First Time Food Plot. Newb Questions.

Ok so i'm planning on building a small (100'L x 20'W) food plot. My plan is to start it in spring by planting soybeans (Thinking about using Eagle Seed)and White Tail Institutes Imperial No Plow in late summer/ early fall. My problem is im not exactly sure if it or any will grow well. It's on a small natural gas line, an can get shady at times.More filtered light then direct. So my question is will the soil and light be a problem? Will I need to do anythin extra to make it grow better? Any help is appreciated.

 

If you have any deer in the area a 100' x 20' plot of soybeans will never, ever, ever, ever grow. They will destroy it before it gets out of the ground. Unless you plan on fencing it off. I planted 2 acres this summer and they never got over 4" tall from grazing.

And yes the shade and surrounding trees will prevent it from growing. Soy beans need full sun and the roots from the nearby trees will suck moisture from the plot. That's why farmers fields look so poor next to the woods.

 

Thank You! that makes complete sense. Do you have any suggestions for a spring/summer food plot? The deer round here have a few places to go for other things (i.e. cornfields, a pasture, and a few other small places. Just tryin to catch em at this small spot before they make there way to the bigger fields. I just need something simple. Is it even worth plantin a food plot this size for spring/summer?

 

If it were me, I'd plant a mix of clover and chickory. Clover can take a pretty good pounding and still keep on producing, plus it does fairly well in partial shade. You're still going to have the problem of the trees sucking moisture from the plot but it would give them something green early on. The chickory will tolerate the heat of summer better.

 

Alright, Thank You a ton im sure ill be havin a ton more questions

 

One way to open up for some more light and lesson the moisture absorbtion of the trees is to hinge the edges of the the plot. This will thicken up the edges for security in the deer's eyes, open up more light, you can pick 2-4 entrances (upping predictability), and less moisture absorption will occur even though the hinged trees will live some.

 

What do you mean by "hinge" the edges?

 

Scratch that I did a little reading hahahah so basically just do a few on either side? Should I put any down across the "open edges" of the plot being it is on a gasline?