Tominator Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 I have a group of buddies that have access to 125 acres of hunting in Jefferson County, Ohio. For the past 5 years or so they have been trying to get someone local to turn some land over so that they can put in a few food plots. Well, they finally found someone. There's a guy just down the road that has a 3-bottom plow and a 5' tiller. The guy has no disc or any other implement. Anyway, the plan is for him to turn the ground, and then till. He started yesterday. So my buddy calls me up and he's all excited (Arnie, Gary and Tom can attest to Shawn's excitablility). Shawn's picking my brain about what to plant, how to prep, and what kind of weed killer to use. I guess they're planning on planting chicory and buck forage oats, and he asked my opinion. I told him I'd suggest the summer blend from Martin along with some soybeans to fix the nitrogen so that they can start some crop rotation practices. I also told them they're runnning out of time, especially when Ohio is down about 2" in rain for May. Wondering what your thoughts are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Chris, would suggest using glyphosate in a couple doses for weeds. The tiller would be great for prepping the seedbed, better than a disc. Far as what to plant, this time of the year, not sure in Ohio really what would be your best bet, but think your idea is on the right track. I have not planted beans here yet, waiting for better chances of rain, but we will have a good ways off until it frosts here in the fall. Think a summer planting of beans would be a good idea. For fall plots, if you are looking for a good perennial would strongly encourage looking at Martins clover/trefoil blends. Here I plan to plant an acre of the grower mix with some of Martin's new rye near the beginning of September depending on the weather. Not sure how a fall planting would do there though, would ask Martin what he thinks. Might be better off to try an annual fall blend or winter mix. Martin has a couple good blends put together for fall and winter plantings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted May 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Thanks William. I know they will not be planting anything in the Fall. All these guys live close to 200 miles away from the farm, so they want to "set it and forget it." I've heard mixed results about buck forage oats and chicory. They are planting these to be an attractant, not antler builders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Chris, chickory from what I have seen does seem to do quite well at attracting, so do several others. Wintergrazer rye is an annual rye grain which is a good attractant that I have had great results with. Martin has a perennial rye available now that is a high sugar content rye. Have done a lot of reading on it and it is supposed to be some really good stuff, but I have not tested it yet, will be planting some of it this fall with a some clover/trefoil. Again, not real sure about your plantings though. For a set it and forget it plot, think something like beans in the summer will work fine, not sure though what you are looking for, and not sure how long into the season the beans alone would last or would be a draw. I do know that here the lablab plus and my cowpea plots I have left in on into season continued to see activity on into the seasons here. Seems the sorghum becomes much more attractive to the deer after it gets a frost on it. Guess like other plants the seed or grain becomes more palatable after it freezes. If you want to plant perennials, you know that the plot will only be as good as the prep and how it is maintained. If the guys have no intentions of keeping them up, it would probably be a waste of time and money to plant perennials, but it looks like you are not considering perennials anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted May 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 I'm coming from this from the standpoint that they ought to plant annuals all the time William, just because I know these guys, and like you said, if you aren't around to maintain the perennial, it's a waste of time and money. It's not that they don't care, it's a matter of being able to get down there and maintain the plots. I'm trying to talk them into annual stuff like soybeans and corn and rotate that. The deer will continue to hit that stuff until it's gone. I also recommended Martin's stuff, so maybe they'll go that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Chickory is a perennial Chris, like clover can get 3-5 years with proper maintenance, so I would rule it out if they do not have plans to keep up with it. Any plots though as I know you know will require some work if you want anything out of them. If they plan to do a spring/summer planting each year, you might have the best answer already with rotating beans and other annuals. Most of the stuff Martin has is perennials or stuff that is planted in the fall or winter. Dont think he currently offers a spring/summer annual, but I could be wrong. Here is a link to his site http://hamannfarms.com/seeds.htm, if you click on order form it will show everything Martin is currently offering. I was really looking forward to seeing how my daughters mix that the twra wildlife people