The start date to plant winter food plots for deer has arrived. Product selection in this area is vast. Unfortunately many are tailored too large or too small for the plots we plant or even worst, the wrong area. That is why we’ve put together a “Build Your Own Plot Mix” section. This allows hunters to buy wheat, oats, clover, turnips and Austrian winter peas by the pound to make your own mix.
There are three mistakes that folks commonly make and yes, I have made all three! The number one is burying the seed too deep. The big seeds can handle it a little too deep but not the small ones. The second mistake is adding fertilizer and seed at the same time. This is very risky as you can burn the seed. The third is not having a way to monitor the growth of the plot. There are few things more frustrating than spending the time and money and not knowing if it even grew.
Here are the solutions:
- If you have a planter you can disregard this one. Once the dirt work is done and the seeds are sown, lay three or four tee posts on a piece of chain link fence about six to ten foot long and drag the plot one time. This will get the seeds covered enough to germinate.
- Apply fertilizer two weeks before you plant or two weeks after the crop comes up. Consider the extra trip quality time in the woods.
- In the center of the plot, drive the tee posts in a circle. Wrap the chain link around them and secure it to the posts. This is the area where we monitor the growth of the plot.
Even when we do everything right, we still need the right amount of rain at the correct time. Let’s all have a safe and productive hunting season. And try to keep that deer meat under $850.00 a pound.
FYI: This is the latest information on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Texas.
Chronic Wasting Disease: What You Need to Know
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