How are your plots growing?

[msbadger]

Well I checked this a.m. and I'm very pleased...the mixed plot I have are lush and green ...I see a problem with daisy plants but I can't stop the birds from "drop" seed so I won't sweat it...The deer have been very selective on browsing....The alfalfa.... tips of chicory the burnett and trifoil are getting hit a bit harder than the clovers right now....one plot is taller than others so I see their pattern as of now....waiting until the burnett flowers and seeds.... before I spring mow that will be soon...

I've weed killed two new sites and one older one...those will be the buck wheat plots then overseed with turnips...can't plant for a bit still having frosts...actually a freeze last night...also high winds and the effects of getting hit hard the last few years with gypse moths have started taking it's toll on my Maples....my heart sinks every time I have to cut up another top blown out of a timber tree...7 and counting.... so far...not bad enough the stock market is swiping at our knees....[&o]...Oh well so many have it worse off ...I'll count my blessings and grab the saw...it's at least fire wood [;)]

[shaman]

My big plot is doing very well.  I planted it back in 2006 with ladino and yellow sweet clover.  We had drought in 06 and 07.   I went back over it in March of this year and threw down some more ladino in the bare spots.  All that came up plus some volunteer red clover.

Back in March, I was amazed at how hard the turkeys and deer had been hitting this field.  You could not put your foot down without walking on a deer track or a turkey track.  However, the deer have now moved off it , feasting on stuff elsewhere. This leaves the food plot alone and gives it time to regenerate.

[NYarcher]

Hello msbadger. I have a question (actually advise), In a earlier post of yours you mentioned being in region 8 new york. I am also in region 8 Genesee county to be exact. This will be my first year experimenting with food plots. My problem is I dont own the property so I am limited on where I can plant. My only choice is between crop rows. The farmer didnt plant corn this year so whatever it may be it wont be too high. What have you had the best luck with overall and what would you suggest to plant between rows? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

[msbadger]

NYA...thats a ? that I need to answer with a question...what crops do you plan to plant between...and when does the farmer expect to harvest those plants?...Does he have a good amount of space that is between field edge and the crop it's self...you could plant there...Factors..... when harvesting the tractor could tear up what you plant....the farmer sprays his fields for invading weeds wiping out what you put in....set up...if the crop field has a wooded edge ...could you plant a shot plot in a some area off the field?...... alsoCheck out NAHC...under land management and then looking for consultant...for a few ideas on things

[NYarcher]

Unsure of what was planted. I wanna say carrots this year. Very odd crop for our area where its predominately corn and soybean but this farmer changer things up once and awhile from his norm. Several years back he planted Butternut Squash. The deer loved it. Was a huge draw due to being the odd crop in the area. The current sprouts in the field were 1/4 - 1/2 inch high as of 2 days ago. Planted to within 3 ft. of the edge of the woods. The farmer generally never uses pesticides or herbicides. The field at this time is the only place/option open to me to try. If it gets tilled under in oct. I dont mind. The area I want to do this in is already a high traffic area (high point of the field and woods) and If i can aid in delivering better nutrients for the deer as they develop over the summer then I'll consider it a success. I was considering clover during the summer and brassicas after the field gets harvested and tilled. The whole area gets full sun all day.

[msbadger]

Sounds like a plan and remember deer love carrots...which is why 8ft chain link is going up over the field fence around my garden...[&o]
 
Carrots are high in...potassium...calcium...magnisium...phospherus...vitamins..ACDEK B1 and B6...plus natural sodium....plenty of good things to help a deer...Oh and carbs high in natural sugars

[NYarcher]

thanks for your help msbadger. hopefully i can get foodplot to grow almost as well as yours.

[GTOHunter]

We planted around 6 different food plots this Spring,most are planted with Foraging/Buck Oats,a mixture of chicory,brassicas and some Cow Peas thrown in there too.We have been getting lot of rain...and I mean a LOT.The Food Plots are all greening up very well and in early Spring I frost seeded Red Clover,Ladino and White Clover and they are all doing very good on the field edges,logging roads and area's in front of my ladder stands and the small trail I cleared directly behind one of my ladder stands to draw the Deer in closer for Bow Hunting. [;)]



Now about the rain...we had an In-Land Hurricane (as they are calling it) hit us on May 8, 2009 just a little over a week ago and it caused a lot of damage.We had straight line winds and it damaged tree's all over our County here in Southeast Missouri and surrounding Counties too,some even got worse damage than us.They had scattered hail and some Tornado's sightings too.On our 100 Acre Farm there is at least 35-40 large tree's blown over and up-rooted so it will take a long time to get things back to normal again.On the ride home that day of the Storm it was like trying to get through a war zone with tree after tree laying across the road on our 14 mile trek home,we were without electric for 5 days and some are still just getting their electric back on as I type....others are still without power and it may take several more weeks to get power and their tree's cut up and have their damage estimated.Fredericktown MO. was hit very hard with the Storm and is one of the Towns I mentioned that were hit the hardest. [:(]

[sagittarius]

The clover plots planted the fall of 08, 07, and 06 are all looking great. 
 
My corn, soybeans, and sugarbeets are in, but waiting for rain and warmer temperatures, soil is too cold.   Some farmers got corn in two weeks ago but, it is barely up an inch.   Most corn is in and waiting for rain, soybean planting is waiting for the soil to warm up. 

[billcurry]

sagittarius,
 
those sugarbeets you planted, are they the Roundup Ready kind?  Have you ever planted sugar beets in the past-if so how did the deer like them? Thanks in advance!
 
 
Question for anyone with an answer-I have about couple winter wheat food plots now that are about 10" tall-if I cut the winter wheat before it seeds, will it come back or will it be dead. The reason for the question is that I want to save some money by not buying Gly-4 and would like to just mowing before no-tilling in beans. Whos got an answer?