Vet Judy

I receive emails daily from clients looking for help with their food plot endeavors. They are all highly motivated people and often have 10’s to 100’s of acres to play with. Some have 1/2 to 3/4 acre plots and some much larger. There are some common themes though, that seem to stump people or get them overwhelmed. There are also some common themes among clients about restrictions that they have.

Here are some of the common issues prevalent among food plotters.

1. Most want low maintenance plots. Some clients are even hundreds of miles away from their land or their plot locations, so low maintenance becomes a necessity, not just a wish.

2. Most want to keep fertilizer costs down or find cheaper seed. I think there are two factors here. The first is that fertilizer is expensive and the second is that seed mixes that are well advertised for whitetail Deer are also expensive. Add to that the fact that these premixed seeds often have extremely high fertilizer requirements listed as part of the planting instructions.

3. A lot of the clients have needs for cold resistant varieties. Most want something that is good in wet soil and dry, since this level of variation seems to be prevalent in a lot of areas.This is a tall order. Species are often combined so that if the conditions are this variable, there is a better chance of survival.

4. Shade tolerant plants become a concern when plots have been carved out of woods. Rocks and stumps also are a concern when trying to maintain plots that have been created from woody or overgrown regions.

5. Weed control is a huge problem, but people often blame the seed they spent so much money on.I often say the soil fails the seed, or we fail the plant!

Well, I am here to tell you there is no miracle seed, no miracle plot, no easy way. Some are easier than others, but here is how I would approach plotting if I was starting out.

-First I would eliminate all plots with less than 6 hours sunlight, or I would correct the sunlight problem, since even the most shade resistant plants need more than 4-6 hours of sunlight to grow well.

-Then I would get a soil sample. Knowing what your soil is made up and whether or not the pH is going to be a limited factor can save you a lot of aggravation and costs. It can help narrow down the plant choices and may even reveal that without amendments, nothing will really produce well.I can’t tell you how many people I have run into, that planted good varieties of clover and were unsuccessful in the first 2-3 years because of the need for lime. This of course, they did not realize until the soil test was done out of frustration before the third year. I have had several clients needing even as much as 4-6 tonnes of lime in a 2 acre plot to bring the pH up enough to get proper growth. So do the soil test on each plot area you wish to use.

-Then I would decide what the primary and secondary uses of my plot are. For example. Am I using the plot mainly to feed deer with no interest in hunting. If I am planning on hunting a plot, am I primarily interested in rut hunting, or late season winter hunting, bow or rifle etc. Each plot should have a primary function, then you know what season you want to see the best growth in, and whether you need warm or cool season plants to choose from. Often plant species are mixed together to try to cover the entire year basis, but generally speaking you should still have a primary interest for each plot location. This way you are focusing on the needs of the plant species you wish to succeed the most, at the time of the year  you need it to succeed.

-In regards to low maintenance. Low maintenance is subjective. If you want a photo perfect plot, it is doubtful that you will have low maintenance in the first few years. If you spend the majority of your time on weed control, you may develop this over a few years. However, if your goals are not so lofty, and you just want a functional plot, you may have less maintenance. If you ignore weed management on an ongoing basis, eventually this will be a poor strategy and your losses in productivity will increase over time. The keys to low maintenance are to get the soil in better condition to start so that growing plants have a better chance of competing with weeds. Spending the first year or maybe even 2 years planting annuals and devoting the rest of the season to weed control, can also be a great strategy for low maintenance plots in the long run. The use of varieties that have high seedling vigor and rapid growth rates can also be helpful in winning the war against weeds.

-I would pick annuals for my first couple of years and concentrate on cool season plantings. Then I could see where the problem areas are. I would realize that not one plant or group of plant is going to be ideal under every circumstance and seasonal variations I might get in the weather etc.

-Finally I would settle into doing one or two plots well in each growing season, until I am more realistic about the time and money that can be spent doing plots well. Maybe I would decide I would rather do one well , then 10 poorly and have disappointing results. Alternatively, I may decide I am capable and have the desire, as well as the time and resources to manage multiple plots or varying sizes.

The biggest thing I think that goes wrong in food plots is most people have the time to clear, disc, till, prep the soil and seed it: but not the time to deal with weeds or maintenance when these are two factors often critical in successful results. There are some great seed varieties out there developed specifically for whitetail tastes and for regional variations as well, but this is only one of the many factors in food plot success.

Happy deer food Plots: May this be your best year ever.

For food plot location strategies:

download the first Chapter of deer food Plots Made Easy for free.

www.diydeerfoodplots.com

Happy New Year 2009