This is the video to watch before planting this fall! See the critical steps to grow your best fall food plots: timing, planting techniques, design, size, seed blends, and more! @GrowingDeerTV #deerhunting #TeamOutdoors
We've been blessed with good rain here in Virginia this summer. I planted the Green Cover High Diversity mix in one of my plots in late May. It did great. I'm getting ready to plant the Plot Release Mix into the plot next week. I'm sure it will do great also.
Drought did a number on my plots. Planted warm season soil builder in April. Received some rain for the first three weeks after planting. Then went on a 6 week drought. Received .7 tenth of an inch over that six week period. Milo has done ok. That's about it.
I planted my food plots a week earlier than the recommended planting date. It was calling for a 60 to 80 percent chance of rain for 5 straight days. I just couldn't pass up that chance to plant. Everything is looking great.
thank you for the tips. Here in West texas, its been wicked dry as well and over 100 for SO many days this spring and summer. I passed on even trying a spring food plot, and glad I did because we didn't get enough rain at the right times for me to even attempt to broadcast plant. Id like to attempt it this fall though. Looks like labor day weekend based on calendar would be about right for me. Should I put down some triple 20 or triple 13 fert in advance (cheap fertilizer option that is readily available) to assist in germination for a field that has never been planted before? Hoping I can broadcast seed into it before a decent fall rainstorm and get my first plot going. Its been so dry the field is mostly dirt.
Sounds like very tough conditions. Without a recent soil test, no one can tell you which and how much fertilizer to use. I use Wardlab.com for all my soil testing and it's well worth the small cost to insure I know what's going on in the soil.
So this is our first year using the release process. We planted the summer blend and crimped and are now prepping for fall planting. We had a lot of weed suppression but there are still quite a bit of weeds in the plots. Should we spray or just try drilling through everything? Should we crimp at all for fall plots?
Brian - If there are a lot of weeds that spread easily treating them with a herbicide is a good option! If you use a herbicide, the new crop can be drilled soon after.
Great video, but I have a quick question. I planted the Green Cover Summer Release, I am getting ready to plant the Fall Release in Northern MN. Do I terminate the Summer Release or just plant through and let it be. I will be utilizing a Genesis no till drill.
Scott - I simply drill the fall blend through the standing summer blend. The drill usually knocks down enough of the summer blend for the fall blend to germinate and grow! This also results in leaving food to attract deer rather than removing all food and telling deer to feed elsewhere.
My summer release blend did real well in Eastern VA. I don't have a drill and was thinking about broadcasting either the brassica or fall release blend and pulling a lawn roller behind a 4 wheeler. Should I terminate by spraying before broadcasting? Can I spray after broadcasting and rolling? Thoughts?
Richard - Congratulations on producing a successful plot! It's very important for the seeds to make good contact with the soil. If the standing vegetation is too thick for the broadcast seeds to reach the soil, consider using a herbicide and then a prescribed fire. Fire makes a great seedbed and releases most of the nutrients so the next crop can use them. Heat rises so fire won't damage the soil or roots structures that will decompose and feed the next crop. This is a fine technique to get a good stand when broadcasting!
Jake - I most often crimp after drilling a spring crop when the winter crop is producing seed in the dough stage. Crimping is a great way to terminate annuals when they are making seed in the dough stage. Crimping doesn't work well to terminate perennials or plants not producing seed.
Justin - Crimping works on plants that are making seeds in the dough stage - seeds full of moisture and not hard yet. It would be rare for all weeds to mature at the same time.