X-farmerdan
Well-Known Member
You know, I sometimes sort threads by the number of views, and this one is right up there! I hope all y'all are having fun reading and keeping up. deer patch has a point, and even if I can't see it, there's still a point to be made. His point(s) and mine are very much different. And, that's OK. For the veterans of farming and food plotting, eyes are rolling, either at my philosophy - or the other one. In my view, there's no right answer here. I'm talking about what this forum is about - deer hunting. Food plotting and habitat improvement are tools to achieve some objective related to deer hunting. Production agriculture is a whole other beast. Yes, perhaps it's important to understand one to understand the other, BUT - the objectives are different.
My objection to all this esoteric science (is it?) in here that gets piled higher and higher until you can't see across the road is that, for the average deer hunter and novice land manger, checking in here to get tips might leave you discouraged and going down the wrong road filled with worry.
It just isn't that hard. Understand your soils. Fertilize and lime if you chose - get ready for the eye roll - but it's not necessary! Adapt to the conditions you have. Plant plants that help you achieve your deer hunting objective without the necessity of spending a pile of money doing what most of us do.
If you don't have equipment, learn how to have success buying the right seeds and how to get those seeds to the ground where they can germinate. If your conditions are less than ideal, and the recommended seeding rate is 50 lbs per acre, throw down 100. An extra $30 dollars for a bag of seed is a lot cheaper than a John Deere. I don't know if I'm making my point or not.
I guess the most important point about fertilizer is to use it. The argument about when, to me, is irrelevant.
Now, if we were growing acres of sweet corn for the fresh market, you bet I'd be tissue testing. Yield and quality are everything - next to cost of production. But, I don't think it's that critical for food plots.
Now maybe food plotting and habitat work as a stand along activity is the end and not the means. Great! If you have the time and money and the interest and need to prove yourself - and, look there's nothing wrong with that - I, too love a challenge - then go ahead, time your nitrogen applications and tissue test. And that, folks, takes both time and money.
And, again, at least where I live, rain is irrelevant to me. If you live in the desert you might have a different perspective.
My objection to all this esoteric science (is it?) in here that gets piled higher and higher until you can't see across the road is that, for the average deer hunter and novice land manger, checking in here to get tips might leave you discouraged and going down the wrong road filled with worry.
It just isn't that hard. Understand your soils. Fertilize and lime if you chose - get ready for the eye roll - but it's not necessary! Adapt to the conditions you have. Plant plants that help you achieve your deer hunting objective without the necessity of spending a pile of money doing what most of us do.
If you don't have equipment, learn how to have success buying the right seeds and how to get those seeds to the ground where they can germinate. If your conditions are less than ideal, and the recommended seeding rate is 50 lbs per acre, throw down 100. An extra $30 dollars for a bag of seed is a lot cheaper than a John Deere. I don't know if I'm making my point or not.
I guess the most important point about fertilizer is to use it. The argument about when, to me, is irrelevant.
Now, if we were growing acres of sweet corn for the fresh market, you bet I'd be tissue testing. Yield and quality are everything - next to cost of production. But, I don't think it's that critical for food plots.
Now maybe food plotting and habitat work as a stand along activity is the end and not the means. Great! If you have the time and money and the interest and need to prove yourself - and, look there's nothing wrong with that - I, too love a challenge - then go ahead, time your nitrogen applications and tissue test. And that, folks, takes both time and money.
And, again, at least where I live, rain is irrelevant to me. If you live in the desert you might have a different perspective.
