I'm thinking ahead (for a change)

[Iowabowtech]

Well, I've decided to make a small, fall food plot by one of my best treestands. It's located within a timber but the area that would contain the foodplod was clearcut this winter to allow sunlight penetration and also allow an area for the deer to congregate. I went in a couple days ago and cleared out all the small woody vegetation that had sprung up and used Roundup on the entire area after that. The spot is about 40 ft wide by about 150 ft in length. I was thinking about planting forage oats in there in late August via a garden tiller and rake. So I'm looking for opinions on whether the oats are a good idea or if you think something else would be in order. Also wanted to know if my timing sounds ok on the planting.

 

[JNRBRONC]

To me, oats are a cover crop, begging for some clover or alfalfa seed to be snuck in with them. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif Clover being more affordable.

Timing seems right. Hopefully you will get rain.

 

[dbltree]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I was thinking about planting forage oats in there in late August via a garden tiller and rake. So I'm looking for opinions on whether the oats are a good idea or if you think something else would be in order. Also wanted to know if my timing sounds ok on the planting. </div></div>

Sounds like a plan to me but you may want to add some rye in with the oats so that you have some feed after a killing frost hits.

If your considering clover that is a perfect time to add some to the mix unless you prefer to keep it in some type of annual mix. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[Iowabowtech]

I thought about the clover/alfalfa addition but wasn't sure how it'd do in the timber. The main thing I was looking for was something to hunt over THIS fall for starters. But if the clover would come up later and provide forage for the next several years maybe that'd be the way to go.

 

[dbltree]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Iowabowtech</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I thought about the clover/alfalfa addition but wasn't sure how it'd do in the timber. The main thing I was looking for was something to hunt over THIS fall for starters. But if the clover would come up later and provide forage for the next several years maybe that'd be the way to go. </div></div>

May not be the best for alfalfa but clover could work and you do have the option of frost seeding it late next winter if you prefer not to seed it with the oats/rye.

Easy to rake in cereal grains but you could broadcast some clover seed in after the fact this fall to get some started.

A little spot like that...a few pounds of clover seed is plenty. Maintain it with a weedwacker down the road but in the timber it may need a few bags of lime. Guessing that soil will be pretty acidic.

 

[Iowabowtech]

I keep remebering a pic in the clover thread where somebody planted winter rye as a nurse crop for clover and it turned out great. If I did that, would the rye do anything for me this fall or not until next spring/summer? Is planting a mixture of oats/winter rye/clover a real possibility? It almost seems like the oats/rye would try to compete with each other but maybe not. And if it does work, will the rye come back up in the spring and still act as a nurse crop to the clover after the oats die off this winter? Seems like a lot of things going on in one stand but if it would work, it sounds like a great idea!