food plot help

i am wondering what the cheapest way is to make a food plot i am only going to make them about 1/4 acer in size but im makeing 4 on bout 100 acers unless thats to many im just not to sure what to do any advice would be great

 

Cheap is eas. Buy a big bag of clover seed from the feed store. Will it work? Eh.

 

Food plots you tend to get out of them what you put into them. Are the areas you intend to plant already cleared? What kind of equipment do you have access to?

As for the amount on 100 acres, its not a numbers game, it how a location works. Throwing x amount of food plots isn't going to be your hunting cure all. Factors like access, location, proximity to cover and bedding is whats important.

 

i dont have any equipment all i have is myself and my wife is going to help me i dont want to get a 4 wheeler becaus what i hunt can be walked its not that bad

 

Then you probably want to look at a no till product that best suits your area.

 

Pick up a gallon hand pump sprayer from a hardware store. Walmart sells some generic round up. It has a purple cap. You have to read the label that is has 41% glysophate. I forgot the name, Elimanator maybe?.

(MORE SUN THE BETTER) Spray the area with round up(or generic) a few times throughout the spring/summer. Rake away the dead stuff.
Buy a hand crank broadcast spreader and your choice of seeds and re rake to cover the seeds a little.

That is about the cheapest way of going about it.

But let us know what you have available for equipment (or what you have access to with your friends)

 

A bag seeder and a backpack sprayer will cost $100 or so. Start spraying you plot areas in spring with round up. Once again in June, and again in July. Spread your fert and seed in late August right into the dead thatch/weed mat. Then hope for rain. Of course a soil test will improve your results. There is no tilling.
I have done many plots this way.

John

 

Here is a quick run down on this plot (6000 sq feet I think) . Broadcasted a bag of pellitized lime. Sprayed round up(mixed in plot max) at first green up. Did that again and again up till end of july/early August. Broadcasted seed (winter rye/radish/brassica/little bit of clover) and some 19-19-19 and alittle bit of 0-0-60 fertilizer. Then drug my lawn thatcher around to ruff up the ground and cover the seed.

Worked better then I thought. I did this method the prior year by just killing the grass and broadcasting a clover mix. Worked great, but we had a LOT of rain that year. 2012- not much rain.

I tried a spot where I didnt scratch/drag the plot after seeding and it didnt turn out nearly as good as this one.

 

here is a overhead view of the plot. Not sure how far along the plot was, I would say a month. 2012 August rain faill could have been better by me.

So armed with a cheap broadcast spreader, hand pump sprayer and a rake and a little luck from Mother Nature providing you with rain. You can get something growing. But their are more options out there to planting. Main thing is make sure there is enough sunlight and seed to soil contact.