Great info ben!! now i have a question if you use the pellets of lime i have heard that you want to spread it and let it sit for a little bit then till it into the ground. is this true ?
Not Ben, curious to see what he says. In our experience we've always attempted to spread it either on the snow or before a ran (even done it during a rain)...one rain or the thawing of the snow will break it down quick. Typically tilling follows it, but it could be done after as we've done upon occasion as well. The place we get our lime from and everywhere I've read states pellet or powder put out before a rain doesn't require any sitting time as just a little moisture will break the pellets down.
so since planting would be late April-May, if i went out and cleared the area then spread pellets sometime next month would that be good you think ?
In the best case scenario, I'd like to get an even spread of pulverized lime as early in the year as possible and let rain and snow work it in. That way it effects the most soil, top to bottom. I've got caught being lazy and spread closer to till time and just tilled what was left in, it still helps.....in the future. The idea of lime is to raise your ph so that more of your fertilizer can be utilized. The pellets, they're advertised to be "time released" in most lawn and garden stores so I never messed withe them much. Maybe a good idea for perennial crops like clover cause like your lawn it can use continual help. I'm an annual guy. I want my soil to be the best it can be when my seed is wet in warm soil. I think RJ told me that you'll can lime every 6 months and make a difference. So when I was originally correcting my soil, I'd lime like Feb/March if I could and then again in Aug prior to planting.
If your planting then, I'd clear ASAP. (Depending on what's there currently) What's your environment? Woods, field, etc Anyhow clear ASAP, lime ASAP and as much as possible. What's your size? What are you planning on planting ?
It’s a spot where the canopy is pretty open between some pines and a wooded ridge, should be able to get a good amount of sunlight throughout the day. So for me to go and clear it out it will just take me a day with the tractor and scrape off some brush and leafs. Haven’t decided a 100% on what I’m going to plant yet was thinking something along the lines of clover.
I'd really suggest oats for the first year to get you established. The won't break the bank and over time they'll help with invasive species. Repeated plantings of oats actually outed mountain ferns for me. They'll give you more of a base for next year. Lime like crazy twice a year and plant oats come Labor Day after killing your weeds in aug. The other thing about planting in the fall it gives weeds less of a chance to come back.
In case it interests anyone, here's a post I made on a site my bother in law built a while back. http://www.gohuntn.com/ben-meckbach/461-food-plots-a-whole-different-facet-to-your-hunting-arsenal/
Yeah we grow them too. The don't taste as good. Can't see em prior to the deer crushing it. Same plot. You the farmer now brother
One thing I like to do with my plots ios to have an 8 to 10 foot wide strip of white/ladino clover around the peremiter of the plot. This meets the hard edge of the woods. Great way to take a little pressure of the actual food plot, and it is a great spot to have licking branches around the plot. I can work up/replant the food plot every year, and still have a constant food source there with the edge of clover.
Bringing this back up. So when doing oats, just by from the feed and seed store and make our own mix? This is what I was thinking of doing. Also, do you mix all together...or spread separately? (Oats, tunrnips, wheat)
I always had better luck planting each separately at the necessary rate. Also will position them too. For example we have split that has oats in one end and turnips in the other, the stand changes with the desired food source
