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Food Plots 1st timer question

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drrxnupe

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Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
992
Location
Nashville, TN & Oxford, MS
So I'm planning for plots this fall with the goal of some annuals (wheat, forage brassicas, red clover, oats) this fall/winter mixed in with ladino clover to grow thereafter. Keep in mind that my farm is 4.5 hours away in Mississippi so I have pretty limited opportunities to do things. I have to condense processes into 1-2 weekends per month. The areas to be planted total up to about 3.25 acres (based on Google Earth). I did not do soil testing this year but I plan to next year in the spring.
My steps are below.

1.) Aug 10-11 - Apply pellitized lime (~1500-2000# per acre) and work into soil with disk. Ground was broken and brush cleared for the first time back in May of this year.
2.) Sept 21-22 - Disk again, roll over with cultipacker, apply seed mix, roll over again with cultipacker.

My question is about timing of seed application vs fertilizer application. I was planning to do ~300# per acre of triple 15 first. Next spring I was planning to do a K and P based fertilizer.

Thoughts?
 
I can only speak for Durana clover (vs Red) but have had better stands and managed cost more effectively by simply waiting until soil pH improves before adding fertilizer. I choose not to fertilize at the time of fall planting.

Your nurse crop of wheat will perform just fine for it's intended purpose and the perennials likely won't be able to effectively consume much of the fertilizer's constituents until lime amendments have some time to work.
 
Honestly, after we cleared it in May, I've only gone back once or twice and I only saw small patches of some type of grass coming back in.

Our only option is pellitized lime ($3 per 40#). Plots are in very tight places therefore we didn't think we could get it applied in bulk. Not to mention, its only going on a little over 3 acres. From what I hear, bulk lime companies want business for more than that.
 
Boll Weevil said:
I can only speak for Durana clover but have had better stands and managed cost more effectively by simply waiting until soil pH improves before adding fertilizer. I choose not to fertilize at the time of fall planting.

Your nurse crop of wheat will perform just fine for it's intended purpose and the perennials likely won't be able to effectively consume much of the fertilizer's constituents until lime amendments have some time to work.
Click to expand...

That's good to know. So you wouldn't recommend fertilizing til next Spring? That would be better as we'll have time to get soil test done before then.
 
drrxnupe said:
So you wouldn't recommend fertilizing til next Spring?
Click to expand...
Correct. Focus on well prepped soil for this fall/winter and getting a good stand rooted going into the spring. Not sure how far south you are but that red might act more like an annual. Unless it can reseed itself, might only get a year or 2 (which may be exactly what you are looking for).
 
So I have a change of plans...

I will go ahead and get soil samples this weekend. I will also proceed with disking and applying lime as I am pretty sure it will be acidic (not to mention that I already purchased lime). Depending on results, will make adjustments later in the fall.

Thoughts?
 

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