and there' s 40 to the west that' s mostly pines with a few swamps. but where do i start?

Ballistictip

First off start with a soil test. This will tell you what you will need to do as far as lime/fertilizer. It will cost less than $10 and is very important if you want good results from a plot. Alfalfa is very difficult to get established. I' ve tried it a couple of times with little to no success. Clover works well but you will have to wait until spring to plant. My suggestion would be to get your soil test done and begin working the soil based on the results of the test. This will give you a good head start for a spring planting. Let us know where you' re from. This will also help in suggesting what to plant for your area.

Pse_guy

sorry about that, im in michigan just nw or grand rapids, im gonna try to get an aerial shot of the land to show you what' s around me if that' ll help any. what do i need to get my soil test?

psandhu

you need some of your soil, to get a soil test. take it to your local extension office. get your soil sample from several areas in your potential plot. dont' just scrape soil off the top, it' s gotta be some soil where the roots are.

Pse_guy

local extension office? is there like a company name or something, could i get lime/fertilizer from a local mill or elevator? where can i get supplies from

Ballistictip

Most any lawn and garden or seed/feed store should have the soil test kits as well as the lime/fertilizer. Look in your local yellow pages under farm supplies or lawn and garden and call around. You shouldn' t have to make more than a few calls to find what you need. You might even consider buying a soil test kit. You can get a pretty nice kit for under $50 and may save you some cash in the long run. The main thing is to get your soil pH level correct for what ever you decide to plant.

Since I' m from NC I don' t know what to tell you to plant. I' ve had really good luck with clover. Dutch white, ladino, red clover, and a new variety called Durana have worked well for me. Annual rye has done real good also. There are several guys on here from your area and I' m sure they can help you as far as what to plant for your climate.

lunchbucket

PSE, what county are you hunting?

Pse_guy

hunting in kent county, live in montcalm

lunchbucket

The numbers for the Montcalm Co. Conservation district is 1-831-4606. I don' t see a number for Kent but yu can take the sample to your district. Some counties are combined. Your area Is usually very sandy or a good sandy loam... Do the soil samples, they take the guess work out of planting...