My spring food plot plans

[Stevieray]

I have been planting 5 acres of food plots spring and fall for the last few years. Last year I took about about half an acre of the food plots and planted a wildlife orchard consisting of 24 apple, cherry, peach and pear trees. This year one acre of food plots will be planted with 50 Mondell Pines and 100 Oriental Arborvitaes for cover and to break up the open 5 acre field.
I will plant 1 1/2 acres in buck wheat had great success last year with it on 4 1/2 acres. I will plant one acre of Biologic's new sweet corn and another acre in Biologic's Biomass All Legume. The picture is last years buck wheat the pollinators loved it.

 

[jsasker007]

Looks like a lot more than 4 1/2 acres---looks like 40. Crop looks great!

 

[Native Hunter]

That is just beautiful. I love buckwheat.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Unless you have low deer density or a fence they are liable to wipe you out at 1.5 acres sweet corn. Your stuff looked great last year.

 

[MarkDarvin]

Why so much buckwheat? I like it, and put some in my blends every year, but just as a compliment.

 

[dogdoc]

Beautiful field of buckwheat. I’m sure you had tons of bees and butterflies

 

[coolbrze0]

Looks nice!

 

[Drycreek]

That is just beautiful. I love buckwheat.

Tell me why, because I know very little about it.

 

[Native Hunter]

Tell me why, because I know very little about it.

Deer love it and it’s as easy to grow as rye. And it will reseed itself all summer. Plus it keeps the weeds at bay so your ground will be ready for the fall crop.

 

[Drycreek]

Deer love it and it’s as easy to grow as rye. And it will reseed itself all summer. Plus it keeps the weeds at bay so your ground will be ready for the fall crop.

Thanks Native, I'm gonna try it in a friend's plot and in one of my own for an experiment this spring.

 

[Native Hunter]

Thanks Native, I'm gonna try it in a friend's plot and in one of my own for an experiment this spring.

This is my long and winding buckwheat road.

 

[Creek chub]

This is my long and winding buckwheat road.

That’s beautiful!
Buckwheat is probably my favorite forage to grow.

 

[Mennoniteman]

This is my long and winding buckwheat road.

How are you planting that buckwheat?

 

[Baker]

Deer love it and it’s as easy to grow as rye. And it will reseed itself all summer. Plus it keeps the weeds at bay so your ground will be ready for the fall crop.

I have found all the growth habits mentioned here to be true. However I have found buckwheat to have very little grazing pressure. Not a preferred food source compared to everything else. Is cool though how it will go to seed so fast then regrow. I like it in a mix with other summer cultivars more for soil value than deer. Interesting how taste preferences are different in different areas of the country.

 

[Creek chub]

^ Mennoniteman
I had really good luck last year broadcasting buckwheat into standing winter rye and then pulling my drag harrow behind my 4 wheeler.

 

[Native Hunter]

How are you planting that buckwheat?

I did that one in the picture by spray / throw / mow.

 

[Creek chub]

^ Baker
I agree it’s not a top shelf summer food source. I had pretty good browse but noticed lots of bedding action going on. I think the buckwheat will help my Durana take off in the next few weeks

 

[Native Hunter]

Even though my neighbor had 70 acres of soybeans, I still saw lots of browsing on the buckwheat. Not enough deer to keep it mowed down but hit hard by the ones that were there.

 

[Drycreek]

Where I'm planting it, there is no ag, only pines and oaks, and not a whole lot of low browse, although they cut timber two years in a row so that's improving. The plots I have planned are two new ones so I can't hurt anything trying buckwheat. This is a small lease (350+- ac.) and the only places we can till are the openings where planted pines did not take. Deer density is medium to low IMO, as we all (4) see basically the same bucks on cameras. It's not ideal, but it is what it is.

 

[deer patch]

My buckwheat didn't get touched until it started flowering, then got hammered. Bees and butterflies love the stuff.