Plan now for fall planting

Site preparation for wildlife food plots - plan early

As you think of planting wildlife food plots this fall, you will want to be making some plans to make sure everything goes smoothly. You may want to get an early start on the site preparation process.

The first step is to take soil samples. It is very important to know if you need to apply lime and to know how much fertilizer to apply. Your local Mississippi State University Extension Service office will have the soil sample boxes and instructions and can mail the samples in for you. If needed, lime should be applied prior to disking and incorporated into the soil.

Heavy weed and grass growth must be dealt with effectively to get a smooth firm seedbed for planting. When heavy summer vegetation is present, one cannot just go out and get the planting done in one weekend.

Heavy Grass Growth in Annual Food Plot

Even average rainfall across the summer will make the job especially tough. The best way to deal with heavy vegetation is to plan early for vegetation destruction.

There are several choices that involve bush hogging and disking, controlled fire, and the use of herbicides. Herbicides can be especially useful in a year when adequate rainfall has produced heavy summer vegetation.

Treat your plots with a herbicide about three weeks before you plan to do your first disking. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup and is also found in other herbicides. Mix two ounces per gallon of water and spray to wet. Do not bush hog or disk for ten to fourteen days. Allow the vegetation to brown up and dry out as much as possible.

At this time, you should be able to disk without bush hogging. It is easier for the disk blades to reach the ground while the vegetation is standing up. Once it is clipped and lying on the ground, the disk blades have a tendency to roll across the top of the vegetation and not touch the ground. This is especially true with green vegetation and even dry vegetation that has not had enough moisture and time to decompose and soften up. The herbicide method is particularly useful when dealing with sod forming grasses such as bahiagrass and bermuda. These grasses will be a problem each fall. The only way to control them effectively is to treat them with herbicides for several years.

4-Wheeler and Sprayer Make Ideal Application System

If you choose not to use herbicides, it usually takes two bush hog operations about two to three weeks apart with a rain or two in between. Then disk and hope for rain and disk again. In any event, your first disking should occur at least two weeks before you actually plant.

If you disk green vegetation into the soil and plant the same day, you may have poor initial survival and growth of your seedlings. The decaying vegetation can tie up nutrients, create a heat that kills the seeds, and leave open air pockets that will leave some seeds dry and not in good contact with mineral soil. The best results are obtained by disking and waiting for a rain and then disking and harrowing to smooth the soil for planting.

Keep in mind that the smallest seeds require the smoothest seedbeds. If you plant clovers, which are very small seeds, you should have a smooth firm seedbed to prevent them from being buried too deep. Clovers are to be planted about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. Larger seeds such as wheat and oats can be planted up to one inch deep and can do well in a rougher seedbed.

When Do I Actually Need to Plant?

Every year some folks get very anxious to plant early, and in most years it is a mistake. Why go to so much trouble to get the cool season planting done when there is so much warm season left? Cool season grasses and clovers planted too early will have lots of adverse conditions to deal with. What is too early? Anything planted before September 15th is at great risk. The recommended time for planting is any time you have adequate moisture between September 15th and October 15th.

If you plant too early, you run the risk of an extended hot and dry period. Remember, these are cool season plants you are trying to establish. You also subject the planting to insect attacks such as armyworms, crickets and grasshoppers. If you plant too late, the seedlings do not have adequate time to establish a good root system before the ground gets cold

Many of you who bow hunt want to have food plots up and growing by October 1st. While this is possible, it is risky. In most years, it is a mistake to plant in early September. Why not plant a little later in early October and hunt the natural food sources during the first several weeks of the archery season? One of the best places to bow hunt is on those early dropping water oak trees, permissions, and crab apples.

For more information on planting wildlife food plots, contact your local extension office.