Need advice on my plots please

giannid

New Member
So I can really use some advice on what to do with my food plots. I'm in Northeast Ohio and started my planted my food plots for the first time last Labor day. I amended the soil with lime and fertilizer according to Whitetail Institutes soil tests.
I got everything planted and the same weekend I planted we got 3 inches of rain in one day and most what I planted got washed away. I ended up planting a mix of white clovers and winter rye. After that torrential rainfall I continued to try and get something to grow. I ended up seeding again with more clover wheat and oats just to try and get something growing. We basically had a drought from labor day till winter so nothing really came up very good.
This winter I ended up frost seeding more clover. After a little warm up I hit it with more fertilizer and oats.
At this point I'm mostly greed but it's been a pretty dry spring. I've got a mix of everything growing including wheat, rye, oats, clover and some turnips that spread from another adjacent food plot. There's a lot of clover in some spots but a lot of it is very young and small. The oats and wheat seem to be thriving. Oats are starting to go to seed.
So I'm not sure what I should do at this point. The good thing is I really don't have a lot of weeds. I was thinking about mowing or spraying to kill off the rye, oats and wheat but there's a lot of areas that don't have a lot of clover. I'm afraid if I kill that stuff off I'll be back to bare dirt. We're basically into summer and it's been dry. I'm afraid the clover needs the nurse crop for some shade.
Thoughts and opinions appreciated!
 
I wouldn’t do anything without rain in the forecast. Either throw/mow a summer plot just before a big rain event or do nothing until it’s time to plant your fall plot.

You could also broadcast a summer annual into the areas without clover (again ahead of a rain event) if you’re concerned about summer weed suppression.


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Sounds like you want clover? Last fall's seeding might just now be germinating. Lost your seed in a heavy rain? It went somewhere - if it do go anywhere. Doesn't look like a steep slope. You frost seeded clover? I'm not a big fan because of high expectations and typically low germination rates, on average about 30% plus or minus - 30%. That seed is somewhere. I'd walk away and come back later. The oats and rye will provide some shade for the clover that's there and that which might still germinate. It's dry now but it will rain. If the rye and oats are thick you might cut the tops to let in some sunlight - if that's possible - mowing that high.
 
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Sounds like you want clover? Last fall's seeding might just now be germinating. Lost your seed in a heavy rain? It went somewhere if it do go anywhere. Doesn't look like a steep slope. You frost seeded clover? I'm not a big fan because of high expectations and typically low germination rates, on average about 30% plus of minus - 30%. That seed is somewhere. I'd walk away and come back later. The oats and rye will provide some shade for the clover that's there and that which might still germinated. It's dry now but it will rain. If the rye and oats are thick you might cut the tops to let in some sunlight - if that's possible - mowing that high.
My ultimate goal in just clover. Seems like I'm having a hard time with it. LOL
 
It looks like a good start. I'm with the others, sometimes it's ok just to sit back and let things be. I'd let the plantings expire on their own and let that clover get some roots down. Late summer id do a throw n mow with something like grain or brassica to add to that clover for fall. And add a bit more clover seed as needed. Building organic matter in the soil is key, and for that to happen, only spraying, mowing, and tilling when it's absolutely necessary during the prime growing seasons is a requirement.
 
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