I've always enjoyed the comments, questions and suggestions that have come from posting the development of several different food lots over the last few years here on the FOHAF forum. I really miss the cyber friendship that resulted from participating on this forum.
I recently developed a plan for a new food plot and actually began working on it yesterday. I've been reading about planting between pine rows. Having thinned the pines that are adjacent to my old "go to food plot" a few years back, there is a harvested row, creating a 300 foot by 16 foot place to plant a plot. This calculates to be just over a tenth of an acre. The pine rows are a lot longer but I can only see the west 300 feet from the old shooting house which is a hundred yards north.
In past years we had used this opening as a fire lane when we burned that particular stand of pines. So why not turn it into a long lean food plot? I've read that Durana Clover will tolerate more shade than any other clover so this east-west plot might work out.
I bush-hogged the weeds and then disked the area about 4 times and it looks very promising. I don't have access to a culti-packer so I'll have to devise some way to tighten the soil so the clover will not be planted too deep. Covering a food plot with a disk always seems to limit the germination of clover, it only needs to be about 1/4 inch deep.
If we get much rain I'll be out of business for a while, but planting any time during September should establish a stand. One thing that helps with this idea is the old food plot still has quite a bit of Ladino clover in it from past years. This is the patch where we planted the corn a few years ago. It has been in soybeans, Clover, Iron and Clay peas, Abruzzi Rye, Wheat and corn over the years. The shooting house is usually easy to reach but being on the north side, scent is sometimes an issue. Also the automatic corn feeder is set another 4 or 5 pine rows south of the plot.
Starting to feel my age, so this smaller plot will be a little easier to establish and tend. If I can, I'll try to do a weekly update as we did in the past.
If I can still figure out how to post pictures we'll give it a whirl. Without pictures this will be pretty dull stuff.
Treefarmer
I like the idea of having this thin, long plot right of the main plot you have hunted over for years. Gives the bucks a place to cruise the edge scent checking the larger plot for the does. I remember you built a ground blind for the grandsons, perhaps you can push that blind into the far end of that row for keeping an eye over the entire thing.
That's a pretty good idea, Triple Creek Reaper! I'll study on that a bit, thanks for the thought!
Treefarmer
Spoke to a representative of Pennington Seed today, they actually returned the call! Was a little bit disappointed in his advice. He said the ideal planting time for our area is Oct. 15-Nov.15, so there will be little chance of forage being available during the 2017-18 season. He did say if we experienced some actual early ground cooling weather, the planting date could be moved forward a few weeks. The new plants are apparently very heat sensitive in the early stages. The Durana Clover puts more effort in establishing it's root system before it does a lot above the ground. I guess I'll fluff up some of the old plot that doesn't have the Ladino clover showing up and plant something that will be working as an attractant for Thanksgiving Day.
Treefarmer
I look forward to your food plot post treefarmer and the thanksgiving story. I hope it works out
