I am thinking about using Plot Screen to divide a few food plots that are about 3/4 - 1.5 acres to make the deer feel more comfortable so it's not such an open area. Do any of you guys use Plot Screen to divide food plots?
We personally have never had a plot large enough to worry about this and even our largest ones (round acre) are odd shaped for the most part and surrounded by thick cover....some of my good friends, and clients have had great success with Egyptian Wheat or sorghum seed bought personally by them...a couple have had great success using company "plot screens". All the successful stories though come from guys that care for their soil and have good light.
I forgot what is in that mix exactly (egyptian wheat) but it is basically something you plant and it grows tall (in the right growing conditions 10 or so feet) and offers temporary screen. Or if you plant it to block the view of the deer so you can go to and from your tree stand if you have a open plot. Options are endless depending on your creativity. People would plant it along a road to prevent prying eyes, or in a case like one of my plots has woods on one side and then butts up the the neighbors huge field. I could plant this Plot Screen towards the neighbors field edge so the deer are not feeling like they are in the wide open ( I plant something else, but same concept).
If it dries up I am going to use plot screens on the edge of a couple of plots. The theory makes a ton of sense.
I bought enough egyptian wheat and sorghum sudan grass to plant 20 acres this year. Most of it will be screening along roads but I am going to utilize some of it for plot screens and edging.
We used sorghum around one of our plots last year to separate it from the crp type of field that it was on. Sure seemed to help get them to be at ease more. We are planning to do it again but not close it off as tight this year. We had to knock some if it down with the four wheeler just so the deer had some access from other directions as it really formed a wall.
I have used egyptian wheat for both screening along the road the boarders some of our property. I have also used it to screen the edges of food plot. I checker board my larger food plot by using corn. Four rows on the boarder and four rows to give it the checker board effect. This not only make bucks travel the whole plot during the rut but give more food for the deer.
If you have a spot always wet for extended amount of time to where sorghum or egyptian wheat just isn't going to work....get some hybrid willows and plant the suckers....won't be as immediate but will produce long term effect.
Great comments from you all--much appreciated. Nice picutre, Chuck!! Looks like a really good kill plot if you ask me. Next weekend I'll be busy making the plots bigger with a Kubota KX121 mini x. I'll take a video to show the before, during, and after. Can't wait to try to use some plot screen to break up the plots!
Plot screen is Egyptian Wheat and Egyptian wheat is technically a type of tall growing sorghum. Just make sure the soil is 60 degrees before planting. I got a call from someone out east that planted his very early and was wondering why it wasn't growing.....
Just remember, EW loves nitrogen. I had some great plot screens in nitrogen rich soil, and some not so great screens in nitrogen deficient soil. It really makes a huge difference, so just plan on an application of N before planting and another when it's about a foot tall or so. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
Here's a tip, If it comes up light green you need to fertilize with straight nitrogen (urea). If it comes up dark green your fine and no fertilizer is needed. You don't want to put urea down at planting time because it will promote any weed in the soil to grow.
I'd always put 40 units of N out on mine and if you want more height, some have been known to put up towards of 200 units of N on theirs. Lodging is always an issue the taller one goes. But one thing people overlook with sorghum as well as many food plot plants...ZINC....this is why i have it always going on via a product i invented. Micro nutrients are of so overlooked but are going to become more and more popular as we move ahead.