put together would do: 20 % millets(german foxtail and white proso) 15 % buckwheat 20 % soybeans(laredo and quail haven) 15 % cowpeas 10 % milo 15 % kobe lespedeza 5 % partridge peas Unfortunately her seed with the forecast rains for this week not making it, has become bird food and with the continued drought, I am afraid the barely covered seed will be picked thin by the time we get rains that are now forecast for the middle of next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted May 26, 2007 Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 If you are in a drought....Id concentrate on spraying round up, wait two weeks, work the ground, wait a week, and spray again., get that ground cleaned up good..get a soil test done,...then plant early fall, say late August or early Sept., hopefully rain will be there by then...you do NOT want to be planting right now if you are dry with no rain in sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted May 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 Thanks Martin. Yeah, I mentioned that it was getting late for a summer plot, and that they might want to hold off until fall, but they're kind of hard headed and gung ho. I think they might learn the hard way, and they'll be knocking at my door next year for me to do it. I haven't heard back from my bud, so I don't know what their plans are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeyenut Posted May 29, 2007 Report Share Posted May 29, 2007 Hey Chris! Hardheaded, gung ho??? You are so right! With that said, we are definitely interested in a perrenial(chicory) and then adding the Fall plot(oats) later this summer. I know we are up against it as far as being late for a Spring planting, but I spoke with our local ag guy and he said we should be all right, but it will depend on how much rain we get. We'll chalk it up to a lessen learned if it doesn't work out this year. I'm not sure what Shawn said, but we are determined and definitely do plan on maintaining the plot(s)(5 acres). We recently found a disc, bought a harrow drag, seed spreader, and sprayer- that may have something to do with being "gung ho"!! We are also going to plant this weekend, so that may have something to do with being "hard headed"!! Anyhow, if you are real nice to us you may get an invite to try and whack a bruiser off of one of the plots(LOL). Anyhow, I appreciate the advice and effort and I'm sure you will be hearing more from us for more of the same. Keep in touch. RP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted May 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2007 Hey Chris! Hardheaded, gung ho??? You are so right! With that said, we are definitely interested in a perrenial(chicory) and then adding the Fall plot(oats) later this summer. I know we are up against it as far as being late for a Spring planting, but I spoke with our local ag guy and he said we should be all right, but it will depend on how much rain we get. We'll chalk it up to a lessen learned if it doesn't work out this year. I'm not sure what Shawn said, but we are determined and definitely do plan on maintaining the plot(s)(5 acres). We recently found a disc, bought a harrow drag, seed spreader, and sprayer- that may have something to do with being "gung ho"!! We are also going to plant this weekend, so that may have something to do with being "hard headed"!! Anyhow, if you are real nice to us you may get an invite to try and whack a bruiser off of one of the plots(LOL). Anyhow, I appreciate the advice and effort and I'm sure you will be hearing more from us for more of the same. Keep in touch. RP Well, well, well, look who showed up. OK, tell me you can talk to Rink and not come away thinking "man, that dude's gung ho..." Hard headed? That was referring to how long have you all been planning this? I just told Rink you might want to hold off and wait and do a fall plot seeing as Ohio is down at least 2" of rain so far. Sounded like you guys had a lot invested, and I'd hate to see it go down the drain, that's all. Rink didn't mention a fall plot. I mentioned to him that I have a crap load of turnip seed if you want to hold off and do a fall plot, but noooooooo, not Rink. Anyway, no harm intended, and I'll see if I can fit you in for a fall hunt, my time's pretty well booked though, you're late on that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted June 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Got a call from my buddy Shawn letting me know that the plots are planted. He was a little upset that the guy they contracted with didn't till up as much as they had agreed on, but most of what they wanted was done. Randy, Shawn and the boys planted chicory, and have some plans for some fall plots too. I offered to help again so they can get the one area that wasn't tilled completed and ready to go with some buck forage oats. I also offered some turnip seed that I just have laying around. Jefferson county got a good dose of rain over the weekend too, so hopefully it will come up. Looking forward to seeing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Dont think I would have planted chickory this time of the year Chris, especially not here. Got my rr soybeans in the ground here this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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