New to food plotting

Drewboy

New Member
Hello I started several plots this past year some grew ok others not so much I was curious as to what to plant in spring to help suppress weeds and build om located in new hampshire

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I’ve had good luck with buckwheat in the spring.

Have you done soil tests? What equipment do you have to work with? What was planted in the plots that didn’t do well?
 
Apply lime now. Break and cultivate the ground now. February broadcast crimson clover. July mow. Wait 2 weeks. Spray gly. Wait a few weeks. Break ground again. September 1, cultivate ,fertilize, plant winter wheat or winter rye. Spot spray any broad leaf weeds with 2-4d. The following spring , you can let the wheat go or mow it .(turkey love it) Mid to late summer you will have a relatively clean plot to start what ever you care to plant having set back most broad-leaf competition. You are fighting mother natures contempt of mono-culture and she will eventually win.
 
No soil tests yet tall time tubers did poorly spread lime and fert per bag first year for plot was last year other plots were tall tine and winter greens

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Oats is a good easy choice for an early spring planting for weed suppression, you can interseed clover and the oats keeps the weeds at bay until the clover gets going, and then the oats will terminate on their own. This is a planting that will grow well in soils that are somewhat poor, but should be seeded very early in spring. Or, do the early oats and then broadcast seed a mix of brassica into the oats in about mid July in New Hampshire and mow the oats after seeding for a standard throw and mow fall plot.
Also read some of the stuff Lickcreek wrote about deer food plots under Forums-Habitat Management on this site for a wealth of information; The Wisdom of Paul Knox / LC
 
Can I frost seed oats and are there any others I can plant is like to have ad much diversity I can

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I'd hit the breaks and get/give some info before you throw more money at it.

Is it wet or dry ground?
Sandy or clay?
Sunny or shady?
Where is your soil test? Get another one with micros and base saturation
What kind of plot do you ultimately want?
What equipment do you have?
 
Ground is wet in lower spots part of year next to a stream appx half acre no soil test yet was wooded 2 years ago cut trees in fall stumped in spring planted in first week of August with wi tall time tubers got some growth but stunted bulbs mostly size of radish want to get it started with something as soon as possible I didn't spray in fall and plot has some leaves and pine needles on it currently under snow I'd ultimately like to have a kill plot with as much year-round food as I can I'm planting elderberry footings in the spring on borders of plot and looking at pears as well I have a backhoe and atv no real implements I had a neighbor York take the plot after I stumped it that was all soil work lime and fert per bag

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Drewboy, not being confrontational here, but it's extremely hard to digest your posts as there is no punctuation and sentences have no beginning or end. You might get better responses if you clean that up a bit. Just a suggestion.
 
Buckwheat is what I'll be using. Then wheat and oats in august.

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I'm a long way from New Hampshire, but that sounds like a workable plan just about anywhere.

I can't overstate the importance of getting a soil test and amending the soils accordingly. It's necesary to get the most out of your plots. Good luck !
 
On many of the soils not currently used for growing agricultural crops, there is tremendous merit to managing your food plots with a no-till "throw-n-mow" type of approach. This means soils heavy in sand, clay, rocks, etc. are best managed by rarely, if ever, breaking the crust of the soil to plant. If you feel you must do this, keep the tillage to an absolute minimum. Experience has taught many of us that the timely application of spraying gly, broadcasting specific seed types, and mowing to keep OM on/near the surface of lousy soils makes for less work, less expense, and good/better results.

Buckwheat in the summer, winter rye and alsike clover in the fall. You also have to decide if you are improving habitat or creating a "kill plot". Neither approach is wrong, but you need to factor in what is happening on the land surrounding yours to determine how your interests are best served, or if you're willing to set aside your interests (to a certain extent) to benefit the land and wildlife, as a whole.
 
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