Food plot Help

[rack collector]

We own some land in south western Virginia that is all mountain land. The land was select timbered about 15 years ago and now has become a very thick habitat for deer. We are tossing around the idea of planting food plots this spring but we dont know anything about them. What would be a good seed for mountain terrain? Some of the locations would be under a good canopy of shade while others would get sun most of the day. The areas are old logging roads and some untouched forest floor.

[ronn]

whatever you use be sure to prep the soil with lime and fertilizer. its been my experience that if you don't, you're wasting your $$. i always liked the idea of a strip plot using a high protein (like alfa-rack) for the spring and summer, this will help the does with lactation and boost the antler growth of the bucks, and a high carb (a turnip type) for the fall and winter. i've never had any luck with that throw and grow type stuff.

on a side note where in va? i belong to a hunt club near pulaski but have never hunted it. my daughter goes to school in salem, va. nice country down there.

[rack collector]

Thanks for your help. Ill be sure to do plenty of site prep. Will any type of seed grow there with the right soil prep?

My land is in a little town called Saltville. Its about 45 min north east of Bristol. Your right there is beautiful country in that area.

[ronn]

just be sure to use the right fertilizer. clovers and alfalfa make their own nitrogen so if you add more your feeding the weeds. its the middle number in like 10-10-10, i think. the feed store where you get the stuff should be able to help. one more thing lime should be put down about 6 months early. it takes a long time to be useful in the soil. pot ash is quicker but it takes 4 times as much. it'll take a couple years to get it up and running. good luck. huntingman has lots of experience with food plots and others here can offer up all kinds of help.

[Hot Coffee Hunter]

Nitrogen is the first number in your set of numbers in fertilizers. I have not ever had much luck planting anything under a shade (canopy) other than gulf rye grass and then it only made it untill the leaf drop and then they smothered it out. If it was me I would only plant where good sun light could reach the ground for several hour each day. For the woods I would fertilize the browes that was already thier. Be sure and lime heavy where you are going to plant. In your part try the Imperal extreme mixed with chickory for a year round plot.

[Hunting Man]

Hillside planting? I would agree with ronn, plant rows and alternate different seeds. I would spend the up front money and chemically kill everything. Then run a soil ph check and adjust for accordingly. Soil conditions dictate the proper seed to use. Moist soils support clovers, brassicas. Dryer soils, alfalfas, specialized seeds for it. Whitetail Institute can give you excellent advice on proper planting ideas and seeds for specific soil conditions.

[rack collector]

I guess you could call it hillside planting. The tracts will not be very wide though just as wide as a logging road. That is the only places we were gonna put the plots was in the old logging roads. There is a flat on top of the main ridge that we were gonna get grubbed out then plant a plot there.

[ronn]

there are 2 types of plots nutritional and harvest. the first being, in my mind, the top priority to grow and hold the deer. harvest is just for shooting over. with a strip plot it serves as both but isn't workable on a logging road. that imperial extreme may work out well for you but it ain't cheap seed so the more you prep the better.

[weewilly]

Remember that you need land owner premision to plant ! At least in NH.

[Hunting Man]

To help the deer nuitritionally plant early crops like clovers that bucks can use for antler production and give the whole herd good food source. Fall crops will give a boost for fall food shortages. Like ronn said figure out if it is for food or to shoot over then pick a seed. Personally if the plot is to simply harvest deer I wouldn't spend big money on high doller seeds. Farmer quality seeds would work fine.