Food plot question

[marksman72]

Hey guys, I hunt in Allegan Co. and am interested in starting 1-2, 1/2 acre food plots. The soil is a sand/ dirt type that gets good sunlight. I don't have the pH for the soil yet but can get it. Are there any brands of food plot mixes that you've tried that resemble this sand/ dirt type? We would like to start them in the spring to get them going by Oct thru Nov. I haven't read Ed's new book yet, but have been reading up on food plots. Just wanted to see what other's think. Thanks for any comments. Mark:help:

[Ansel]

Last year was my first year dabling in food plots and enjoyed much success. I hired NorthJeff from the site to work with me for the day. It was incredible how much I learned and more incredible how little I knew. It was well worth the investment.
Also, There is a lot (ton's) of info on this sight if you do some searches. I have found a lot of post that answered my questions just by searching the subject I am most interested in.
Get ready for an education...there is lots to learn, lots you can do wrong, it just depends on your personal learning curve...so dig in, I'm having a blast and wish you much luck.

[rmw]

I would highly recommend getting ED's new book . I've got the old and new one and it is the best guide I can think of . Ed's Mich ultimate blend grew great for me last yr and I am looking forward to see how well it does this spring.

[NorthJeff]

Mark, I'll send you some emails, but what equipment do you have to use...or buy?:)

With light/sandy soil it very important that you plant in late summer/early fall for moisture reasons, among other things. Consider that following a spring planting moisture decreases as the season progresses, and summer drought can quickly wipe out a planting. On the otherhand, a late summer/fall planting will experience increasing moisture patterns, followed by winter dormancy, followed by another shot of great moisture in the spring, which is just the type of establishment needed on light/sandy soil. Also, planting in late summer will give you adequate time to prepare your field for planting with the aid of chemicals to control weed growth, while at the same time giving some time for the ph to change to more acceptable levels, if needed.

It's not that the type of seeds you use are not important, just that when you plant, where you plant, how you plant, and what level of field preperation you complete will lead to your eventual determination of success.

Here are 3 fields that were late summer plantings on new plots in SW WI and the U.P. that were established only with the aid of repeated chemical applications (which is easier than it sounds), a hand-held broadcaster, and little to no soil disturbance. One field actually required 4 tons of lime per acre, while the other 2 required none. One field was a sandy loam...the others were more clay. One was a brassica clover blend, one was all brassica, and one was a wheat/rye combination with a small strip of brassica thrown in.

Ansel, do you have any pictures of your fields?

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/clover4.jpg

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/WIPlots.jpg

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/bigbrass.jpg

[davidshane]

marksman27.


Run...run while you still can...it's too addicting...runnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!



Seriously, getting started is the most fun. My buddy Marco and I have both learned a great deal from this forum. Both of us had great first year sucess last year with our plots (on seperate properties). Another friend has had plots for over three years with little sucess; he has never seen this site. I gave him Ed's new book for X-mas and after ready only half he called to tell me he is finally startin to understand what he has been doing wrong.

Ask a look of questions and next year you will be sitting over a sweet rye field watching a deer or two mow down the grasses.