New Food Plot Ideas

Mallard Cutter

Six Pointer
OK , so here's the deal. I have a new area to hunt that has what I'm guessing to be between a 1/4-1/2 acre opening on it. I think there may have been a food plot there maybe 8-10 years ago , it has a lot of thick weeds and several saplings about 3" in dia. Along with the occasional ornamental rose bush ,the elderberry bushes and whatnot have taken over the thing. Been working off and on for a couple of weeks to get it cleared out and I am not going to get anything planted before spring. Should I spray the area with round up and lime it this winter or wait until spring. I really want to keep the area clear before the weeds get back in there. I am wanting to plant clover on the majority of it . I will post pics of it along the way as I clear it. Thanks in advance for any advice !!
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
Yes lime it now, it takes months for lime to work. You could always plant some wheat or rye now if you want.
I would wait until next fall to plant clover so you don't have to fight weeds as much.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Kill it, Lime it, turn it and plant a cover crop on it for the winter. Winter wheat, oats, radish...ect work well and make great green manure in the spring. If you can get this done in the next couple of weeks you'll still have a huntable plot for the winter.
IF you're gonna plant white clover wait until early spring and overseed or frost seed it before March, if you're gonna plant red clover go ahead and plant it in the next couple of weeks and overseed it in the early spring.
 

para4514

Eight Pointer
Contributor
If you have the brush cut down, spray with 3 quarts or a gallon of glyphosate per acre in solution with water. Broadcast a mixture of winter grains such as rye grain and wheat. Add crimson clover, diakon radishes and turnips. Would be best to take a soil sample, but lime is a safe bet. I would focus next summer on weed and brush control. If you were looking to plant perennial species wait till next fall. Likely the size of this plot will result in heavy pressure, depending on deer population, and may not persist over one year. If this is the case, you may want to just plant fall annuals each year.
 

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Eric Revo has gave you a good plan. Sometimes foodplots are a work in progress. I know on our foodplot down at the dog club, we had to wait till this year to get it right. Last year we didn't get to plant till Late October. The 1/4 acre path had been overgrown and shaded out. We only planted rye and crimson clover the first year because of the acidic soil. The clover only was marginal last year . Soometimes good food plots take time.
 
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