I've got a good place to plant a food plot next to standing corn in a old power line. I just bought a tractor so working the ground shouldn't be much of a issue. I was thinking oats planted mid August? Should I just buy my oats from local mill or pay more for say buck forage? My other property is a Christmas tree farm. I can plant in between rows of trees and a 1 acre nook that adjoins some oaks. Oats? Turnips? both?
I would put in a combo of oats, forage peas and winter rye. Mid August to Labor day. Great fall plot. Scoot
I know people might think i'm beating a dead horse but what did your soil sample say? If you didn't pull a soil sample, and if you want success, you need to eliminate 2/3 of the options. What equipment do you have? What was planted there previously (is there chemical carryover issues). How many deer per sq mile are in the area? So what i strongly recommend people to do is think not about today but next year and beyond. There are many issues people overlook. What seed to buy should be farther down the line that what equipment to use and what can one do with the soil one has before them at the present time. I wrote an article today on how pH effects plant grow, fertilizer recommendations and utilization and the nutrition of the plants. So, if we need to assume worse case scenarios here are the products that work most anywhere.... Rape....rape handles the lowest of pH ranges. If all else fails, plant rape. Winter rye, wheat, triticale and oats. Rye is less expensive and will regrow next spring, which can rebuild soil organic matter and add green manure. I like triticale over any grain as it's 20-25% higher in protein, and minerals than oats. I want big bodied deer with huge racks so i plant triticale. Radish...it scavenges nutrients, loosens the soil and grows vigorously and of decent quality. Winfred brassica. It is a kale/turnip cross that stays green as cold as 10 degrees. I love it's cost, nutrition, and i've never not seen it grow well.
