Okay fellas. This year will be my first year doing everything in regards to planting a plot. Im not sure if I'm behind or not so I need some help. I have a 1 acre field that I plan on putting Lab Lab in. There was corn in the field last year and nothing has been sprayed or no lime put down. I didn't get to get a soil sample but I know for sure it needs lime just not the amount. 1. Do I spray or put lime down first? Then till? 2. When is the best time to plant a plot? 3. I don't have any farm equipment only a tiller and four wheeler so what can I use to put the seeds at right depth? 4. Is putting fertilizer down the last step? and how many pounds of lime and fertilizer should I get for 1 acre field. Thanks everyone. When it comes to planting Im not the most educated.
I will start by saying that the soil sample is probably the most important thing you can do when you are considering food plots. It is pretty easy to do and they even sent me the results by email. Not to mention, it only cost $7.00 per sample. I will try to address your questions in order and hope that you find the info useful. As for getting rid of grass and/or weeds, I prefer to spray first and after it has killed it down, I disc it under. I will then put out my lime and disc that in to the soil. Since you are not using a tractor with a tiller or disc, I would put down any fertillizer that I wanted to add with the lime and till it all in together. You mentioned planting Lablab, that is a warm season forage and while I don't have any experience with that product, I would think that you should be planting that now or at least in the next couple of weeks. As for the amount of lime, without a soil sample, I would think that you would need to put down at least 1 ton per acre minimum. One thing to keep in mind about the lime is that it will be slow to work and if you have a really low ph, it will several months to have a positive effect. The best time to plant a plot will vary by the product you choose. Most all of your seed blends will have the recommended planting dates on their website and bag. If you plan to purchase your seed from a local co-op or seed store, they will be able to give you some good pointers on when to plant your choice of products. Another good source of information on planting times are the local farmers. The depth at which you plant the seed will vary. Some seeds do not need to be covered more than 1/4" while others can be planted 1/2" to 1" deep. For example, larger seeds such as oats can be planted 1/2" to 1" deep while seeds such as clover and brassicas must not be planted more than 1/4". If you are planting an acre you could probably use one of the bag type seed spreaders or if your budget would allow, you could purchase one the pull type broadcast spreaders that you could pull with your 4 wheeler, that latter would certainly be easier. As for covering the seed, you can use a cultipacker (like the one from Abby USA for $479 that can be pulled with a 4 wheeler) or if you don't have the budget for one of those, you can use a piece of fence with some weight on it that you can pull with your 4 wheeler. I have used the fence drag and it works pretty well. Personally, I try to plant in the spring and fall so that I can provide a supplemental food source for the deer all year. I am certainly not an expert when it comes to planting food plots and I learn something new every day. Hopefully, some of the others will weigh in on your thread and give you any info I left out. Hope this helps and good luck with your plot.
^^^^^THIS^^^^^ Wasting money without one IMO. On planting dates your local mill can be a great resource, for everything from the sample to the lime/spreader to fertilizer to dates to plant. that's what those guys do, and they usually love to talk about it...... If you have a 4 wheeler, just driving on the plot can be a cultivator for small seed such as clover. The chain link fence is for the larger seeds. Again, the local guys will be able to help you a lot more since htey live where you live. Good Luck !!!
